Oklahoma-Baylor: One Big Thing

NORMAN — Against Baylor, Oklahoma’s “One Big Thing” is One Big Problem: Bears head coach Dave Aranda.

Aranda is now 2-1 against the Sooners, including 1-1 as a head coach and 1-0 as LSU’s defensive coordinator.

Whatever the secret sauce might have been against Lincoln Riley, Aranda was the chef.

Aranda’s Baylor defense held OU to the lowest point total of the Riley era last year in Waco, a 27-14 takedown of a previously unbeaten Sooner squad.

“This is going to be a great, great challenge,” Venables said. “ … I think they're top 30 in the country in total defense. We've got another big challenge this week. But at the end of the day, it's just going to be about us and just getting better. We've got to play our most physical game of the year this week and continue to play with the discipline, the toughness and the attitude that it takes to win.”

In its three games against Aranda, Oklahoma averaged just 85 rushing yards per game and managed just 2.8, 2.5 and 3.5 yards per rush.

When Jalen Hurts, Spencer Rattler and Caleb Williams tried to throw the football, they completed just 57 percent of their passes for 199 yards and threw four interceptions.

As an offense — Lincoln Riley’s offense, remember, operated by three pretty darn good quarterbacks — the Sooners averaged just 4.9, 4.6 and 5.2 yards per play. Those are three of the lowest totals since Riley arrived as offensive coordinator.

Maybe Venables and offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby won’t experience the same type of clogging that Riley did as head coach and OC against Aranda’s defense.

For his part, Venables just wants to see continued progress, like he saw in last week’s 27-13 win at Iowa State.

“It’s small,” Venables said, “but it still counts and small being improvement. You know, there's incremental improvement across the board, individual, unit, certainly as a team. That's what we want to be able to be able to do as we finish the season out, the regular season, is continue to get better and improve.”

The Sooners have just two home games left. Baylor (5-3) is no Iowa State. While the Bears are defending Big 12 champs and still have a path to this year’s title game, the Cyclones are still looking for their first conference victory.

“I love the opportunity that is sitting in front of us right now,” Venables said. “And we're going to have to continue to win the turnover margin and be efficient in the red zone and continue to play well in the third and fourth down phases. And certainly, again, the kicking game will be a big part of it.”