Everything Brent Venables said after Oklahoma's win over South Carolina

Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables spoke with the media after defeating South Carolina, 26-7.

Here is everything he had to say:

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Opening Statement

“Thought we ran the ball efficiently, better against a really good tough front that’s committed to stopping the run. Our guys, we really challenged them just about the pile just moving, you know, forward in favor of the good guys on both sides of the line of scrimmage and there were several times in the game I’m able to make a nice little cut up just to affirm what winning looks like. Just, falling forward and just kind of taking the life out of your opponent one one play at a time. I believe in that.

I’ve been on the wrong side of it. Um as a as a defensive coach when the when the line of scrimmage isn’t going where you wantit to go and uh that’s a team that’s very competitive in all three uh phases. And again, coming off a game where they rushed for just under 200 yards uh in Baton Rouge a week ago, set the tone on defense and on offense, got the ball right out the gate and we go right down the field and score and two fourth down stops to start the game and getting us into a really good rhythm on the road creating energy and trying to you know create a little doubt as a byproduct you know on the opposing sideline.

Really thoughtthat you know again a week ago where we left a lot to be desired in the third quarter. Certainly when the game was still in doubt we we didn’t play great football and we certainly didn’t compliment or compensate for for either side of the ball. But thought the second and the third quarter and defense, man again 63 yards on 32 plays two yards a play, just really not allowing them to get in the game.

Obviously going in at halftime there’s you know talk about agame of inches when I I really felt like we had a chance to really slam the door in the first half whatever that looks like. I just I love the strain of our players. and mad at the execution and some of the smallest details of um playing good defense.

But they they poked one in there going into halftime and I just love the attitude, the courage, the toughness,the determination, the belief. Never flinched and uh just a just a a great day, man. Uh again, I think they had under two yards a carry on the day. I don’t think they had a third down conversion until the fourth quarter whenthe game was already in doubt. And offensively, man, red zone again, we’re 100% on the year. Uh going on the road, you you’ll take the field goals, but, man, you can really set the tone for the day when you score touchdowns and we were three out of three, you know, scoring touchdowns. Uh today, they were one out of two. Uh and we had gotten into a great rhythm again defensively. Six three and outs. offense. It hink they had one on the day until latein the game when we had some of the we’re just trying to run the clock out.

Plus two in the margin. Uh so good for us. It’s about time. Way overdue. You had eight different guys that caught balls. I thought John (Mateer) really responded in a great way. Made some really good plays, great decisions. Uh Grayson Miller was good. Had a bad punt but made up for it. John had a good punt there to put him on the one and uh funky Marcus Strong got in there and got himself a safety.

I just saw a team that was hungry and even angry, hangry. It’s a hangry uh football team and and the team that again felt like wehad a lot to prove and know that we have a good football team and you know the game of football will punish you when you don’t do the little things right and we we certainly did a lot a week ago in the in the second half and the third quarter where we didn’t give ourselves a chance. Um but really just again proud of our guys and just really just playing together. There was a really good synergy about it. Really happy for our fans. We had an amazing showing with our fans.

So, I’ve said this a lot. One of the most fulfilling and gratifying things for me is to have people be proud of, you know,our our team and uh if just for amoment, you know, we got high standards at Oklahoma, justifiably so. I’m aligned with them and but today was a day that they could appreciate our guys.

Um, you know, I feel like this is a team that’s been battle tested, um, the season even going into today. And I think that was a, you know, a great advantage for us. Our guys didn’t flinch. And, uh, they believed. And again, as the saying goes, judge a man, judge a team, judge a unit. you know, when times when things aren’t going well and when everybody questioned uh, you know, the team from a week agoand our guys had the ability, the maturity to, you know, block out thatnoise and focus on, uh, again, doing thethings that winning requires and theenergy, the execution, the physicality,uh, great focus to them. So, realthankful for our players and just their determination today.”

