OU football upset of Alabama couldn't have come at better time for Brent Venables
Joe MussattoThe Oklahoman
NORMAN — Amid the throng of Sooners who spilled onto Owen Field after OU’s upset of Alabama, Brent Venables clung close to his daughters, Laney and Addie. They stood beside their dad, squished in the frame of his postgame interview with ESPN’s Holly Rowe.
“There’s not been anything easy about this season for us,” said Venables, his voice straining. “I guess the harder it is, the more epic the story. What these guys have had to go through and overcome … What a night. What a performance.”
The Sooners’ trouncing of the Crimson Tide might not be the best win of Venables’ career — 2023 OU-Texas would like a word — but none have been more timely. The Sooners needed it. Venables needed it. In more ways than one.
Five days ago, Venables announced that his wife, Julie, had surgery to remove a tumor. Diagnosed with breast cancer in the summer of 2023, Julie shared in March that she was cancer free. Her cancer returned in May, and according to Brent, Julie has been traveling between Norman and New York for treatment.
When asked what the moment at midfield with his daughters meant to him and his family given all they’ve been through, Venables understandably opted not to get personal. He made it about his team.
“It’s more about the players,” Venables said, “and just having a really cool moment.”
It was the first storming of Owen Field since 2000, when Venables was the defensive coordinator of a Sooners team that stomped Nebraska.
“It’s just not a normal thing here,” Venables said. “The standards are really high. It was pretty cool. It was pretty magical. And again, I’m thinking about the players. They’re the ones in the middle of that were like ‘Oh, man, this is what we’ve been talking about.’ Paying this incredible price for victory.”
A victory OU so desperately needed. A reason to feel optimistic about the future. About Venables’ future as OU’s head coach.
OU athletic director Joe Castiglione and president Joe Harroz recently gave Venables a vote of confidence despite Venables’ shaky record — 21-15 as Sooner head coach before Saturday — but OU’s beatdown of ‘Bama spoke louder of Venables’ stock than anything either of the Joes could say.
An OU team that could’ve quit near the end of a miserable season reared up and toppled the Tide.
The Sooner defense made Heisman candidate Jalen Milroe look like a scrub. And the Sooner offense? Well, some things just can’t be explained.
Like how OU rushed for 257 yards behind an offensive line that hadn’t blocked anybody before Saturday. How interim offensive coordinator Joe Jon Finley devised such an exquisite scheme. How Jackson Arnold and Xavier Robinson gashed the Crimson Tide on the ground. How OU’s nonexistent passing attack didn’t matter.
Venables called the win “dominant,” knowing full well what the word meant. And he was right to use it.
The Sooners dominated the Crimson Tide and became bowl eligible by doing it.
Venables might not be long for the Sooner job, but if he is, we’ll look back to Saturday as the turning point of his tenure. The picture of him and his daughters in the middle of a joyous mob will be included in OU canon.
You could feel the weight of the job lighten just a little when after the game, Venables said what all of Sooner Nation was thinking.
“It’s. About. Freaking. Time.”
Also:
How much does Oklahoma owe Alabama after storming the field?
As a first-time offender of the SEC's updated access to competition area policy, Oklahoma will owe Alabama $100,000 for Saturday’s field storming. The Sooners are currently in their first season competing in the Southeastern Conference after departing from the Big 12 over the offseason.SEC policy on field storming
The SEC updated its access to competition area policy at the conference's spring meetings in 2023. The policy states:"Institutions shall limit access to competition areas to participating student-athletes, coaches, officials, support personnel and properly credentialed or authorized individuals at all times. For the safety of participants and spectators alike, at no time before, during or after a contest may spectators enter the competition area."
Financial penalties range from $100,000 for a first offense, $250,000 for a second offense and $500,000 for three or more offenses.
How many teams have stormed the field vs. Alabama?
Oklahoma became the third SEC team to storm the field vs. Alabama this season on Saturday after its 24-3 win. Vanderbilt fans stormed the field on Oct. 5, followed by Tennessee fans on Oct. 19.Joe Mussatto is a sports columnist for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Joe? Email him at jmussatto@oklahoman.com. Support Joe's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
