OU football: Full Brent Venables Press Conference - OU vs Temple

Brent Venables recaps the game all right um good win uh for our guys um really proud of of all of their work and their effort over the last several um weeks and months uh 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 uh had several uh superliges we've played 84 uh players uh tonight and um really uh proud of uh the defense thought the defense from start to finish really uh played outstanding again um six sacks nine tackles for loss uh for you know six turnovers and scored a touchdown the first time I think we've had six turnovers in the game since 2003 uh we only had four uh six fumble Force fumbles last year and we had four tonight so really I loved uh how aggressive and confident our guys were moving around flying to the ball and uh being aggressive and knocking the ball loose uh fantastic job uh by the defense uh coach Allen got gain ball in his in his debut it's pretty solid uh day right there if we don't have a penalty you never know it 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 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 a 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 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 uh efficiently he was good to um get uh Mike Hawkins in the game and that group of guys we were 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 felt 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 uh three out of three a 50 42 and a 24 yard field goal Luke pted the ball well average 43.8 I thought outside of one we probably could have fil fied 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 on in all three faces 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 you be able to learn and grow and get better as a team and improve and as we move you know though here in the next uh you know moving forward every every week things are uh going to get a little bit more challenging uh with our opponents and in front of us but uh 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 it up Brent uh Branson and and Brent Venables on Jalil Farooq and Branson Hickman's injuries J both left with injuries how are those guys um again we I I think Branson got a uh got a uh ankle sprain and so we'll we'll see uh where that is and and uh and then jelle is going to have surgery uh he ends up breaking his foot and uh so he'll get a screw put in that and that's a six to 8 week uh recovery uh for him hat 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 for the spring yeah mhm What was the biggest thing that stood out to you on the defensive front and the way they played the field? BR what was the uh biggest thing that stood out to you on the the defensive front and the way they play just yeah vertical uh active stayed on our feet and did a really nice job and block recognition squeezing and condensing gaps some of our movements that we did up front I thought they they play with 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 were sure of what we were doing I play with 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 they had 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 and we turned a corner route loose uh another time and there's plenty of things we had a guy wide open on Jaden Hardy's interception that uh we got to in a man call and 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 we 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 count I think it was 42 is uh is what we played on defense 8 84 Brent Venables on the running game and Demarco Murray overall on the Run game today and just adjusting with the Marco situation yeah again um I thought again we you know DeMarco uh he handles substitutions and whatnot but uh you 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 I thought we were overall efficient you know uh not amazing but overall we were efficient and um but we I don't know what we average per rush I don't see that anywhere here but uh we average just under six yards of play for the night so solid Taylor tat Brent Venables on Taylor Tatum just you can see uh his explosiveness and um he's got great power runs through trash and know got excellent top P speed really good Natural Instincts you know carrying the Brent Venables on Deion Burks' future ball what did you see out 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 uh 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 FC Deion 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 and so it's good to get him going tonight Brent the the offense uh Is it safe to say you have to be patient with the new offense to get going? 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 well 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 panson 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 uh again a lot that we can still improve I thought again I thought our tight ends played well Jake and Bower and uh Kade McIntyre Kaden HMS got in so that was really good to see uh as well Brent on Tyler Keltner and Zach Schmit BR you uh you mentioned Tyler k um and three for three what was it in train camp that allowed him to separate or at least take a step forward just there's a body of work and not just the training camp there's summer there's spring it's just it's a body of work and uh you know he has shown with his career you know he getting the games he he made most of them and uh so had a good track record that way but Zach had a great Camp too and as I said it we went in just made a decision this is what we were going to do and and uh you know glad for Tyler stepping up and executing you know really nice job in his de of you what did you think offensive game plan is that more based on opponent or just getting guys settled in [Music] What do you think about Jackson's decision-making? opponent what did you think of Jackson's just decision making and things again like you 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 gold balls on an couple of rpos and and we we hit a deep deep one beautiful shot you know to was that was that Farooq on the over route and uh had some really excellent