Venables Earns his Moment
Just minutes after his first victory as head coach, Oklahoma’s Brent Venables got a little bit of a taste of what that moment meant to his players.
Defensive tackle Isaiah Coe gave Venables a monster bearhug as it was a day of all smiles in the Sooners’ 45-13 victory against visiting UTEP on Saturday afternoon to begin the 2022 season.
A season debut for OU that was nine months in the making, but a day Venables has been imagining about for the last 30 years.
Running the program, said to be fractured and fragmented and dysfunctional when he arrived. Now? To see it arm-and-arm in unity and handshakes and hugs all around.
“This game was going to be about Oklahoma reestablishing the soul, the spirit and the standards of this program,” Venables said. “Moving forward, we're really focused on how we do and what we do. Not just that we play football, but how we do.
“We wanted anybody who was tuning into that game to see us playing with incredible, incredible effort and energy from start to finish. For the most part, I thought we did that.”
A sense of relief from the players who remember the how high the hopes were for the 2021 season and the bitter disappointment, followed by the confusing departure of Lincoln Riley to USC.
Because they remember that moment of shock, it allowed them to fully embrace this moment and being led by Venables.
“It was just good to get out there again,” said tight end Brayden Willis, who had two touchdown receptions. “A lot of stuff went down the last time we were out on the field. It was good to get out there and just let loose and play. It was good to be out there with the guys. I love this team so much.”
It was an exhale not just from Willis but numerous players in the postgame media sessions. If the page hadn’t fully been turned before Saturday afternoon, it’s there. It’s all about looking ahead and moving forward than lamenting about what was.
Staples of what Venables is eyeing for were there all afternoon. OU’s defense had six sacks and nine tackles for loss and were physical throughout. The offense, led by Dillon Gabriel, accounted for 492 yards with Gabriel totaling three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing).
It was back to playing football.
“It was night and day,” said defensive end Reggie Grimes, who had a career-high 2.5 sacks. “There was no more uncertainty. We were all playing clear-headed, and that allowed us to play free, and when you can play free, you can make plays, and I think that’s not even an offense and defense, but as a full team we did that today.”
The tone was set early in a first quarter that went as good as Venables and OU fans could have possibly hoped. A 21-0 surge to let people know the Sooners, hey, they’re not going anywhere.
It wasn’t a flawless performance, but it doesn’t need to be Sept. 3. The key, obviously, is for each performance to get better and better.
For Saturday, though, OU is allowed to celebrate. And the Sooners did, even Venables showing some dance moves in the locker room.
A moment that brought some humor from linebacker Danny Stutsman, who quickly turned into a poignant statement on what the team feels for its man in charge.
“That man can’t dance, but that’s OK cause he can really coach,” said Stutsman, who made nine tackles in his first start. “I’m going to let this slide, but I love his intensity. I love everything about him.
“Seeing him after that game, I would do anything for this man. Anything he says, I would do for him. There’s all-in buy in from everybody on this team, and we’re just excited for everything he brings and everything he’s done and what we’re going to do in the future under Coach Venables.”
Venables has said in the past he was looking for the right alignment – head coach, athletic director (Joe Castiglione), president (Joseph Harroz). He said you don’t mess with happy, a reason he never really explored head coaching options.
The alignment is still there in Norman, and it’s a new kind of happy that he’ll definitely have no problem appreciating.
“I gave them to Joe and Joe for believing in me,” Venables said. “This is Oklahoma. They didn't have to hire me. And I don't take that for granted at all. So we gave them a game ball after we gave one to every player and coach in there. So again, we've talked about this being team 128 and we want to celebrate success no matter how it looks.
“But, a special day. Certainly, for our players in 2022. You know, where we want to go as a program, for me, you know, this is gonna be a date that we all remember, you know, for a long, long time.”
Nobody deserved it more than Venables himself.