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The No. 24 Oklahoma Sooners (2-1) have their backs against the wall as Oklahoma travels to play the No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs in Athens, Georgia, for the first time in school history. Oklahoma is looking to put some of their recent offensive struggles in the rearview and upset Georgia.

The Sooners and coach Brent Venables appear to have an elite defense again in 2026. Oklahoma leads the SEC in scoring defense and will look to make the Georgia game a defensive slugfest.

Oklahoma has a great special teams unit and that compliments their strong defense. Points have been at a premium in recent weeks for Oklahoma, who has not scored more than 14 points since Week 1. Things don't get an easier for the Sooners, who face a Georgia defense that has been elite aside from garbage time.

"Our players are excited about the opportunity," Venables said. "They know the challenge. Well, we've known the challenge. since the schedule was announced. So, it's a great opportunity and going to be a great venue. Just again, if you love to compete and love to be in the arena and you want to go against the best, well, you're going to have all you can get this week."

What Oklahoma coach Brent Venables said about Georgia

Venables' opening thoughts on Georgia

"(Georgia is) one of the most consistent programs in college football the last six, seven, eight years," Venables said. "They've been fantastic. Won two of the last six national championships. Three of the last four SEC championships, man. They've been a gold standard on defense. I've got incredible respect, admiration for their entire staff. Certainly, Kirby (Smart) what he's been able to do his whole career. He's a winner."

Venables on Georgia's roster building and winning tough games

"They've done a great job… retention, development, the physicality that they've won with, how they've won," Venables continued. "I'm not sure there's anybody that is in front of them when it comes to winning tough games, what that looks like. They've been the gold standard there as well."

"They have an experienced football team, built on the lines of scrimmage. They've recruited and developed some of the best players in all of college football. can't say enough about again the consistency they play defense. They've got another fantastic unit and I think they had seven, eight starters back on defense."

Venables adds that he knows some of Georgia's players from the recruiting process.

On Gunner Stockton

"Gunner Stockton, I love how he plays." Venables said. "Again, he's and this is another year that he's started the year really, really well. He's just a a really good football player. Remember when he originally had committed to South Carolina out of high school and his high school, not that far from where I was at at the time. And and the guy's been a winner his whole life.

"Plays the game the right way. (He) can run, can throw, he's completing 84% of his passes. Seven incompletions on the whole year, zero interceptions, run for 100 yards. He knows when to take it, pull it down. He's an excellent runner. They have designed quarterback run for him."

Brent Venables speaks with the media ahead of Georgia-Oklahoma

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This article originally appeared on UGA Wire: What Oklahoma coach Brent Venables said about Georgia football

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