Brent Venables – Page 3 – Syndication Server

What happened the last time the Oklahoma Sooners played the LSU Tigers?

This is the first regular season matchup between the Oklahoma Sooners and LSU Tigers.

The Oklahoma Sooners and the LSU Tigers will square off for just the fourth time ever on Saturday when OU travels to Baton Rouge for the final game of the regular season.

After a surprisingly dominant performance against the Alabama Crimson Tide last week, [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag]’ Sooners will try and win a second straight game, having ensured themselves a 13th game and a 26th-straight bowl berth.

Now [autotag]SEC[/autotag] rivals, Oklahoma and LSU have met three times in their respective histories, all in the postseason. The first meeting came in the Sugar Bowl following the 1949 season. Bud Wilkinson’s undefeated Sooners dominated the Tigers, winning by a final score of 35-0 in New Orleans.

Meeting No. 2 was a big one, as the schools squared off in the BCS National Championship Game following the 2003 season. Heisman Trophy winner [autotag]Jason White[/autotag] and the OU offense were stymied by Nick Saban’s LSU defense, as the Tigers won 21-14. That game was also played in the Sugar Bowl in the Bayou Bengals’ backyard in Louisiana. LSU split the national title with USC that year.

For the most recent meeting, we have to go back just five years. In 2019, Oklahoma and LSU met in the [autotag]College Football Playoff[/autotag] Peach Bowl semifinal in Atlanta, Georgia. Heisman runner-up [autotag]Jalen Hurts[/autotag] and CeeDee Lamb led the Sooners against Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase, Heisman winner Joe Burrow, and the Tigers.

Unlike the previous year’s CFP loss against Alabama, the Sooners weren’t immediately beaten badly out of the starting blocks. The game was tied 7-7 halfway through the first quarter, but the Tigers began to run away in the late first.

LSU exploded to a 35-7 lead and a 49-14 halftime advantage, as they didn’t take their foot off the gas the way Alabama had the year before. The Tigers were out for blood that day, stretching the lead as big as 56-14 in the third quarter. It was an embarrassing playoff performance for the Sooners, but LSU was simply too good.

The Tigers won 63-21 and would win it all that year, defeating Clemson (and defensive coordinator Brent Venables) in the national championship game. The stats from the semis are astounding. Jefferson had a ridiculous 14 catches for 227 yards and four touchdowns with all four scores coming in the first half. Burrow accounted for eight total touchdowns, mostly throwing jump balls or wide-open passes to his excellent receivers.

Oklahoma ran for just 97 yards, and only Lamb had more than 30 receiving yards. Two straight lackluster performances in the playoff from Oklahoma ended up being their final two appearances in the four-team version of the bracket.

Now, the teams meet in Death Valley for the first time in the regular season. Oklahoma wants to improve to 7-5 and get to a better bowl game while logging a mini-run to end a horrid 2024 season. LSU is looking to continue to rebound from a late-season slide and see where they land when bowl season comes.

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Who will be Oklahoma’s captains against the LSU Tigers on Saturday?

Oklahoma Football game captains for Week 14 vs. the LSU Tigers.

The Oklahoma Sooners improved to 6-5 overall on the 2024 season with their victory over the [autotag]Alabama Crimson Tide[/autotag] in Week 13. OU is now 2-5 in SEC play, with just one week left in the regular season. Their Week 14 game comes against the [autotag]LSU Tigers[/autotag] on the road in Death Valley.

Oklahoma head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] has chosen his game captains for the regular season finale. Quarterback [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag], offensive lineman [autotag]Troy Everett[/autotag], defensive linemen [autotag]Damonic Williams[/autotag] and [autotag]Ethan Downs[/autotag], linebacker [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] and punter [autotag]Luke Elzinga[/autotag] will represent the Sooners on the road. Arnold, Everett, Downs and Stutsman were also captains last week.

It’s actually the third straight week as a captain for Anrold, who is set to make his ninth start of the season on Saturday. He wasn’t asked to do much as a passer last week, but he played a clean game and ran really tough against Alabama. He led the Sooners with 131 rushing yards on 25 carries, helping to set the tone offensively.

