Brent Venables moved to 2-3 in the Red River Rivalry with the Oklahoma Sooners' 27-24 win over the Texas Longhorns. Both wins came in dramatic fashion, with scores in the final seconds of the game to put the Sooners over the top. With the win, Venables was named the Paul "Bear" Bryant National Coach of the Week.
Venables and the Oklahoma defense kept Arch Manning under siege for much of the game, pressuring the Texas quarterback on nearly 40% of his dropbacks, according to Pro Football Focus. That pressure led to two interceptions, one of which SEC Defensive Player of the Week Peyton Bowen returned for a touchdown. The other interception from Courtland Guillory set up the Sooners' final series, which led to Tate Sandell's game-winning field goal.
As Venables has developed one of the best defenses in college football, the offense has lagged behind since moving to the SEC in 2024. But the Sooners managed the game well on offense, and John Mateer came through with a pair of clutch throws on the final drive to put OU in a position to win the game in regulation.
It was a bold choice with under 30 seconds to play, and it paid off for the Sooners.
The win is vindication for Venables and Oklahoma Football. The Sooners' head coach came under fire after disappointing performances against Michigan, New Mexico, and Georgia. Venables signed an extension with the program during the summer after OU's 10-win season and College Football Playoff berth. Beating Texas could course-correct the season for the Sooners, but they have to keep winning.
Venables now has the Sooners at 3-2 and still in the hunt for a College Football Playoff berth. Venables now has a career winning percentage of .622 and is 19-12 since joining the SEC.
Up next for the Sooners is a primetime matchup with the Kentucky Wildcats in Norman this Saturday night.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Brent Venables earns Paul 'Bear' Bryant National Coach of the Week