On Controlling the second half:

“It’s our players. Our players made the decision. Here we are again. You know, get used to it incollege football, you know, and you know we watched again. I think I talked to you guys about it. Can’t remember for sure, but just watching Georgia 14 play drive, what does it look like? What does winning ugly look like, but just winning, what does it look like? There’s good and there’s bad, there’s penalties, there’s big plays, there’s what does it look like?

There’s good and there’s bad, there’s penalties, there’s big plays, there’s execution. It goes back and forth, and you gotta get yours more than you get got. (I) watched a little video on that, but that’s, you know, the game of football, and certainly again in this conference, but it says a lot again about their ability to respond, keep striking, and what I said. And when you don’t win a week ago, it doesn’t really resonate with anybody, and I get that, but we have been incrementally improving.

There’s not a position on your entire football team that requires the chemistry, cohesion, the trust that’s developed in the offensive line, and we’re getting a little better, protected pretty good and we
ran the ball covered. People are strained. And if you go back and just watch the pile. You know, for the most part, all day, both sides went in the right direction, just finishing (with) strength, finishing with toughness. Don’t be satisfied. Your effort, you know, matters. And that’s what a hungry, tough team does, they finish. Play in and play out.”

What happened on the 18-yard rush on 2nd and 20 in the opening drive, and what worked so well in the run game?

“Yeah, again, I think they were playing with coverage that they maybe got out of a gap. We had a good run that was designed. They were plusing over a certain way, and our guys out-executed them on that particular play, ran through some trash. Guys cover people up and got up into the secondary.

And that’s what you have to do. I say this to our players all the time. You know, this game will punish you just from the smallest incremental, you know, mistakes, and at the end of the day, you look back and it’s going to be the sum of all those you know mistakes that can really again expose you. And so we were on the right side of it today, but that was, again, a tone setter. And again, i’m proud of the offensive line and Tory (Blaylock) and you saw that happen when we needed it quite a few times today.”

On Jake Taylor:

“Yeah, no he’s very humble. You know, he’s rooted in his work and he’s raised the right way. He’s thankful for his opportunity. You guys interviewed him, and he kept saying the same thing, like he was not a real human being, right?

But he’s a robot when it comes to that and he understands and respects the work, the detail of how you play at a high level. He really respects coach (Miguel) Chavis and coach Chavis’ has done an amazing job with his whole group and Taylor is a byproduct of that. Of just a lot of work, a lot of sweat equity and maximizing being ready for the opportunity when the opportunity is there.”

How unsurprising was South Carolina’s fake punt?

“You know, we said it every time our punt return went out there. It was a bunch of times, i don’t know how many times they punted, a lot. But you know, Coach (Shane) Beamer has done an amazing job. That unit has been a real weapon for him for several years, and creating big plays and explosive plays. You know, that was a huge focal point for us, not allowing a fake, you know, sniffing out a fake, having amazing protection, a lot of funky overloads, and those are big plays in the game.

I mean, everybody else doesn’t necessarily, maybe see it that way, but those are the plays that you know a good team is ready for. And I just appreciate coach (Doug) Deakin having the guys ready, and our getting our guys respecting, you know how you go win and and not be vulnerable to those things. So, now again, you’ve written book, and people are going to write book on you. Oh no, they’re discipline. Look, they’re ready for a fake and then you start to squeeze and condense up, you know, a call sheet, or rolodex and and now you don’t open, you know, Pandora’s box. So really heads up by our guys.”

You’ve obviously coached a few games in this building, how important is getting the crowd out of the game to play a lot freerer?

“Yeah, that would be true anywhere. But, the environment here is fantastic. As good as there is in college football. The fan base is passionate They’re loyal and you go on the road, you know you’re going to have to be able to play through, the chaos of game day. And at the end of the day, you can set the tone for the day. And I think, again, a couple of those fourth down stops early in the game, offense going down scoring on that first drive kept everybody a little bit edgy and maybe a little more quiet. But that’s what happens when your guys play and compete with great strength.”

