What Oklahoma coach Brent Venables had to say about Alabama football after 23-21 win

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The Oklahoma Sooners stuck it to Alabama football again on Saturday.

Fueled by three Alabama turnovers and 10 points gift-wrapped by the Crimson Tide, the 10th-ranked Sooners beat the fourth-ranked Tide, 23-21, at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa. Oklahoma has won all but one of the six meetings between the two programs since 2002.

The Sooners won this one because Alabama’s Ty Simpson sailed an interception to Eli Bowen that the Sooners’ cornerback returned 87 yards for a pick-six touchdown and a 10-0 lead. And because Ryan Williams couldn’t hold on to the ball on a punt he chose to return from Alabama’s own 16-yard line.

And because Conor Talty had a 36-yard field goal attempt partially blocked just before halftime. Talty had words for a teammate, despite there being absolutely zero assurance that his kick would have been good even with a perfect snap, as evidenced by the sophomore’s 11-of-15 mark on previous attempts this season.

Alabama (8-2, 6-1) had 406 yards of offense to Oklahoma’s 212, but the Sooners (8-2, 4-2) celebrated in Tuscaloosa by capitalizing on the Crimson Tide’s mistakes — and by making virtually none of their own.

As a result, Alabama will now have to beat Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium in two weeks to secure a spot in the College Football Playoff. (What could possibly go wrong there?)

After Saturday’s game, Oklahoma coach Brent Venables met with reporters to discuss his team’s victory over the Crimson Tide. Here’s what the Sooners’ coach said about beating Alabama again.

Brent Venables reflects on Oklahoma Sooners’ upset win over Alabama football

“Wow. What a heck of a football game. I would first like to just congratulate Coach DeBoer and their staff, their players. Nobody really deserved to lose that football game. That was a well-played, hard-fought slugfest. Incredibly thankful and proud. Appreciate our players just laying it on the line for four quarters. I’ve been talking and bragging about this team, that this is one of the best teams I’ve been around when it comes to just the brotherhood and the belief in one another. Something special about it.

“These guys, again, if I said something once, I’ve said it a hundred times: they like to work. They like to compete. They like each other, and I think it shows. I don’t think you find a way to win our fourth true road game in the fashion that we were able to against the quality of the opponent we did unless you have a lot of ingredients that maybe aren’t on a stat sheet. But we’ve got the right people in all the huddles.”

Why Brent Venables felt the second half favored Oklahoma against Alabama

“I thought our second half was just much more complimentary than maybe the first half. Even though the first half, there were some good things (but) not quite as sloppy. But man, we talked about the turnover battle and just what’s the eye test going to say about a physicality standpoint? And I just really love the way we struck and put hands on people. The pile continued to fall in the Sooners’ direction, and we got our hands on a lot of balls. I think we forced three fumbles, had maybe three picks. One of them was called back for an interference, and we blocked a field goal right there before half, Taylor Wein did. Had a strip sack and again, just some things as a byproduct of that.”

What Oklahoma’s Brent Venables said about Bryant-Denny Stadium after upset win over Alabama

“This is a place that had the nation’s longest winning streak and hadn’t lost an SEC home game since maybe 2019. And (it’s) our highest ranked road win since 2017. So, really special.”

Venables added that he felt Oklahoma dominated the game in “hidden yardage” and plays that don’t show up on the stat sheet.

“Our special teams, we went in thinking that we had an opportunity, maybe, to really separate ourselves, and it held to be true. Don’t have the final numbers, but the hidden yardage, felt like we dominated the hidden yardage. We got some key returns, and (wide receiver Isaiah Sategna) did a great job of possessing the football and not letting the ball hit the ground.

“Our protection, our coverage units. Man, we had several tackles for loss on our coverage units. Just really impressive. I’m really impressed with the way this team continued to respond over and over and over. Grayson Miller, Did he make the … Ray Guy (Award finalist list)? He played like one tonight. Man, he was just amazing. And then Tate Sandell, school record for consecutive field goals made at 21. Just big time.

“Neither offense, I thought Alabama from a moving-the-ball (standpoint) had a few explosive plays in the first half, and so the numbers were really lopsided, just like Tennessee. But the Sooners were up by three going into halftime, and I just really believe turnovers were a big part of that. And then just having the toughness at the right moments to keep them out of the end-zone. We held them to a field goal. We called timeout and they missed the next one, but Taylor Wein played a big part in that.

“(Alabama) was 5-of-13 on third down. We were 3-of-13… but turnovers were a big part and I think kicking game and then defense there.”

Brent Venables talks Oklahoma halftime adjustments against Alabama

“I thought second half, we really got into a nice rhythm. We played a little stickier with our coverage and changed up a few of our coverages, and just the sheer will of the players.

“At the end of the day, I didn’t cover anybody. Nobody on our staff tackled anybody. Nobody protected. Nobody caught the ball. Our players is where all the credit goes. They just made a decision (that) they were going to be in the conversation.

“So, we’re 8-2 and proud again of the effort that it took to get to 8-2 but we’ve got some really good, quality opponents sitting in front of us, starting with Missouri. So, we’ll celebrate this for a few hours, get back to Norman, and go right back at it again.”

What did Oklahoma do well in win over Alabama? Brent Venables describes what he saw

“For me, we really attacked. We forced, you know, some big-time turnovers. Sometimes when it’s said the way it’s said, it’s like, ‘Oh, well, if that hadn’t happened’ — well, it did happen, number one. And number two, we forced them with great pressure up front, guys running to the ball, hawking at the football. There are several times we didn’t get the ball, but if you’re paying attention and really lifting up the hood and looking at it for what it is, man, our guys were attacking the football. They were relentless.

“There’s not a more important stat in football than turnovers, and certainly we said that was going to be the one on the stat sheet that’s going to matter. And then the eye test from a physicality standpoint, you know winner is going to be the most physical team. Everybody that watched the game, there should be no doubt.

“I thought Alabama was very physical. Thought they threw body blows back, but at the end of the day, we were able to do a little more than they did. So, really proud of our guys.”

Brent Venables takes exception to reporter’s comment about Oklahoma not winning ‘pretty’

“Who’s it not pretty for? What does that mean? Some people it’s pretty for. I happen to like it. But yeah, I think it’s a reflection you see in our league. I don’t know what all happened today throughout the league, but we’re playing really good people. They’re going to make plays; we’re going to make plays. We’re going to get got; they’re going to get got. Turnovers (are) going to be a part of it. Struggles (are) going to be a part of it. Having to overcome bad things is going to be a part of it, and the team that can figure that out is going to win.

“So, I don’t mind in any way, shape or form, winning that way. No apologies here. Proud of our guys for their fight.’

Watch Venables’ full postgame press conference below.

Alabama football schedule 2025

All start times Central.

  • Aug. 30: at Florida State (L, 31-17)
  • Sept. 6: vs. UL Monroe (W, 73-0)
  • Sept. 13: vs. Wisconsin (W, 38-14)
  • Sept. 27: at Georgia (W, 24-21)
  • Oct. 4: vs. Vanderbilt (W, 30-14)
  • Oct. 11: at Missouri (W, 27-24)
  • Oct. 18: vs. Tennessee (W, 37-20)
  • Oct. 25: at South Carolina (W, 29-22)
  • Nov. 8: vs. LSU (W, 20-9)
  • Nov. 15: vs. Oklahoma (L, 23-21)
  • Nov. 22 vs. Eastern Illinois, 1 p.m., ESPN+
  • Nov. 29: at Auburn, TBA

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This article originally appeared on Roll Tide Wire: Oklahoma football HC Brent Venables speaks out after win over Alabama

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