Oklahoma Football: Brent Venables Postgame press conference

um good win uh for our guys um really proud of of all of their work and their effort over the last several weeks and months to get to this this moment and uh got a chance to uh to to win 51 to3 and play really well uh in some spots had several uh superlines we played 84 uh players uh tonight and um really uh proud of the defense thought the defense from start to finish really played outstanding again um six sacks nine tackles for loss uh for you know six turnovers and scored a touchdown first time I think we've had six turnovers in the game since 2003 uh we had four uh six fumble Force fumbles last year and we had four tonight really I loved uh how aggressive and confident our guys were moving around flying to the ball and being aggressive and knocking the ball loose uh fantastic job uh by the defense coach Allen got a game ball this in his debut it's pretty solid uh day right there if we don't have a penalty you never know we might have got a shut out uh but really just liked our positioning overall the cleanliness uh and aggressiveness that we played with on defense um our off offense again they scored six of the first eight drives they scored uh there's some you know we created a lot of short field you know the four turnovers in the first half they converted it to two touchdowns and two field goals so had a few um issues from a getting into a good Rhythm um at times on offense I thought Jackson played really efficiently again he was 17 of 25 but he had four four drops got to make those plays and one of them uh would have went for a ways and uh but I thought he played efficient there's a few decisions whether give it or throw it uh that we got to get cleaned up um but uh thought he played efficiently he was good to um get uh Mike Hawkins in the game and that group of guys we able to play a bunch of young guys both at the skill position and the guys up front thought that again they did some really good things again we we went in with a really simple clean game plan uh structurally and scheme wise we thought that's what we needed to do to in order to win and uh but got a lot to to clean up again had some substitution issues uh and some of our special teams unit units but Kelner was three out of three a 50 of 42 and a 24 yard field goal Luke ped the ball well average 43.8 I thought outside of one we probably could have filled fielded one punt uh that we let hit the ground but I thought Payton did a nice job uh as well our coverage units were pretty good and uh overall again thought it was a good win with plenty of things that we uh can do to get better um in all three phases and um so good to get some something on the tape uh you know so we have some video evidence of both good and bad and be able to learn and grow and get better as a team and improve and as we move you know here the next uh you know moving forward every every week things are going to get a little bit more challenging uh with our opponents in in front of us but playing tonight gives us an opportunity to get an extra day of of rest and recovery and uh uh preparation for Houston in a week open up Brent uh Branson and and J both left with injuries how are those guys doing um again well I think Branson got a uh got a uh ankle Sprain and so we'll we'll see uh where that is and and and then jelle's going to have surgery uh he end up breaking his foot and uh so he'll get a screw put in that and that's a six to8 week recovery uh for him hatte it for him had a great great camp and um but uh hopefully we'll get him back here in month month and a half or so is that the same foot in Spring yeah m BR what was the biggest thing that stood out to you on the the defensive front and the way they play pressure just yeah vertical active stayed on our feet and did a really nice job in blocked recognition squeezing and condensing gaps some of our movements that we did up front I thought they they play a great pad level uh and again you don't ever want to you know well that was so and so that we're playing you know it really doesn't have anything to do with them that were the things that I'm talking about it's it's us but I just thought we we were sure of what we were doing plug a really good pad level excellent with our hands we got a lot of knock back and we made it hard for them to to run the ball downhill they tried to run downhill at some counters where they're pulling two people they got the ball outside on a Jet Sweep early but really other than that weren't able to get outside we turned a corner route loose another time and there's plenty of things we had a guy wide open on Jaden Hardy's interception that uh we got a we're in a man call and we just don't cover him he goes vertical right down the middle of the field so there's some things we got away with um you so we're not beating our chest but I do think that we we played for the most part we had really good positioning for the most part we we covered the guys were supposed to cover played with pretty good technique all night but I thought I love the depth of what we were able to to to play in the game I don't know exact uh number can I think it was 42 is uh is what we played on defense 84 overall thoughts on the Run game today and just adjusting with the mar situation yeah again um again we you know DeMarco he handles substitutions and whatnot but uh knows who can do what type of runs the right way so I thought our guys were you know well schooled on that you know again I thought times we had some really um good runs called that we pulled it out of the belly and chose to throw it um that we uh we can learn from but uh we were overall efficient you know um not amazing but overall we were efficient and um what we I don't know what we average for rush we can see that anywhere here but uh we average just under six yards of play for the night so solid Taylor Tatum just