Brent Venables highlights importance of pass rush vs. Nico Iamaleava, Tennessee

Brent Venables is counting on his defense to come through when Oklahoma plays its first SEC conference game against Tennessee this week. The Sooners have looked stout defensively through their first three games but face a challenge against the Vols offense.

Tennessee is the fastest team in all of college football with an average of 79 plays per game so far. Redshirt freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava is the heartbeat of it all, having thrown for 698 yards and six touchdowns to two interceptions through three games.

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Speaking at his weekly press conference, Venables stressed the importance of the pass rush putting pressure on Iamaleava to disrupt the offense.

“Incredibly important,” he said. “They do a lot of RPOs. …They go incredibly fast. So the things that go along with that neutralize you in a lot of ways. Your communication, your fundamentals, your ability to get lined up, your ability to put your eyes on the right stuff.

“Again, in their presentation, it is a legitimate run. So at any point in time the quarterback can pull it out of his belly and throw it to the space, wherever the space is. He’s got an amazingly quick release and tremendous velocity and accuracy that allow that RPO game to really get into a great rhythm.”

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Oklahoma has been one of the better teams in the country at putting pressure on the QB this season. The Sooners rank 12th in the FBS with an average of 3.7 sacks per game.

However, they face an offensive line that has given up just one sack in three games. Tennessee has one of the more experienced offensive fronts in college football and returned three starters from a year ago.

It’s a group that Venables holds in high regard and another reason why Oklahoma will have its hands full with Tennessee on Saturday.

“They’ve got a veteran offensive line,” he said. “We went after one of their starters in the transfer portal market. Great player for them. Their left tackle. I really have a tremendous amount of respect for how they play up front. They are really aggressive. Cooper Mays, their center, is somebody I know their family. Cade Mays, his older brother, played at Georgia and I believe Tennessee as well. Man, he plays with an edge. He just plays the position. Their whole offensive line, when they get down in their stance, they’re getting down with authority. They’re sending a message and they’re incredibly physical.

“They play a physical brand of football and I just have a lot of appreciation and respect for what that looks like. They’re one of the best offensive lines I’ve seen in a while. Having faced several SEC teams through the years, this is one of those offensive lines in my opinion. So it’s a great challenge and great matchup for our defensive line and our linebackers.”

Ultimately, Venables likes what he’s seen out of his defensive so far, but it hasn’t been perfect. Against what is clearly the best team it has faced all season, they’ll have to limit some of those mistakes to find success.

“We’ve done the right things so far,” he continued. “We’re developing as well. I like a lot of the things that we’ve been able to put on tape and some things I don’t like. We’ve gotta get better. …But I’ve got a great appreciation for where our guys are at right now and the direction they’re headed. They’re hungry. They’re driven. They show up to work.

“They’ve got great self awareness. They’re not pounding their chest. They know the challenge is gonna be very real each and every week over the next several weeks. For us to have a chance to win, they’re gonna have to play well.”

Kickoff between Oklahoma and Tennessee is set for 6:30 p.m. CT on Saturday in Norman.