Why Oklahoma Coach Brent Venables 'Didn't Lose an Ounce of Confidence' in Wake of Latest Loss

The Sooners were dumped by Ole Miss on Saturday and now visit No. 14 Tennessee this week, but after finding all the reasons for defeat, Venables remains relentlessly positive.

Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin (right) and Oklahoma coach Brent Venables. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Oklahoma coach Brent Venables isn’t about making excuses.

But he does have an endless supply of reasons why the Sooners lost on Saturday.

On his weekly coach’s show, “Sooner Sports Talk With Brent Venables,” the OU coach spent most of the first two segments breaking down the finer points of why one play didn’t work or another failed to produce a big gain or another one was blown up.

“My job is to find out where we beat Oklahoma,” Venables said. “You know, where Oklahoma — and not the things that take away things that maybe Ole Miss did — but where do we need to be better? Where can we be better, more efficiently?

His explanations ran the gamut, from quarterback John Mateer not giving receivers a good ball to run with and them falling down, to players not executing a perfect defensive call to a lack of discipline on certain penalties to offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle sending in a “bad call” to a blocker not taking on the man he was supposed to on a punt return that was fumbled.

“We had some times when we did really good stuff,” Venables said. “And then there were times that, you know, we left a lot to be desired.

“We missed a tremendous amount of opportunity to take control of the game and make the plays that we needed to. Got to learn a tough, tough lesson.” 

But Venables continues to be relentlessly positive.

“I believe in our guys,” he said. “I’m very confident. I didn't lose an ounce of confidence through losing. Just very determined to make sure we get it right to our players.”

The No. 18-ranked Sooners (6-2 overall, 2-2 SEC) dropped a 34-26 loss to the Rebels, their second loss in three games after falling 23-6 to Texas on Oct. 11. The Vols (6-2, 3-2) suffered a 3-point loss to Georgia and a 17-point loss at Alabama — both of whom are now ranked in the top five.

But Venables prefers to hang onto the way the team responded to the loss in Dallas by showing up for an early kickoff at South Carolina and dominating the Gamecocks 26-7.

“We showed what it takes a week ago, going to South Carolina — it's going to take every bit of that and then some to have an opportunity to win this week,” Venables said. “But it all starts with belief. It starts with mindset. It starts with our togetherness, our toughness, our ability to put together a great game plan, have a great week — and, you know, learn from our mistakes. 

“Coachable players, coachable teams, they fix the mistakes and they get better. They have great accountability and great ownership in all of it, and they show back up and having an ability to quiet the noise and focus on the things that matter the most.”

This week’s contest could serve as a de facto elimination game for the loser. 

“Tennessee's playing great,” Venables said, “and they've figured out how to win some close games.”