getting some you can see his explosiveness and U he's got great power runs through trash and he's got excellent top and speed really good Natural Instincts you know carrying the ball what about Dion Burks obviously just one game here but what what could you foresee with this guy in your offense yeah again first time ever sooner players caught three touchdowns in his in his debut and and again for for Jackson throwing him the ball it was four touchdowns for Jackson That's the most in a first career home start for Oklahoma player since 1999 uh but again Dion did fantastic Dion did exactly what he's done since he's been here he's he's explosive you know he makes things happen he knows how to to get open and uh is really really competitive you so was good to get him going tonight BR the the offense being kind of up and down at times tonight with so much newness whether it's the offensive line quarterback coordinators even is it safe to say that you kind of have to be patient with that group as they get going I think all of it yeah I mean um I think you we went in with a really plain vanilla game plan uh from a strategy standpoint and again there's some things that we'll we'll be able to get better in some of our RPO world uh that can help us uh as well but uh then again you know we lost uh Branson early I thought Garen came in and he did a really nice job and then uh you know guys picked up the slack you know for for Jalil as well but uh you know we did what we needed to do 151 to3 had great game control and and again a lot that we can still improve I thought again I thought our tight ends played well Jake and bow and uh Kade McIntyre Kaden hmes got in so that was really good to see as well Brent you uh you mentioned Tyler Kelner um and three for three what was it in training camp that allowed him to separate or at least take a step forward just there's a body of work and not just a training camp there's a summer there's spring it's just it's a body of work and uh you know he shown with his career you know he he getting the games he he made most of them and had a good track record that way but Zach had a great Camp too as I said it we went in just made a decision this is what we were going to do and uh you know glad for Tyler stepping up and executing you know really nice job in his debut you said it was a vanilla offensive game plan is that more based on opponent or just getting s what did you think ofion again like I said he uh his numbers again just easy pitches and catches he had four drops so you're looking at being 21 to 25 and and we threw the ball we only pushed the ball down the field just a couple of snaps um uh I think we threw two go balls on an couple of rpos and and we we hit a de deep one beautiful shot you know to was that was that Farooq on the over route and uh some really you excellent throws tonight but we didn't uh push the ball down the field uh tonight and um so again that was by Design and to a certain degree and but again like I said earlier I think there's a couple of times where he could have put it in the belly uh instead of throwing it and then there was a time or two that some of the things they were doing structurally on defense uh where he could have kept it uh as well so but overall I thought it was it was good how did the helmet communication work with the offense and defense it was good no no issues right how good was it to see Andre get back out there that was good you know he's worked really hard and and uh and so that'll do a lot for him you know and his his confidence and you know usually it takes you about a year to get back to where you were you know from that that ACL and that's mentally and it's physically you certainly get the the green light uh usually around that you know six to eight month period depends on if you had any setbacks and whatnot so it's great to get him back going he's long super explosive and look forward to getting him you know into the the offense fulltime you got Michael Hawkins some run some runs that plan these first couple games maybe get his feet wet a little bit yeah yeah yeah mik Mike's done well and he's looked really good what you saw tonight's kind of how he looked in how he's looked in in practice as well so Mike's Mike's a really good player uh he's got a great future ahead of them and uh and we really feel that it's important that we we we get him some experience other way you got two really young quarterbacks uh at the one and the two and uh we don't have a lot of experience there so uh we feel like we're we're going to need to be able to have those guys ready to play do you need someone to step up for Jalil and replace him or do you just going to spread out more more snaps for the starters or we'll see how it all works out when it's said and done but we do have you know a good group of young players uh there as well um got a good receiver room you know at some point you can't just keep taking hits that's two really good players you know that you you've lost there but we do feel good about a group of guys that will be able to take up the slack what does having Bower and the tight end passing game what what does that potentially add to your offense yeah I mean I think it just gives you balance and it allows you to do some things both in the run and the pass I me the these are a group of guys they they're good at blocking and uh you know they can give us an advantage from that standpoint and then attack in the middle of the field uh Outlets things of that nature these are really good athletes understand the passing game they understand spacing and uh so that'll again be a group of guys that's going to be able to help us have really good balance inside and outside run in pass what does the performance like Grayson hton tonight do for him to kind of get up to a fast start after the cand yeah I mean I it's going to do a lot from a confidence standpoint obviously trust