Brent Venables details need to beat Texas, prevent rivalry streak

After losing to Texas last year, Oklahoma coach Brent Venables wants to make sure the Longhorns don’t get a streak started against the Sooners. Much has been made of last year’s 49-0 blowout loss, which marked Texas’ largest win ever in the rivalry, but Venables is adamant that this year’s OU team is much different.

For starters, the Sooners were without starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel in 2022, which partly explains the horrendous offensive performance (39 yards passing, 2 INTs). They’re also much better defensively thanks to roster additions such as Peyton Bowen, Rondell Bothroyd and Trace Ford.

That being the case, Venables doesn’t see there being any carryover from last season’s result.

“Usually, you say the momentum a year ago shouldn’t have anything to do with this year,” he said. “We’re a much different team. Many of the players in our locker room weren’t here, but there’s many that were. I don’t wanna skirt over that issue. It’s always important. I want to win every year, every game. Whether it’s this week or last week.”

The Red River Rivalry has historically been one of streaks, and Texas’ win in 2022 snapped one of four straight wins for Oklahoma. Before that, the Longhorns won four of five games from 2005-09. Their win in 2005 snapped a five-game winning streak for the Sooners from 2000-04.

OU has largely been in control over the past decade, with a 7-3 record over the last 10 games. However, Texas leads the series overall with a 63-50-5 all-time record. Again, Venables isn’t putting too much emphasis on what happened in the past, urging his team to focus only on preparing for the upcoming matchup.

“There has been some streaks,” he said. “I don’t know what that exactly looks like, but we need to play well this week. That’s the expectation. That’s what we’re working toward and preparing for. That’s what guys should expect if they have a great week of work. We should be a confident football team going against another confident football team.”

This year’s game carries more hype than any Red River Rivalry battle in recent memory, as it will be the first time since 2011 that both teams enter with undefeated records. They also both enter the game ranked inside the top 15 of the AP poll.

Oklahoma will aim to get back on the right side of the rivalry and start a streak of its own when it kicks off against Texas at 11 a.m. CT on Saturday in Dallas.