Brent Venables: Inexperience on the Defense is Holding Oklahoma Back

NORMAN — Brent Venables doesn’t need to make excuses.

But …

“Just calling it how it is,” he stated.

Venables gave an prolonged reply Tuesday for why the Oklahoma protection isn’t enjoying higher this season.

“I see a defense,” he stated, “that doesn’t have a lot of experience. So there’s going to be some ups and some downs.”

Venables went proper down the Sooners’ beginning 11 three days after OU suffered its fourth defeat, a 38-35 setback at dwelling to Baylor. He stopped at senior linebacker Dashaun White.

“We’ve got one guy that’s been here that’s started a bunch of games,” Venables stated, “and that’s DaShaun. DaShaun’s started for four years.”

Venables didn’t recruit any of OU’s defensive starters. He didn’t establish them at elite camps or 7 v 7s or anyplace else.

But, first-year coach or not, these are his gamers now. This is his crew. Team 128, as he places it, could have been largely recruited by Lincoln Riley and Alex Grinch, however in 2022, they’re being coached by Venables and his employees.

These Sooners would possibly rank 119th in the nation in run protection, 73rd in passing protection, 92nd in scoring protection, 111th in complete protection, one hundred and twenty fifth in first downs allowed, and a hundred and first in third down deafness, however this is who Team 128 is.

“You go up and down the roster,” Venables stated,” and also you see a bunch of fellows that’re nonetheless studying how you can play the recreation. That’s a part of the progress course of. That is not a enjoyable factor for anyone to be part of.

“It’s one thing to have three or four new guys. It’s whole other thing when you’ve got a whole bunch of new guys and then they’re all learning the same stuff at the same time.”

Venables isn’t incorrect, after all. Whether it’s defensive ends Reggie Grimes and Ethan Downs, or defensive tackles Jordan Kelley, Jeffery Johnson and Jalen Redmond, or cornerbacks Woodi Washington and Jaden Davis or safeties Billy Bowman and Key Lawrence or linebackers Danny Stutsman and David Ugwoegbu, or any variety of different Sooner starters or frontline guys, the Oklahoma protection could have a handful of seniors, however total it is bereft of main recreation expertise.

“Reggie, he’s barely a one-year starter,” Venables started. “Marcus Stripling’s a senior, and he’s started two games in his career. Jordan Kelley started one game in his career. Jalen Redmond hasn’t been a two-year starter yet. Jeffery Johnson is a transfer, he’s your other most experienced player. Isaiah Coe has started five games in his career. These are guys that are playing like, freshmen snaps.

“Ethan Downs has started nine games — not a year. Jonah Laulu, again, another transfer, more experienced guy, hasn’t been a two-year starter yet. David Ugwoegbu has started less than — a year-and-a-half starter. Danny Stutsman, still on his first year, still a rookie. Again, talked about DaShaun.

“Jaden Davis, this is his second full-time year as a stater. Twenty-two games now he’s started. Billy Bowman, you know, he’s whatever it is. Eight or nine games — not a year. Key Lawrence, I think it’s eight games. He’s been an eight-game starter. These are all guys starting for us now. Justin Broiles, he’s been here six years, at the end of this year, he’ll be a two-year starter. Woodi Washington, less than two years.

“These are some of the older guys.”

Venables pointed to the OU offensive line as the crew’s most seasoned unit — and that’s why they’re enjoying the better of any group.

“That’s been the most consistent unit all year,” he stated.

“So when they see the defense, you see very inconsistent. You see four games of pretty good play, and a lot that hasn’t been good. The ups and the downs. The two games that we lost against two good football teams, Kansas State and Baylor, comes down to the last drive of the game, and we can’t make the play.”

“We can’t make it on third-and-16, we can’t make it on fourth-and-one — against two really good teams.”

Venables steered that gamers have change into confused when the opposing offense modifications formations with pre-snap movement and shifts.

“We’re not doing things that are complicated,” Venables stated. “You have to be able to count to three or sometimes four. ‘One, two, three, four, now how do I relate? Where do I get lined up?’

“(Baylor) changed the formation from a two-by-two (two receivers on each side) to a three-by-one. That’s not a complicated thing in the big picture. You have to change. You can’t just stay in one thing when they do this. There has to be some kind of adjustment.”

Players, nonetheless, have described Venables’ scheme as far more advanced than what they ran beneath Grinch.

In the massive image, that’s most likely dangerous news.

“We’re barely scratching the surface on the depth of the playbook right now,” Venables stated. “Is it harder for some people than others? Yeah, it is. Some of it is youth and some of it is they’re not quite there from a developmental standpoint just yet. We have to be mindful and continue to do the things it takes to develop the guys. The fundamentals, attitude, mindset. This is a game of performance, game of execution. Right now, we’re not executing consistently like we need to. When we do, we’re in pretty good shape.

“When we get lined up, make the right adjustments and get our eyes where they belong, we’re pretty solid. When we don’t, we’ve been getting punished by good teams.

“I love the fight and the competitiveness. The willingness to invest. And they’ve done that. We have no foundation, and that’s what we’re trying to work on right now.”

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