Brent Venables praises offensive staff for handling of midseason changes
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Brent Venables and the Oklahoma Sooners have had a tougher season than many anticipated. The team is sitting at 5-5 with 2 games remaining, and a team that some thought could compete for the College Football Playoff is now fighting just to make a bowl.
The offense has been the biggest disappointment this season. Jackson Arnold, who was a 5-star prospect coming out of high school, failed to impress and was benched against Tennessee. The team opted to go with Michael Hawkins Jr. for a few games before ultimately switching back to Arnold.
Then, Venables decided to fire offensive coordinator and QBs coach Seth Littrell following Week 8. Still, on Wednesday, the coach praised his offensive staff for handling the adversity of this season.
“I’m very, just deeply appreciative and I’ve told them in front of the team a couple different times,” said Venables. “The leadership has been fantastic.”
The Sooners rank No. 86 in rushing, No. 115 in passing, and No. 118 in total offense. As Venables mentioned, though, the team has been snakebit by injuries, with 5 receivers and several linemen missing time.
“They’ve elevated and helped us get better in the middle of the storm, we’ve seen real improvement across the board and that comes from the players’ buy-in, and that certainly comes from the leadership of the coaches and how they’ve responded to a very adverse situation. So I’m incredibly thankful for them,” said the coach.
In Week 13, the Sooners will take on Alabama before ending the season with a matchup against LSU. The Sooners will need to win one of these games to secure bowl eligibility.
Here’s #Sooners coach Brent Venables’ answer to @EricBaileyTW‘s question on today’s SEC teleconference regarding how his offensive staff has handled this year. pic.twitter.com/zK9ddDLl8Y
— Colton Sulley (@colton_sulley) November 20, 2024
Bryce Lazenby covers college football for Saturday Down South. A Nashville native, his previous stops include FanSided, Dimers, and The Leaf-Chronicle.
