NORMAN - After Oklahoma’s 21-13 loss to Kentucky last Saturday night, Brent Venables and Ben Arbuckle found themselves having to explain a pair of coaching choices that drew plenty of scrutiny.
The first came in the second quarter, when the Sooners faced a fourth-and-2 at the Kentucky 16. Oklahoma had a chance to go up by two scores, but instead Arbuckle said the call was to kick the field goal.
“Really liked the call,” Venables said. “Our guy was open like we thought he would be, and I thought we just missed on the throw. But, I don’t -”
Later, Oklahoma had another shot to put the game away with 1:13 left in the third quarter. On a first-down play from Kentucky’s 23, the Sooners were inside the red zone again, but settled for a field goal.
“Again, we do a lot of self-scouting, what we’ve done on tape after the conversation in, that’s called the green zone, and we are heavy run on tape,” Venables said. “They play a one high safety look rotation right where he should, and again we have to just be better as a whole to be able to execute that play and hit Isiah (Sategna) down the seam.”
Venables said he and Arbuckle agreed with the decision to kick the ball in that spot.
“Based on what they’ve been showing us all night defensively, especially on that early down, we felt like it was a good opportunity to go and strike for a lot of reasons,” Arbuckle said. “They played a one high safety look rotation right where he should, and again we have to just be better as a whole to be able to execute that play and hit Isiah (Sategna) down the seam.”
Still, Oklahoma finished with four total turnovers as Mater threw two interceptions among power conference teams.
The bigger issue for the Sooners was what happened on the ground. They only mustered 56 yards rushing against Kentucky.
“I think there’s a lot that goes into it,” Arbuckle said. “Really need to go back and watch the film and put myself in those situations again.
If it was the last running back handoff, it wasn’t the last run of the game, and we were able to do some effective things in that way. But again, you got to look at all of it.
… What could we have done better? What could I have done better?
What could we have done better as coaches have done better? What could the players have done better?”
Arbuckle added that the Sooners’ approach to running the ball during the season has created room for more self-scouting.
“We value the football,” Venables said. “It’s not a philosophical thing.
Just trying to go win the game. We got a ball that was tipped.
Obviously, the first turnover came on the fake field goal and had a ball that was tipped late in the third quarter. Then the 2-minute situation, we threw it to a safety that was in a two-high that dropped down in the hole.
“We just need to be on the right side of it, make better decisions, take care of the football, not allow a tipped ball to happen. But that’s football.
The Sooners were on the wrong side of it, but you win the turnover battle, most of the time you win the game. I don’t think philosophically there’s things you got to do differently.
We just got to be better.”
Oklahoma’s struggles on the ground had not been a season-long problem. They only mustered 56 yards rushing against Kentucky.
“I think there’s a lot that goes into it,” Arbuckle said. “Really need to go back and watch the film and put myself in those situations again.
If it was the last running back handoff, it wasn’t the last run of the game, and we were able to do some effective things in that way. But again, you got to look at all of it.
… What could we have done better? What could I have done better?
What could we have done better as coaches have done better? What could the players have done better?”
Oklahoma finished with four total turnovers as Mater threw two interceptions among power conference teams. But Venables said the answer for protecting the football is not some major philosophical shift.
“We value the football,” Venables said. “It’s not a philosophical thing.
Just trying to go win the game. We got a ball that was tipped.
Obviously, the first turnover came on the fake field goal and had a ball that was tipped late in the third quarter. Then the 2-minute situation, we threw it to a safety that was in a two-high that dropped down in the hole.
“We just need to be on the right side of it, make better decisions, take care of the football, not allow a tipped ball to happen. But that’s football.
The Sooners were on the wrong side of it, but you win the turnover battle, most of the time you win the game. I don’t think philosophically there’s things you got to do differently.
We just got to be better.”
Oklahoma now turns to Monday after the loss.
In Other News...
Brent Venables Sends Clear Message After Oklahomas Costly Loss
Brent Venables spent much of the postgame conversation trying to keep Oklahomas loss to Kentucky in perspective, even with the frustration of a 21-13 finish hanging over the program. John Mateers three second-half interceptions, including one that was returned for a touchdown late, made the defeat feel especially costly, but Venables still defended his quarterbacks overall performance and pointed to signs of growth in the way Mateer managed the offense.
The larger concern for Oklahoma is how quickly it can turn the page. Venables also credited the offensive line for battling through injuries and said the staff made some of its own choices with the game flow in mind, but the Sooners now have to answer with a cleaner showing in their next outing. After a loss like this, the message around the program is less about dwelling on mistakes and more about proving they can respond without letting one rough night linger. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma's Rough Night Still Carried A Big Recruiting Twist
A rough home result can still leave Oklahoma with something to build on, and Saturday night offered one of those split-screen moments. The Sooners fell 21-13 to No. 15 Kentucky, but the atmosphere also doubled as a recruiting stage, with several 2027 prospects on campus to take in the game and the setting around it.
Among the visitors were tight end Seneca Driver and offensive linemen Isaac Coughran, Cooper Hackett and Kaeden Penny, a group that matters as Oklahoma keeps working to stockpile talent for the future. The most interesting name in the building may have been athlete Gideon Gash, a Texas Tech commit who made an official visit to Norman, giving the Sooners a chance to make their case even on a night when the scoreboard did not cooperate. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahomas Offensive Line Issues Now Raise One Uncomfortable Question
Ryan Fodjes willingness to play through injury in the loss to Kentucky said plenty about where Oklahomas offensive line is right now. The Sooners have spent much of the season trying to piece together a group that has been hit by injuries and uneven play, and the latest setback only sharpened the concern around a unit that has not found a steady rhythm. Brent Venables, Bill Bedenbaugh and Ben Arbuckle have all acknowledged the issues, and the lines struggles have become one of the most obvious reasons the offense keeps fighting uphill.
What makes it more uncomfortable is that this is no longer just a depth problem. Oklahomas staff is still sorting through how much of the unevenness comes from personnel availability and how much comes from the group not meeting the standard it needs to meet. There is accountability on both sides of that equation, which is why the coming review matters so much for a team trying to stabilize the offense before the season gets any harder. [Read more 🡒]