Everett has become OU’s starting center, taking control of the job after getting healthy in the middle of the season. He’s one of the few veterans still healthy on the offensive line, surrounded by portal acquisitions and youth up front.

Williams is one of Oklahoma’s set of excellent defensive tackles, wrapping up his first season in Norman. With some of the veterans on the OU defense moving on next year, Williams will be in the spotlight more next season if he decides to stay in school.

Downs has been as steady as a rock at defensive end for the Sooners. He plays his best in the biggest games and is one of the best leaders on this team. He had an excellent performance helping shut down Jalen Milroe and the Tide offense last week.

Stutsman continues to be Oklahoma’s heartbeat. He was incredible against Alabama on Saturday, and is the ultimate leader on this team. He’ll be playing possibly the final game of his excellent career on Saturday if he decides to opt-out of the bowl game to prepare for the NFL draft.

Elzinga has been perhaps the most consistent player on the entire roster this year. He’ll be sorely missed next season, as he’s been able to pin opponents deep since taking over as the starter midway through last season.

As the Sooners try to go into the Tigers’ den and come out with a victory, look for these players to lead the way on the road.

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Oklahoma Sooners fined for field storming in upset win over Alabama

The University of Oklahoma was fined by the SEC for the premature and post game field storming by the fans in attendance.

The University of Oklahoma has been fined $200,000 by the Southeastern Conference for violating the league’s current access to competition area policy.

It was Oklahoma’s first offense under the policy, resulting in a $100,000 fine. However, because fans entered the field prior to the conclusion of the game, the University of Oklahoma incurred an additional $100,000 fine.

“Oklahoma was in violation of the policy following its game against the University of Alabama and will incur a fine of $100,000 for a first offense under the policy,” the SEC’s release said. “In addition, Oklahoma will incur an additional fine of $100,000 due to fans entering the field prior to the end of the Alabama game, which caused a delay in the contest.

Fans began storming the field with 28 seconds left in the game, but head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] called timeout to allow senior and Oklahoma legacy Casey Thompson to enter the ball game and take the final snap of the win, which turned out to be his only time to take the field for the Sooners offense this season.

“It’s more about the players and just having a really cool moment,” Venables said of the field storming. “It’s not a normal thing here, the standards are really high. It was cool, it was pretty magical, and I’m thinking about the players. They’re the ones who were in the middle of that, paying this incredible price for victory… To be able to go toe to toe with Alabama, one of the most tradition rich programs in the history of college football, and then have two giants going at it. For that to happen, in really an epic way, in a dominant way. I’m careful to try and use those words or those phrases, but that was a dominant performance. Really cool moment for these guys.”

The coaches and the players earned a significant win over the Crimson Tide, providing a bright spot to what has been a frustrating season.

Field storming aren’t something that happens often at the University of Oklahoma. So it’s not surprising that OU fans entered the playing area early. But that’s a game and celebration that will be remembered for a long, long time.

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Oklahoma Sooners overcame adversity to beat Alabama in shocking upset

Oklahoma Sooners battle adversity to put together their best game of the 2024 season in win over Alabama.

The Oklahoma Sooners overcame significant odds on Saturday night to pull off a dominant upset of No. 7 Alabama.

In a season where the Sooners have battled an injury report a mile long, they showed the fight and determination that their head coach has been building to. In the 24-3 win, head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag]’ vision became the clearest it has been in any of his three seasons in Norman.

The Sooners used a ground attack led by [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag], Xavier Robinson and the offensive line to set the tone and control the pace of the game. But it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows.

In the first quarter, the Oklahoma Sooners blew opportunities to score, first on a Taylor Tatum fumble deep in Alabama territory. Then, on the next series, there was a dropped pass by a wide-open Bauer Sharp and a missed field goal by Zach Schmit. In the first 15 minutes, it looked like the Sooners were going to shoot themselves in the foot all game long on offense like they’ve done a number of times in 2024.

But that wouldn’t be the case. Tatum’s fumble was the Sooners’ only turnover on the evening. Oklahoma fought on both sides of the ball, displaying toughness and physicality, which is what Brent Venables wants his team to be about.

They didn’t let the poor first quarter on offense snowball for the rest of the game. After trailing 3-0 in the second quarter, the Sooners outscored Alabama 24-0 the rest of the way.

