What Brent Venables said after OU’s 34-3 loss to Texas | sport

No. 18 Oklahoma (4-2, 1-2 SEC) lost to No. 1 Texas (5-0, 2-0 SEC) 34-3 in the Red River Rivalry game in Dallas on Saturday.

Here’s what OU head coach Brent Venables said after the game:

Opening speech:

“I am of course disappointed with the result. We couldn’t maintain some of the momentum we had in the first quarter with our defense. We had a lot of opportunities in the first half and also had a few turnovers that led to touchdowns. We had some good moments in defense today and some really bad moments where we had to give our best and we didn’t. Whatever we did poorly on this field today, it starts with me, and I have to do a better job getting these guys prepared and ready to play.”

“I thought (Texas) did a great job of going with the run and being efficient while doing it, while I thought we were sloppy at times when it came to setting the boundaries. I don’t think we played as disciplined and physical football as we needed to today to give ourselves a chance. I felt like our coverage units were pretty good for the most part as well.”

“We are four and two and have the second half of the season ahead of us. We still have a lot to do and need to continue to improve.”

On his first impressions of Texas:

I haven’t seen many teams play so well in all three phases of the game. They (Texas) have a good team and are good in the right spots. They have explosive playmakers and also a really good defense. They also have a lot of experience on their team and have great players.”

On the offensive:

“We haven’t been very good offensively this season and overall we need to improve in all areas of the offense. We have to continue to help these guys, especially those who are inexperienced. I thought we saw a lot of really good things in the first half and the ability to sustain those things in the first half was what we lacked today.”

On the way Texas defended the offense and Michael Hawkins Jr.:

“They (Texas) had a consistent run defense, which put the offense in a position to be more one-dimensional and also more predictable. We had too many third and long balls, and when you do that against a team that can rush the passer and play great in coverage, the window becomes narrower.

“They also caught up the middle of the field quite a bit. We had a few opportunities on these intermediate routes at times, which was nice and something we definitely need to do more often. So overall it was a combination of their physicality, their tight coverage and their good run defense.”

On his outlook for the rest of the season after this defeat:

“I have been coaching football for 30 years and there have been many wins and many defeats. It’s about being a competitor, a leader and someone who cares about your teammates and their opportunities. You have to step up and take responsibility for all your work, good or bad, and that goes for everyone in this organization. Then you have to start again, and that’s what you have to do. You have to move on, learn from it, grow, shake it off and start again.”