NORMAN, Okla. — The future looked bleak for Oklahoma football coach Brent Venables a year ago.
The Sooners were blown out by Texas, and a fan base that warmly embraced him after he replaced Lincoln Riley turned on Venables midway through his third season.
The next week, an error-filled blowout home loss to South Carolina led Venables to fire his offensive coordinator. Though the roster was besieged with injuries, Sooners supporters spoiled by past success didn’t care and blamed him for the disappointing results.
The tide started to turn about a month later when a severely outmanned Oklahoma squad stunned Alabama, which was ranked seventh at the time, by winning 24-3. The Sooners finished with a 6-7 record — including just a 2-6 mark in league play in their first season after leaving the Big 12 for the Southeastern Conference — but showed enough late in the season for Venables to get another shot.
This season, the sixth-ranked Sooners (5-0, 1-0) already have wins over Michigan of the Big Ten and Auburn to open SEC play, and now their fans are thinking about the College Football Playoff — which Oklahoma has made four times, though not since the 2019 season. Oklahoma currently has the nation’s best defense in several statistical categories heading into Saturday’s Red River Rivalry game against Texas (3-2, 0-1) at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.
“I like this team,” Venables said. “I like where we’re at right now. Have an excellent staff. Tremendous leadership in our locker room. Guys that I’ve been bragging on for a while, both sides of the ball.”
Venables took over calling the plays for the defense this season, and the Sooners have responded by allowing their fewest points through five games (36) since 1987. Oklahoma leads the nation in total defense, having surrendered an average of just 193 yards per game. The Sooners also lead the nation in third-down conversion defense (17.4%) and are tied for the lead in sacks (4.2 per game), while they rank second nationally in passing yards allowed (118.4 per game) and fifth in rushing yards allowed (74.6 per).
“He’s recruited the players that fit his style,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said. “They’re very active up front, very athletic group, multitude of pressures, multitude of coverages. I think they lead the SEC in about everything.”
The defensive line is the heartbeat of the unit. Taylor Wein has 3.5 sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss, fellow defensive end R Mason Thomas has three sacks, five tackles for loss and a forced fumble, Jayden Jackson has three sacks, and fellow defensive tackle Gracen Halton has a fumble return for a touchdown.
Sophomore defensive tackle David Stone has been disruptive all season and was rewarded with his first start in last week’s game against Mid-American Conference member Kent State. Defensive tackle Damonic Williams and defensive end Marvin Jones Jr. are seniors who have four starts this season.
On the other side of the ball, the Sooners brought in offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle and quarterback John Mateer, both from Washington State, after last season’s struggles. The offense is much improved, with Mateer establishing himself as one of the nation’s best quarterbacks.
Mateer sustained a hand injury against Auburn, but he was listed as probable on Thursday’s injury report. He has passed for 1,215 yards and six touchdowns and rushed for 190 yards and five scores in four games this season.
Isaiah Sategna, a transfer from Arkansas, leads the Sooners in receiving with 26 catches and 359 yards, while Deion Burks has 25 catches for 375 yards, and converted linebacker Jaren Kanak has 20 receptions for 328 yards at tight end.
Tory Blaylock, a freshman has emerged as the top running back with 257 yards and three touchdowns. Jaydn Ott, a transfer from California, is starting to find his footing after recovering from a shoulder injury that limited him in preseason practices.
The Sooners are playing well on special teams, too. Oklahoma’s Grayson Miller ranks second nationally with 49.8 yards per punt, while kicker Tate Sandell is 9-for-10 on field-goal attempts this season, with a long of 55 yards.
And for the most part, the Sooners have avoided injury.
“It’s hard to judge what kind of a team that we could have been last year,” Venables said. “Lost momentum, if you will. But proud of the fight that our guys had a year ago.”
That fight has carried over and helped build a positive culture and good chemistry.
“It’s harder than ever to have a selfless team,” Venables said. “That’s why I have a great appreciation for this team. They’ve been present, they’ve been about the team, they’ve been a group that’s been on a mission that has been very hungry.”