Steve Sarkisian prepares for a matchup with Brent Venables worth the price of admission
While many questions still surround the matchup of Texas’ strong defense and Oklahoma’s inexperienced and banged-up offense, the Longhorns and Sooners know that there is a matchup of good on good on the other side of the ball that will be present in this weekend’s Red River Shootout.
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Texas enters this game with the nation’s seventh-best scoring and total offense, even with starting quarterback Quinn Ewers only finishing two games this season. On the other hand, the Sooners are one of just 19 teams on the year that holds opponents to fewer than 17 points per game. They pair that with the third most turnovers forced per game in the entire country.
Longhorn fans are familiar with the offensive strengths of the Longhorns. Head coach Steve Sarkisian’s offense is free-flowing, featuring tons of motion and plays that aim to put fast playmakers in space. But for those who have barely seen the Sooners play in 2024, fans may not be familiar with what head coach Brent Venables and the Sooners defensive personnel have to offer.
“Ton of respect for Coach Venables. He’s been a great defensive coach for a long, long time at multiple stops,” Sarkisian said. “His defense definitely has a lot of personality to it. You know, there’s a lot of defense. They play hard. They play with amazing effort. You know, they’re very opportunistic. They create turnovers.”
One of the most important things that Sarkisian added after the quote was that his sentiments illustrated how he’s always felt about Venables’ defenses.
Venables is no stranger to the Red River Shootout, as the now-head coach spent over a decade with the Sooners from 1999-2011, working as a co-defensive coordinator and eventually turning into a full-time DC and assistant head coach under Bob Stoops. Venables nearly won the Broyles Award in 2006, and was key to the Sooners’ success, especially in the four years in the early 2000s where they boasted a top-ten defense every single season.
Venables rode that success to Clemson, where he helped the Tigers win two national championships in 2016 and 2018 as a defensive coordinator under Dabo Swinney. The 2018 team in particular embodied his philosophies, as the Tigers barely allowed over 100 rushing yards per game, good for a top-10 mark in the country. Defenders like Christian Wilkins, Dexter Lawrence, Isaiah Simmons, AJ Terrell, and Clelin Ferrell all turned into top-20 picks in the NFL draft.
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Now in 2024, Venables has kept true to his identity. His defenses feature high-flying playmakers with a knack for stopping the run and players who get after the quarterback and force turnovers. Safety Robert Spears-Jennings and EDGE Trace Ford have each forced two fumbles, and three separate pass rushers have registered nine pressures individually, with the team averaging 16 pressures per game.
“(It’s) really challenging,” Sarkisian said about game planning versus Venables’ defense. “He’s one of the best in the country at doing it.”
The buzz on campus in Austin is expectedly high for this game, with fans and students notably more confident for this matchup than many of the past few years. A 14-point betting line in UT’s favor believes Texas to be the superior team in this neutral field matchup, but that doesn’t mean the Sooners are without strengths.
Thankfully for Longhorns fans, Sarkisian is aware and prepping for the fast and aggressive defense that one of the best defensive minds of this generation will throw at him.
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The question on the other sideline is, can this fantastic coordinator show he’s a fantastic head coach against a seemingly superior opponent?
