Brent Venables, not content with hot start, emphasizes needed improvements on Oklahoma Sooners defense
The Oklahoma Sooners have gotten off to a hot start in 2024, going 4-1 to start their first season in the SEC. They have much-needed areas to fix on the offensive side of the ball, obviously, but Sooners' head coach spent more time discussing areas that the defense must improve during their bye week this […]
The Oklahoma Sooners have gotten off to a hot start in 2024, going 4-1 to start their first season in the SEC.
They have much-needed areas to fix on the offensive side of the ball, obviously, but Sooners' head coach spent more time discussing areas that the defense must improve during their bye week this week.
This is a bit of a surprise, as their defense has carried them to a 4-1 start and has been one of the best units in the country so far.
Brent Venables’ defense lifts Oklahoma Sooners to miracle comeback win over Auburn Tigers
Oklahoma's Week 5 matchup against Auburn started poorly. The Sooners looked poorly disciplined and looked like they were getting out-coached. Auburn deployed multiple personnel groupings and hit explosive plays at critical moments. And then, as the four fingers went up in that game to signal the start of the fourth quarter, something shifted. Auburn kicker […]
However, if they do want to continue at this pace, Venables calling for some much-needed better fundamentals makes sense. Given how poorly the offense has started, the defense can't give up big plays again like they did against Auburn and has to play near-perfect to keep the Sooners in games.
"Our tackling was not what it’s been the first month of the season last week. Just wasn’t what it needs to be. That’s the number one area. And then number two, we have to tighten up things from a fundamental standpoint in the secondary"
Venables was right. PFF charted them with 12 missed tackles against Auburn, raising that tally to a whopping 53, the third-most in the SEC this season. That simply cannot continue as the Sooners' schedule gets tougher, with games against Texas, Ole Miss, Missouri, Alabama, and LSU.
I do think it was smart from Venables to mention playing with better fundamentals in the secondary, although admittedly I don't think their issues are entirely fundamentals-based. This should prompt a move to start Eli Bowen at corner, whose fundamentals Venables has praised throughout the summer.
The Sooners have given up six touchdowns through the air this season, with three coming against Auburn last week. Some of those plays couldn't be helped, as they were just tremendous plays by a pair of talented wide receivers, but there were plenty of moments where Oklahoma could have played tighter or fell out of position in coverage.
It's a wise move for Venables to continue harping on the basics and technique for Oklahoma and take advantage of the Sooners' bye week to do just that.