In his postgame interview with ESPN’s Holly Rowe, Venables became emotional talking about the journey of his Oklahoma Sooners in 2024.

“We finally did the things that winning requires…,” Venables said. “These guys are amazing. Their guts, their toughness. They punched first, they punched back, and tonight we finally punched back.”

Oklahoma’s had halftime leads against Ole Miss and Missouri, and even had a lead in the final two minutes against the Tigers two weeks ago. But they couldn’t find a way to close those games out and earn wins. But against Alabama, they found a way.

“There’s not been anything easy about this season for us,” said Venables. “I guess the harder it is, the more epic the story. What these guys have had to go through and overcome … What a night. What a performance.”

From injuries to changes on staff and at quarterback, the Sooners have had their issues to overcome. They weren’t given much of a chance against Alabama as two-touchdown underdogs at home. But the Sooners were able to battle through the adversity they’ve faced all season and, in the first quarter Saturday night to beat Alabama.

The Sooners are now 6-5 on the season, with a road trip to Baton Rouge and a bowl game to close out the season. After what’s been a trying year for everyone in the program, having a chance to finish with a winning record didn’t seem possible a few weeks ago. Now, if Oklahoma can continue to build on that performance against Alabama, they could finish the season on a high note heading into 2025.

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Brent Venables says Oklahoma ‘knocked Alabama out’ Saturday night

The Oklahoma coach gave his thoughts on the Sooners’ victory over Alabama on Saturday night.

On Saturday night, the Alabama Crimson Tide struggled in multiple different areas against the Oklahoma Sooners.

Falling 24-3, the Crimson Tide did not get much going on offense and struggled to stop the run. The Sooners rushed for 257 yards compared to Alabama’s 70.

A big reason for Oklahoma’s win was the Sooners winning battles along the line of scrimmage, a takeaway noted by coach Brent Venables.

Venables commented on this during his postgame press conference as well: The Oklahoma coach said the Sooners “knocked Alabama out” on Saturday night.

“You want to have a foundation of something that defines you, that is an identity, and it’s about being physical,” Venables said. “You want to play with relentless effort. They turn the tape on, what’s the evidence going to say? Tonight, when this game’s over, what’s the evidence going to say? When you flick the film on, what’s it going to say? How’s it going to read? This is my vision, that Oklahoma was absolutely relentless in all three phases, and they knocked Alabama out. They had an answer for them every step of the way, every corner that they turned, and without a doubt, Oklahoma was the most physical football team tonight. That was the vision, and that’s what we wanted the tape to say. Not sitting here beating our chest, but I’d be remissed if I didn’t recognize a physically dominant performance.”

The full postgame press conference from Venables after the Alabama game can be found below:

https://www.youtube.com/live/OhfjZpQFuP8?si=7YS9CfPE2LLVJbbj

Best photos from Oklahoma’s win over Alabama, fans rushing the field postgame

A look at some of the best photos from the Oklahoma Sooners upset win over the No. 7 Alabama Crimson Tide.

What a night in Norman, Oklahoma. On senior night and with the Alabama Crimson Tide in town, Sooner Nation showed out in a big way, rising to the occasion to provide an energy and environment that had a significant impact on the Oklahoma Sooners win over the Alabama Crimson Tide.

In the end, the Oklahoma Sooners welcomed thousands of their closest friends onto the field to revel in the 24-3 domination.

The Sooners made Alabama look like the team that had struggled to get to 5-5 on the season. Not the No. 7 team in the nation that was hoping to solidify its place in the College Football Playoff.

The offense pounded the ball with Jackson Arnold and Xavier Robinson in the run game to the tune of 257 rushing yards on 50 attempts. The defense kept one of the best quarterbacks in the SEC, Jalen Milroe, in check for four quarters. They never let him get going in the running game and provided enough pressure to make it difficult to push the ball down the field.

It was an incredible night in Norman as Oklahoma honored its seniors in the best way they could, with a huge win over a top-10 Alabama Crimson Tide team.

Here are some of the best photos from the Sooners win over Alabama.

