What Oklahoma's Brent Venables said about Tennessee on the SEC Coaches Teleconference

What Oklahoma coach Brent Venables said Wednesday during his appearance on the SEC Coaches Teleconference, previewing Saturday night’s game against Tennessee:

Opening Statement

“Good morning. Really excited to go into conference play, historical on many fronts. Joining a new conference, being our first SEC game. Two highly ranked teams. Tennessee, as I said yesterday in our press conference, is playing as good a football as anybody in college football. I love how our team has been tested and improved last week, coming off a win against Tulane and led by our defense, playing at a pretty good level right now. But I love the adversity our offensive players had to go through and especially our quarterback, Jackson Arnold, went through a pick six and loved his toughness and how he responded in the last quarter and a half of that game. 

“Again, great challenge this week for us. As I said yesterday, again, Tennessee’s defense hasn’t given up, counting their bowl game, a touchdown in 16 quarters. Just playing outstanding, led by their front. And they’ve done a really nice job helping that their new players transition. And then I think they’ve fortified their offensive line as well in the offseason. They’re playing at a really high level. The quarterback is incredibly confident, comfortable and tremendous skill around him. But Josh has done a fantastic job, no surprise, he and his staff. And then their kicking game, incredibly well coached and really aggressive. So we’re going have to play really well on Saturday night.”

Any specific memories he has from Josh Heupel’s days as Oklahoma’s quarterback

“Probably just his best quality was his poise, his control, belief in the players around him. And just as consistent of a player that I’ve been around. The 2000 season, many people probably on the outside don’t know this, but he spent the back half of the year injured. His throwing arm, his elbow as big as a watermelon swollen up at times the last probably five, six games. And the way he managed that, just his toughness, really incredible.”

What stood out about Josh Heupel as a coach once he joined the Oklahoma staff, if he saw this kind of future for Heupel

“He just always had great humility. Loved the locker room, loved the staff room, just always wanted to learn. Really eager to understand defense even more so. But it was just a sponge and in order to, to be a sponge, you gotta possess great humility and so one of the most humble people I’ve been around.”

The differences in Josh Heupel’s offensive scheme since 2014 and this Tennessee offense

“The pace and the vertical challenge from the get go. They put great pressure on you defensively. With those two things in particular, they’ve run the ball really, really well and they got great balance again, rushing over 300 yards a game and passing over 300 yards a game. So really those three qualities is what I think are the best parts of their offense.”

The growth of Oklahoma defensive backs Billy Bowman Jr and Robert Spears-Jennings 

“Just incredibly high character guys that are just incredibly committed. They’re committed as players to helping each other, helping everybody around them. Got great respect for what it takes to be successful, the willingness to do the hard work every day. They’ve been very consistent with their habits and have shown great toughness, both of them, overcoming injuries at different times and some tough moments along the way as they’ve grown and matured. They’ve really helped each other. I know Robert’s looked up to Billy, but Robert’s willingness to accept knowledge and wisdom and coaching and correction from Billy is pretty unique. But it’s allowed him to grow again expeditiously over the last couple of years.”

Oklahoma using three running backs, the rotation there

“I think you’re going to need all three for the season again, and it’s a very physical conference. You got to be able to establish a run game. I do think that in a perfect world, somebody emerges and becomes the guy and you look those three guys, Jovantae (Barnes) has done a fantastic job. Obviously we’ve talked about him a lot. His health is good and just playing with a little bit different purpose this year as well. And then Taylor (Tatum) has shown great signs of growth and maturity. We know he is incredibly talented and again, he’s playing catch up compared to the other guys from an experience and just having gotten here at the beginning of the summer. So there’s been a lot to learn, but he’s worked hard at it and has made great growth and improvement and I would expect his opportunities to increase as well. Then Gavin (Sawchuk) has been a great leader. A model of consistency. He does everything right.”

Josh Heupel joking that he expected Oklahoma fans to be quiet while Tennessee was on offense out of respect for his time in Norman

“I think that’s wishful thinking, but I’ll say this, Tennessee’s been in the most hostile environments in all of college football. Has operated at an incredibly high level despite that. So this won’t be their first rodeo from that standpoint. But, you know, at the same time, energy and momentum is a real thing and they can help create that here at home.”

How he feels about where Oklahoma’s special teams units are at heading into this game

“It’s improved. (Punter) Luke Elzinga has been really good. He’s been terrific in all situations. He’s flipped the field several times. I think he’s got maybe the second most punt inside the 10, and maybe the second most inside the 20, in the country. Our kicker, Tyler Keltner has done a a really nice job. The last two years, we’ve been incredibly inconsistent there. And so (Keltner) has done a great job.”