When your defense got the momentum back in the third quarter, what did that say to you for your defense to be able to get off the field?

“Man, just our toughness and our coaches doing a good job, players believing. That doesn’t keep happening without belief and without the physical and mental toughness, having a bad case of ‘the wants’ and lot of strain, you know, the physical strain, they fought for each other.

And I challenged the team. Everybody’s individual success is tied to the man next to you. Mine is to you, yours is to mine, and everybody’s to everybody around. And so man, lean on each other, have each other’s back. You know, doing your job with everything you got laid on the line. We watch the video together. Man shows the respect that you have for your opportunity and for your teammates. And so you do that because of love, trust, cohesion, toughness, physicality, fundamentals, knockback, all of the things that you know define good football.

And those were huge plays. I’m really, really proud to watch that happen. Again, just it just takes me back to three short years ago against Baylor in a one score game. We couldn’t stop them, you know, on those third and ones, and those were gut punches. But our guys fought and battled. There are seven of those guys that were there didn’t have great roles at that time, but they kind of grown up into, you know, the mentality, you know, what we want to be about and known for.”

Do you have an update on Gentry Williams?

“Yeah he banged a shoulder. Everything was clear in the x-rays and stuff, so hopefully he’ll be ok.”

On secondary play:

“Yeah, it was good, you know, we had a had a P(ass) I(terferences), that wasn’t great. Couple of PIs. I’d rather them get a PI than (Let South Carolina) catch the ball, though. So we got to clean up some fundamental things, we got the one corner route on third and forever. I wish I could have a call back and put into something different and they made a nice play, but overall, top to bottom, thought it was good.

They’re known for creating explosive plays, aas opposed to being a methodical offense, you know, being able to stay on the field. And so we want to take away because they have big play capability, and the way they run the ball, with that quarterback, he gets a lot of attention, so it makes you a little more vulnerable. You certainly don’t want to have balance, the quarterback and throw the ball all over the lot, and just so we want to really challenge the offensive line and just never let him consistently get his feet set. I think the guys did a nice job of that.”

On the running backs Tory Blaylock and Xavier Robinson:

“Yeah, had some good, tough runs today. Some really good things to build off. Had a good week of practice and some of the same, he gets a little thin on some of the blocks, and he knows how to work where they’re set up andwhere they’re a little vulnerable, even if it’s just two more yards. He knows where those spots are, and that’s what your running back needs to do, need to find those. And he got into a good rithym, showed some good things today.”

After last week’s offensive struggles, how do you think they responded?

“Yeah, I mean, I don’t know, question, and all that but, it’s easy when things don’t go well, and that starts with us, so he’s going to carry that burden. But, man, he’s a tough guy. I said that a lot about him, I felt that through the evaluation process, the hiring process that he’s got really good toughness to him, super, ultra competitive, but he’s got great humility, so not hard headed.

(He) can take an honest evaluation of, what’s good, what isn’t, what we need to get better at, and emphasize the right things, and think collectively as an offensive staff. He can’t do it alone and so I think all of them together did a great job of showing great belief and determination and putting our guys in position to go win.”

On John Mateer’s performance

“And again, just what I said on Tuesday. I’m not going to be surprised. This is the dude. And I said that, like in the football world, just a dude that going to own everything good and bad, not just the good. And if he has a fault, he want carry the weight up for the whole team. Listen let’s just focus on getting better not be
perfect, you’re never gonna be and making good decisions in that position, don’t go try to win the game every drive. And so just a competitive maturity. He’s displayed that

This is year two for him, as far as the starting quarterback, and he’s got a he’s got a track record of responding after some tough moments, and every quarterback’s, going to have some moments they’d like to get back to that position, and heavy is the crown goes to that position and texactly who I thought he was, nothing more, nothing less. But he’s got all the right stuff. The guts, the toughness, the humility because you don’t handle that moment without humility. Just, I appreciate his leadership. One of the best leaders i’ve been around, adult or young man wearing a uniform. He’s pretty remarkable.”

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