Good teams don’t just win football games. They dominate their opponent. And that’s what happened on Saturday as the Oklahoma Sooners went into Lincoln and demolished the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
In the wake of Scott Frost’s firing, a contingent of analysts (Urban Meyer and Reggie Bush included) believed Nebraska might be able to go from the team that lost close game after close game to a team that could upset the Oklahoma Sooners.
In the early going, it looked as if Nebraska might have something. But that first five minutes awakened something in Brent Venables’ team. After Nebraska went up 7-0, the Sooners scored 49 unanswered points, dominating the first half and putting the game out of reach for the Cornhuskers.
Many believed this Nebraska team would contend for bowl eligibility, and they still might.
The Sooners went into a Big Ten road environment and beat a team that many expected to be much better than the three-win team they were a year ago.
In recent years, Saturday’s contest might have been a closer game. After Nebraska put the Sooners on their heels in the opening minutes, previous teams might have let the Cornhuskers hang around.
Not so this season. Not so under Brent Venables.
The offense responded to the early deficit with a big play from Dillon Gabriel, and the defense went into shutdown mode.
After the initial touchdown, the Sooners’ defense kept Nebraska from crossing the 50-yard line on 10 straight possessions. Nebraska went roughly 37 minutes of game-time without crossing the 50-yard line from their opening touchdown to about the 3:30 mark of the third quarter. That drive ended with Nebraska turning it over on downs. The next drive that cross the 50 ended with an interception. The Huskers finally scored again on their final drive of the game.
It was an impressive performance all the way around. In particular, the defense continued to show that they’re a different animal under Brent Venables after slowing down a Nebraska team that had been averaging nearly 500 yards of total offense and 36 points per game.
“Defense came out and got punched in the face and responded after that,” Brent Venables had to say after the game. “I think they had 77 yards in that first drive, and then 71 yards the rest of the half, and averaged just under two yards of play the rest of the half. So, I’m glad that happened because I believe that you develop a lot. Again, you develop an identity. You develop a mindset, and you develop through some failure and adversity. And that’s how you grow. And nobody likes that happen for you, for a coach, but you need that to happen.”
The Oklahoma Sooners are certainly developing a mindset. Venables is developing a team that is “tough, resilient, edgy, hungry, never satisfied.” The intensity is palpable when you watch this team. It’s not enough to simply win. They want to win big. And through three games, the Sooners have beaten their opponents by an average margin of 32 points.
At first glance, the Sooners dominating Nebraska on the road wouldn’t account for much notice, however the circumstances of the trip to Lincoln were less-than-ideal. Yeah, the Cornhuskers fired their coach six days before the game, but Oklahoma was walking into a hostile environment with a first-year coach taking his team for its initial road trip. And while Nebraska has been piling up losses, the vast majority of them were by one score. So after spotting the home team the early lead and with the crowd at a frenzy, the Sooners just methodically ground them down with a running game and uncharacteristic nasty defense. The mature performance is the latest sign that the Brent Venables era could be something special and even better than predecessor Lincoln Riley’s tenure. – Erick Smith, USA TODAY Sports
Oklahoma went into a hostile road environment and dominated a long-time rival with a fan base that was jacked up to welcome the Sooners into Memorial Stadium.
It was a statement win over an opponent that hadn’t been beaten by double-digits since November 2020.
The Sooners still have something to prove as they get set to host their first Big 12 game of the Brent Venables era against a tough Kansas State team, but if the first three weeks of the season are any indication, the 2022 season could end up being magical for Venables and the Oklahoma Sooners.
[listicle id=71714]
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. Let us know your thoughts, and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today. You can also follow John on Twitter @john9williams.