throws tonight but we didn't uh push the ball down the field uh tonight and um so again that was by uh design and uh 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 in instead of throwing it and then there's a time or two that some of the things that we're doing structurally on defense uh where he could have kept it uh as well so but overall I thought it was it was How did the communication work with the offense and defense? good how did the helmet communication work with the offens it was good no no Brent Venables on Andrel Anthony Jr. return issues how 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 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 6 to 8 month uh period depends on if you had any setbacks and whatnot so it was great to get him back going he's long super explosive and look forward to getting him you know into the uh the offense fulltime got Michael Brent Venables on Michael Hawkins' debut Hawkins that yeah yep yeah Mike Mike's done well and he's looked really good what you saw tonight it'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 him and uh you know we really feel 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 and uh we don't have a lot of experience there so uh we feel like we're we're going to know need to be able to have both guys ready to play you Brent Venables on the fill-ins for Jalil Farooq need someone to step up for JAL and replace or you just going to spread out more yeah I me 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 What potential does Bauer Sharp add to your offense Bower in 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 mean these these are a group of guys they they're good at blocking and uh uh you know they can uh give us an advantage from that standpoint and then attack in the middle of the field uh Outlets things of that nature um these are really good athletes they 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 and pass Brent what does the Brent Venables talks complete players for rush and pass performance like Grayson hton tonight do for him to kind of get up to a fast start after the camp half 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 create and Grayson's been great um he's really started to focus you know the last 6 months on what he wants to do with his with his career and his opportunity and and he's always been a great guy he's 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 uh 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 so for other guys to see you know if he was a complete player you know tonight both the run and the pass Brent Venables on Walker's interception and Dolby that that tip interception that Dolby made for Walker was he doing that on purpose or was that just Lu no I think it was a pbu he's going for the ball and uh we we were showing a a mugged up look and and uh showing the quarterback one thing we had some real tight Windows uh you know I think if I can't remember but I think Dolby was on the outside like this and TR reach back in and and it just happened to pop up but it that definitely wasn't planned if Dolby had an opportunity catch it he certainly would have he's not he's not that good of a teammate but he's active and disruptive uh that was great to see what he help Is Woodi 100% the same for Gentry? 100% we held what he could have gone you know he's a little bit sore and um same thing Eli Bowen um um could have played but it just wasn't a game that you need him to play and just if we we have a couple of guys like that that we decided to hold here at the last you know in the last day or so same with gri for the most part yeah just again just why risk him you know he's and that was 3 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 U 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 wanteded to progress him back in into it is Jake Is Jake Taylor in the same boat too? 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 Brent Venables on new young receivers roll next week who you work with Excuse me who you work being out you work again it's going to be a handful of guys IR you know we got some really good young uh receivers uh you know pet 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 uh as well KJ Daniels Ivan kerion Kerney those are all guys that we they've been getting reps since the spring and have shown uh again nobody's been perfect uh 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 What do you think about the special team unit not giving up a long run? group of guys coach what did you think about the Special Teams unit not giving up a long run and scoring on one special teams yes sir yeah as I said earlier I did we had a few substitution you know bow playing a lot you know and uh so he forgot uh on a field goal extra point uh one time and then had a punt issue as well and um 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 How important was it today to get Zach Alley further settled into this division? from Brent you mentioned Zack Alli got the the game wi for the game just how maybe how important was it 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're things went like we hoped it would go and uh 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'll take confidence out knowing again you got to start over and uh learn a new DNA a new opponent and and uh but uh like I said he he got the game ball and they put him up top he swag surfed all over the the uh I don't know I think I think that's what it's called but in the locker room so they had some fun it was good did he call the whole game yeah one last question it's Brent Venables on defense 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 you know 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 you passed the first test I'm not trying to give Coach speak uh there's a lot stiffer 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 know 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 a competitive depth standpoint and what we've seen up to this point in time thank you coach okay appreciate everybody Seth TR will be on this side next we players on the other side