Oklahoma’s special teams haven’t been the cleanest unit on the field lately, but Brent Venables isn’t sounding the alarm ahead of Saturday’s Red River showdown with top-ranked Texas at the Cotton Bowl.
Tate Sandell has missed field goals in back-to-back games, Isaiah Sategna coughed up a punt return against New Mexico, and the Sooners were flagged twice on punt returns in the loss to Michigan. Oklahoma has also rotated between Grayson Miller and Jacob Ulrich at punter, with both doing enough to get by but neither really taking over the job.
Still, Venables said this week he feels good about that group.
“I feel good about it,” Venables said, pointing specifically to Sandell and Ulrich’s work against Georgia after Ulrich replaced Miller.
That confidence matters because this rivalry has a habit of tilting on special teams. With Oklahoma’s offense still searching for answers, the Sooners may need their kicking game not just to be steady, but to swing the game.
Texas got a taste of that last season when Ryan Niblett ripped off a 75-yard punt return touchdown early in the fourth quarter to help the Longhorns beat Oklahoma 23-6.
There’s plenty of history behind that kind of moment in this matchup. In the 53-45, four-overtime thriller at the Cotton Bowl, Oklahoma landed two huge special-teams blows on the way to victory.
Early in the second quarter, with the game tied at 10, David Ugwoegbu broke through to block Ryan Bujcevski’s rugby-style punt and chased it down at the Texas 5. A penalty pushed the ball back to the 20, but Oklahoma still cashed in five plays later on Marcus Major’s 5-yard touchdown.
Then in the third overtime, Perrion Winfrey got a hand on Cameron Dicker’s field-goal try and kept it well short. Gabe Brkic later missed a chance to win it, but the Sooners were in position because of those special-teams plays.
The 2014 meeting also turned on a major return. That season was a rough one for Oklahoma, but the Sooners got a lift in the Cotton Bowl against unranked Texas.
Quentin Hayes appeared to return a fumble for a touchdown on the game’s fourth play, only for the call to be overturned. Texas then put together a 13-play drive that chewed up nearly seven minutes and ended with a field goal.
Later, with Ross already leading the nation in kick return yardage, he blasted through Texas’ coverage for a 91-yard kickoff return touchdown. The Longhorns made a late push, but Oklahoma held on for a 31-26 win.
And then there’s Joe Washington in 1975. He had an apparent 80-yard punt return touchdown early in that game, only for clipping penalties to wipe it out.
Late in the contest, though, with Oklahoma leading 24-17 and pinned inside its own 10 after a Texas punt, Washington delivered anyway. After a first-down fumble nearly unraveled the drive, Terry Webb recovered it.
Facing third-and-8 from the 10, Oklahoma broke out a direct snap to Washington, who quick-kicked the ball and fooled Texas completely. His punt traveled 76 yards, and the Sooners went on to win 24-17 and capture the national championship.
That kick by Washington stood as Oklahoma’s longest punt against Texas until Michael Turk blasted one 85 yards in 2021.
In Other News...
Oklahoma Faces A Red River Concern Fans Already Feared
Oklahoma heads into the Red River matchup with a defense that could get a boost from a couple of returning pieces, but the more immediate concern is on the other side of the ball. The Sooners are working through injury issues along the offensive line and at running back, and that combination can shape everything from protection to play-calling in a game where margin for error is already slim.
Michael Fasusi is doubtful, Eddy Pierre-Louis is questionable and Xavier Robinson is out, leaving Oklahoma to sort through a patchwork situation at key spots before facing Texas. There are several other availability questions on the report as well, while Texas enters with fewer players listed as unavailable, which only sharpens the concern for a Sooners offense that would prefer far cleaner health heading into one of the season's biggest tests. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahomas Receiver Frustration Just Took Another Hit Before Texas
A week before the Red River showdown, Oklahoma added another wrinkle to a wide receiver room that has already been under scrutiny. Freshman Jahsiear Rogers has been dismissed from the football program, according to an OU spokesperson, and he has already been removed from the teams online roster. Rogers had not carved out a major role this season, but he arrived with the kind of recruiting profile that made him an intriguing long-term piece for the Sooners.
For a passing attack trying to find more consistency, losing a young receiver who once looked like a possible building block is another reminder of how much turnover can shape a season. The Sooners are now moving toward Texas with less depth and one fewer developmental option at a position that has been watched closely all fall. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma's 2028 Running Back Problem Just Got Worse Before Texas Week
The recruiting battle around the Red River Rivalry picked up another jolt when Micah Rhodes, a four-star running back in the 2028 class, backed off his Oklahoma pledge and announced for Texas just ahead of the matchup. Rhodes had originally committed to the Sooners, so the flip adds a fresh layer of sting to a weekend that already carries plenty of recruiting and regional weight for both programs.
Rhodes change of heart came after the departure of Oklahoma running backs coach DeMarco Murray, a reminder of how quickly the staff turnover can reshape a class. The Sooners still do not have a replacement lined up for Rhodes in the 2028 group, though they remain involved with other targets such as Jayshawn Mitchell as they try to steady that part of the board. [Read more 🡒]