Former Oklahoma Sooner among the NFL leaders in sacks

The Denver Broncos uncovered a pass-rushing gem in the 2022 draft from Oklahoma.

Former Oklahoma Sooners linebacker [autotag]Nik Bonitto[/autotag] is in the midst of an excellent 2024 season for the Denver Broncos. The third-year pro has been on a tear lately, and people are beginning to take notice.

Bonitto is currently tied for second in the NFL with nine sacks. He’s just 2.5 sacks behind Cincinnati’s Trey Hendrickson for the lead league. He had a bit of a slow start to his professional career, but things have definitely clicked for him this year, as he’s getting after opposing passers like few others in the league.

Bonitto was selected by the Broncos in the second round (64th overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft after four seasons in Norman.

He started for Oklahoma over his final two and a half years, registering 14.5 sacks over the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

Bonitto made the game-sealing play of Oklahoma’s comeback win over the Baylor Bears in Waco in 2019. Trailing 28-3, the Sooners stormed back to keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive with a 34-31 win. Bonitto’s interception of Baylor QB Charlie Brewer on the Bears’ final drive ensured that OU would walk away with a victory.

Under former outside linebackers coach Jamar Cain, Bonitto developed into a game-changing pass rusher that’s developed into one of the NFL’s best. He’s recorded 17 sacks over the last two seasons, breaking his mark from a year ago in just 11 games.

Oklahoma Sooners to honor Bob Stoops Saturday night

Oklahoma Football set to honor Bob Stoops during Saturday’s home finale against the Alabama Crimson Tide.

The Oklahoma Sooners will be honoring one of the greatest coaches in program history on Saturday. [autotag]Bob Stoops[/autotag], the winningest coach in OU Football history, will be celebrated on Owen Field as Oklahoma hosts the Alabama Crimson Tide.

He’s the final coach to be honored during home games this season, as [autotag]Bud Wilkinson[/autotag] and [autotag]Barry Switzer[/autotag] were also celebrated earlier this year.

Stoops took the reins of the program at a tumultuous time in Norman. Following Switzer’s resignation a decade earlier, the Oklahoma football program experienced a decade of darkness, looking nothing like the Sooners of old. For ten years from 1989 to 1998, OU cycled through three head coaches and failed to get close to winning at the level that the program was accustomed to.

But that all changed when Stoops was hired. Beginning in 1999, he brought the program back to its former glory, going undefeated and winning the national championship in 2000 in just his second year on the job. For his 18-year career as OU’s head coach, the Sooners were typically in the title hunt, as Stoops coached in three more national title games.

Oklahoma won 10 Big 12 championships, dominating the conference with Stoops at the helm. He produced two Heisman Trophy winners ([autotag]Jason White[/autotag] and [autotag]Sam Bradford[/autotag]) and coached two more who won later in their careers ([autotag]Baker Mayfield[/autotag] and [autotag]Kyler Murray[/autotag]).

From 1999 to 2016, Stoops amassed more wins than any other coach in the history of the program. His time in Norman was marked by a number of big wins and the rebirth of one of college football’s blue blood programs.

The legendary head coach decided to retire in the summer of 2017, passing the baton to [autotag]Lincoln Riley[/autotag], his offensive coordinator for the previous two seasons. He would dabble in tequila sales, college football studio analysis and coaching in the XFL over the next few years.

But when Riley decided to head west for Southern California in 2021, athletic director [autotag]Joe Castiglione[/autotag], who had hired Stoops way back in the winter of 1998, turned to Stoops again as the Sooners suddenly needed an interim head coach for the 2021 Alamo Bowl.

In addition to taking over as the interim head coach and leading OU to a bowl game victory over Oregon, Stoops was a calming force at a time of great uncertainty. Riley’s move was a shot across the college football landscape and Stoops was once again a steadying force for Oklahoma.

He passed the torch to Oklahoma’s current coach, [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag], after the win over Oregon and has returned to coaching in the XFL and UFL over the past couple of seasons with the Arlington Renegades, winning a championship in 2023. He’s stayed very involved with OU over the years since he retired, and his son [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag] enjoyed a long, productive career as a Sooner.

Now, Stoops will be honored for his accomplishments as Oklahoma’s winningest head coach.

