What Oklahoma's Goal Line Stand Against Texas Really Meant to Brent Venables
Holding Texas to zero points after the Longhorns got a first-and-goal to open the fourth quarter was big.
But not nearly as big as what an epic goal line stand does for the Oklahoma program.
Long term, coach Brent Venables said, those four downs will do much more for the Sooners than simply hold their rival out of the end zone.
On the bus ride back to the airport last Saturday afternoon, Venables — riding the defense’s bus, of course — had a heart-to-heart with his defensive unit about what they did and what it meant.
“I’m like, ‘Y’all understand? We want to build our program on that.’ ”
Oklahoma's entire defense got in on the goal line stand on three running plays...
BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN-USA TODAY NETWORK
It was just four plays in a span of four hours, a literal blood bath of rock ‘em, sock ‘em hate, a football game that has evolved into a culture clash.
But to Venables, it was everything.
“That’s mindset, attitude, physicality, toughness,” he said. “Spot the ball at the 1 and put everything on who we are from a DNA standpoint, a standard standpoint, on that series right there, and that should transcend in every part of our program.
“Belief, toughness, physicality, attitude, all of that. And you don’t give them an inch. You don’t concede anything. To me, the win was really important from a credibility (standpoint) with our guys and moving forward and building the program the right way. But that was a moment that you want to capture, and you don’t want that one to slip by.”
The momentum from the stop itself was incalculably huge.
Oklahoma led 27-20 when Dillon Gabriel misfired on a fourth-down throw to Drake Stoops. It was a bold gambit by Venables, going for it on fourth-and-1 from the Texas 48 rather than punting it and trying to pin the Longhorns deep. But he felt confident in the moment, despite his defense just having given up a long field goal drive that started at the UT 6-yard line.
Jonathon Brooks had just closed the third quarter with a 15-yard run, and Texas was marching again. Brooks ran twice more for 5 yards, and then on third-and-5, Quinn Ewers found Jordan Whittington over the middle for a 28-yard gain to the OU 1.
What actually started the fateful goal-line stand was Jaren Kanak’s tackle of Whittington, who seemed on his way to a touchdown when he caught the ball.
... and Woodi Washington and Billy Bowman closed the deal on a pass play.
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
But four plays later, Venables had his defining moment, his program-building series:
- Kip Lewis comes into the game against Texas’ jumbo package and tackles the slippery Brooks for no gain on first down.
- Lewis and Dasan McCullough stand their ground against another jumbo set on second down and team up to stuff Brooks again for no gain.
- McCullough and Danny Stutsman defy the big guys one more time and, along with about six friends, combine to drop Brooks for a 1-yard loss on third down.
- Texas tries a quick screen pass to Xavier Worthy on fourth down, but Billy Bowman and Woodi Washington arrive at Worthy like a vise grip and drop him inches short of the goal line.
“To me, that’s the standard,” Venables said.
Venables said he expressed himself on the bus ride back to the airport, then opened Monday’s practice about this week as the Sooners prepped for their open date.
“You want to build a program on that,” he reiterated. “And it’s not just defense, it’s everybody.
“My challenge to all the players in all three phases was, to me, this game always comes down to the will being stronger than the skill. The skill is important, but there are a lot of pivotal moments in this game where the will has to show up. And that was a great example of that happening and coming to fruition.”
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