uh getting more and more opportunity I think it'll probably even creting and Grayson's been great um he's really started to focus you know the last six months on what he wants to do with his with his career and his opportunity and and he's always been a great guy just being serious about his his opportunity and uh putting the weight on knowing what to do being consistent showing up every day and you know we've said this he's one of our best pass rushers he's incredibly disruptive um super athletic Twitchy if you will and uh plays with a lot of passion and so I'm anxious to to watch him and several other guys to see you know if he was a complete player you know tonight both the run and the pass that that tip intercept that Dolby made for Walker was he doing that on purpose or was that just luck you think no think it was a pvu he's going for the ball and uh we we were showing a a mugged up look and and showing the quarterback one thing we had some real tight Windows uh you know I think I can't remember but I think Dolby was on the outside like this and reached back in and it just happened to pop up but it that definitely wasn't planned if Doby had an opportunity to catch it he Cly he's not he's not that good at a teammate but he's active and disruptive uh it's great to see is Woody healthy 100% we held Woody could have gone you know he's a little bit sore and um same thing Eli Bowen um could have played but it just wasn't a game that you need him to play just if we we have couple of guys like that that we decided to hold here the last you know in the last day or so same with Gentry for the most part I mean he again just why risk him you know he's and that was three weeks ago that he hurt his shoulder he's completely cleared um but we and his strength is uh excellent he's back but we've um we've done a little bit of live I say live a little bit of contact and practic in practice for Gentry uh tackling uh in controlled setting but not all the good on good stuff and some of the scrimmage stuff that we've done he's not done that so we've wanted to progress him back into it Jake Taylor in that same boat too yeah Jake was he's available we just he's missed a few practices and we wanted to work on his stamina if we could and felt like tonight we'd be able to do that so he'll be back and ready to roll next week who you work with uh is that Atty or excuse me who you work with with for being out who you work with again it's going to be a handful of guys you know we got some really good young receivers uh you know way will will have a chance uh as well he can play inside and outside uh you know Reagan is a guy that can play outside and inside as well KJ Daniels Ivan kerion Kerney those are all guys that we they've been getting reps since the spring and have shown again nobody's been perfect no expectation of that but these are all guys that we feel like you know we're going to have a real chance for so that group of guys coach what you think about special teams long special teams yeah as I said earlier we had a few substitution you know bow playing a lot you know and so he forgot on field goal extra point one time and then had a punt issue as well and uh but outside of a couple of substitution uh things are going to happen when you're playing a lot of guys I thought overall it was pretty good you know and it was good to get some live stuff on tape against somebody else that we can coach and correct and and learn from Brent you mentioned Zack Alli got the the game ball after the game just how maybe how important was a today to get him just further settled in into into this position I mean I I guess it would have been not as good if he would have gave up you know 38 points and uh you know no turnovers and stuff like that I don't know I mean it was great yeah it's good you know we things went like we hoped it would go and but I I just love the aggressiveness uh forcing the turnovers a lot of hard hitting and really getting overall uh excellent positioning and depth of guys that knew what to do and so all the coaches done a really nice job at getting guys ready but it was great for Zach and you know moving forward that with those guys had confidence going in to the game and certainly will take the confidence out knowing again you got to start over and uh learn a new DNA a new opponent and uh but uh like I said he got the game ball and they put him up top he swag surfed all over the the uh I don't know think I think that's what it's called but in the locker room so they had some fun it's good did he call the whole game yeah one last question it's just one game but I mean it feels like defensively you guys have just made Leaps and Bounds from kind of where you first started as taking over this I think I I mean probably that's accurate to some degree and we still got a long ways to go um passed the first test I'm not trying to give Coach speak there's a lot steper challenges uh in the immediate future and um I think everybody in the locker room understands that but but that at the same time we're not apologizing for playing well tonight you know despite uh you know what we're playing against what they can do what they you know weren't good at things of that nature so uh you mission accomplished if you will and again this this is going to be a season again that presents a lot of um you know you know stronger challenges and and we're going to figure out a lot about who we are and what we want to be but you know as I've said before you know things that we didn't do well last year we didn't play consistent we gave up way too many big plays and uh you know I think that we're better equipped to handle if we if we had some guys get banged up last year we had some guys get banged up at linebacker at safety at corner and uh you know I really like where we're at from the competitive depth standpoint and what we've seen up to this point in time thank you coach okay