It’s been a rocky season for the Sooners, and the best way to honor Coach Stoops would be with an upset win at home on Saturday. After all, he went 3-0 against the Tide, and would love to see OU earn bowl eligibility on national TV on the same night he’ll be celebrated on Owen Field.

3 keys for the Oklahoma Sooners vs. the Alabama Crimson Tide

3 keys to the game between the Sooners and the Crimson Tide.

The Oklahoma Sooners are 5-5 overall in 2024 and just 1-5 in Southeastern Conference play. Year 3 under head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] and Year 1 in the [autotag]SEC[/autotag] hasn’t gone as expected, and OU now teeters on the brink of missing a bowl game for the first time since 1998.

The Sooners have lost four of their last five games after a 4-1 start, with the only win coming against FCS Maine. Oklahoma must win one of their final two regular season games in order to extend a 25-year bowl eligibility streak.

Venables’ team hasn’t won a conference game since before the first bye week of the season, and now coming off of the second bye week, the task at hand doesn’t get any easier. The Alabama Crimson Tide roll into Norman, looking to make another statement to the College Football Playoff committee and hope to stay on track to reach the SEC Championship Game.

They are led by head coach Kalen DeBoer, wrapping up his first season in Tuscaloosa after being hired to replace Nick Saban after the legendary coach retired following the 2023 season.

It’s a tall order for Oklahoma this week, but this is college football. Just when you think you know how things are going to go, they change in an instant. That’s what the Sooners are hoping for this week.

Here are three keys to the game between the Sooners and the Crimson Tide.

1. Run The Dang Ball

Interim co-offensive coordinators [autotag]Joe Jon Finley[/autotag] and [autotag]Kevin Johns[/autotag] showed some promising things against Ole Miss, Maine, and Missouri after Seth Littrell was relieved of his duties after the South Carolina loss. But it all came crashing down against Missouri.

The one thing the Sooners were able to do well in that game was run the ball, but Finley seemed reluctant to keep calling run plays and concepts that had worked earlier in the game. Instead, Oklahoma took to the air, which didn’t work at all behind a shaky offensive line and an overwhelmed quarterback.

If [autotag]Jovantae Barnes[/autotag] is back this week, that bodes well for OU. Getting [autotag]Taylor Tatum[/autotag] and [autotag]Xavier Robinson[/autotag] heavily involved in the game is a must, even if Barnes is active. The Crimson Tide are good and explosive offensively, so the Sooners must counteract that with a steady diet of the run game.

Up Next: Keys to Victory

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Oklahoma LB Danny Stutsman Pro Football Focus highest-graded run defender

OU’s leading tackler is Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded linebacker in the country against the run this season.

Oklahoma Sooners senior inside linebacker [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] will play in the final home game of his excellent college football career on Saturday, when OU hosts Alabama.

Stutsman’s four seasons in Norman have seen him come to the forefront of OU’s defensive transformation under third-year head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag]. He’s become the vocal and emotional heartbeat of the Sooners over the last couple of years.

Stutsman has raised his level of play again in 2024, spearheading the best defense Oklahoma has had in a long time. He’s been particularly great at stopping the run. Pro Football Focus has recognized this as well, as they have Stutsman as their highest-graded linebacker in the nation when it comes to run defense.

Despite OU’s 5-5 campaign, the defense has rarely been the source of the problems, and even when they have, it’s normally been against the pass. The Sooners stop the run well, obviously led by No. 28.

Stutsman could have left the program when Lincoln Riley and Alex Grinch bolted for USC after the 2021 regular season. He instead decided to stay and help turn things around under Venables.

After last season, he could have jumped to the NFL, and would have likely been picked fairly early. He instead decided to stick around and lead the program into the SEC.

Though the wins haven’t come this year, and the season hasn’t gone the way anyone has expected, Stutsman certainly isn’t to blame for that. He’ll likely end up as OU’s leading tackler for the third season in a row, and he’s now moved into the top 10 all-time at Oklahoma in career tackles with 363 and counting.

One of the greatest defensive players of the past decade at Oklahoma will get one more outing in front of his home fans on Owen Field when the Sooners face the Crimson Tide in Week 13.

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