Brent Venables praises special teams unit on punt return touchdown

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One of the most thrilling plays from the Oklahoma Sooners' season-opening 51-0 win over the UTEP Miners on Friday night was wide receiver Isaiah Sategna III returning the first punt of the game 87 yards for a touchdown to put the Sooners up 14-0. Sategna showed off his speed and athleticism on the play, but it wouldn't have happened without the other ten players on the field.

After the game, head coach Brent Venables was asked about Sategna's impact on this team, as a leader and a returning star who plays a massive role on offense and special teams.

"We talk about him being a real weapon for us, and guys taking great pride fighting for him, and executing for him, and straining for him," Venables said.

However, while Sategna is the star, the play doesn't happen without the other players involved in the return as well. While defensive back Omarion Robinson had the key block that allowed Sategna to score, Venables was also impressed with the number of key players on the offensive side of the ball that contributed to the return touchdown.

"I think there were eight players that were offensive players on that unit," Venables said. "I think five receivers, and had a couple of running backs, and a tight end were on that punt return unit, and taking great pride. First time most of those guys have started a game on the punt return unit. So, for our team to be what we need to be, we need to have more guys on both offense and defense really contributing heavily in our special teams. With a tighter roster, we need to get more out of more guys and tonight was a good start to that."

Special teams, mainly in the kicking game, was a big boost to the Sooners last year. Though Sategna is a game-changer on the offensive side of the ball for this team, he's also capable of flipping a game with his ability as a punt returner. That's a big positive for Oklahoma, as the special teams units got off to a very strong start to the season.

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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Brent Venables praises special teams unit on punt return touchdown

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