Venables Vibes: Special Teams Battle to Play Central Role Against Kansas

NORMAN — Sitting a perfect 7-0 on the season, Oklahoma is ready for a brief road trip.

No. 6 OU will be away from Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium for two straight Saturdays starting with the Kansas Jayhawks (5-2, 2-2 Big 12).

A year ago, the Jayhawks were one of the Sooners’ three conference victories, a 52-42 showing in Norman.

Brent Venables’ much improved Oklahoma defense will once again face a fierce test, as Kansas touts a top 30 offense in yards per game, led by a two-headed monster out of the backfield.

Areas For Improvement

The Sooners will be sticking with placekicker Zach Schmit for the time being.

Schmit has made 9-of-13 kicks this year, and his 69.2 percent conversation percentage ranks 81st in the FBS, with his form dipping as of late.

His last three misses have come in the past two games, including pushing a pair of field goals wide last Saturday against UCF.

During his weekly press conference on Tuesday, Venables said he would look at being more aggressive offensively in the red zone, amongst plenty of other factors, to help the kicking game.

“Everything goes into it,” Venables said. “… There’s a lot that goes into it. Zach has been really good. Again, he missed a couple the last few weeks, and that’s not good. … Everybody is held to the same standard.

“We don’t have great depth there. We had some guys banged up as well. But I believe and have confidence in him, but we got to be better. That goes without saying.”

Schmit did rally to knock a 25-yard field goal through to end the first half against the Knights, and the Sooners will need him the rest of the year as OU works to return to the Big 12 Championship in Arlington.

Full Coverage

One area of the kicking game where Oklahoma excelled against UCF was with punter Luke Elzinga.

Taking on all the duties for the first time this year, Elzinga averaged 51.6 yards on his five punts, pinning the Knights inside their own 20-yard line four times.

Elzinga and the entire Sooners punt team could have their hands full with Kansas at 11 a.m. on Saturday.

The Jayhawks pace college football, averaging 31.0 yards per punt return, although that's on just three runbacks, which included an 82-yard touchdown return against UCF. KU's other two returns netted 13 yards and minus-2 yards.

“It’s obviously tremendous pressure on those guys to be able to get in their coverage lanes and have discipline and be able to get off blocks,” Venables said. “(Kansas is) doing obviously a great job starting with the return man of getting north and south.”

Returner Trevor Wilson punished UCF when the Knights traveled to Lawrence, housing an 82-yard return to put the Jayhawks up 24-0 headed into halftime.

“He’s got a great group around him that’s training to create success and for the return man,” Venables said. “And I love that challenge. Kansas is incredibly well coached. I think that’s one of the many examples of that.”

Even if Wilson doesn’t find pay dirt, the Sooners will have to be disciplined in coverage to ensure Kansas doesn’t tilt the field position battle with its punt returning capabilities.

“They’re also one of the best in the country from a possession standpoint,” Venables said. “… For us that’s a third of our game, the field position. A year ago we weren’t very good. This year we’ve been pretty good for the most part. And it’ll be another big part of the result on Saturday."

Good Signs

The college football world is transfixed with the sign-stealing scandal currently surrounding the Michigan Wolverines.

Michigan staffer Connor Stalions is alleged to have purchased tickets to over 30 games over the last three seasons for the purposes of scouting opponents’ signs as coaches signal the plays to players on the sideline. Although there are no hard, fast rules against picking up signs, teams are strictly forbidden from scouting future opponents in person.

While Stalions is alleged to have taken the effort to steal signs to the next level, Venables said protecting your own signals has long been a factor in college football.

“I think people are finding all different kinds of ways to prevent it, and to try to gain a competitive advantage,” Venables said. “You see a lot of people huddling, and things like that, sending people in, and getting to the sidelines. … With tempo and pace, I think it makes it all really hard.

“But you see, about every game, in college football, where the signal stealers on offense and defense are all shielded, trying to keep people from the press box that might be looking down with binoculars, from getting a leg up.”

Even with the lengths programs — including Oklahoma — go to shield their own signs each week, Venables said new hand signals are always in rotation.

“You’re always aware of potential — and that’s why, again, from whether it’s year to year or week to week since I’ve been coaching,” he said. “As long as there’s been signaling, you’re always on both sides of the ball, you’re always changing up your signals and things of that nature. Even the hand signals on the field that the players would do amongst each other.”

This week, the Sooners are just focused on moving to 8-0 against Kansas.

But the scandal unfolding in Ann Arbor is a reminder of the lengths programs are willing to go to get an upper hand in college football.

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