Oklahoma’s HC Brent Venables After 34-24 Loss to Alabama in First Round of CFP

Following Oklahoma’s 34-24 loss to Alabama in the first round of the College Football Playoffs, the Sooners’ head coach, Brent Venables, addressed the media regarding his team’s shortcomings and what factors he believed contributed to squandering Oklahoma’s 17-point first-half lead, which evaporated before halftime. 

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A disappointed Venables started his post-game press conference by noting his team's shortcomings. He credited the Crimson Tide for capitalizing on the Sooners’ mistakes. Alabama took momentum from Oklahoma after overcoming a 17-point deficit in the first half, highlighted by a 75-yard touchdown drive. On this drive, Crimson Tide freshman receiver Lotzier Brooks picked up 44 receiving yards and finished with a spinning 10-yard touchdown catch on fourth and two. The Sooners then had a punt blocked by Alabama’s Tim Keenan III, who recovered it at Oklahoma’s 30-yard line. Right before the half, Alabama tied the game 17-17 on a 50-yard pick-six from freshman cornerback Zabien Brown. Oklahoma never retook the lead after that.

“Had a 17-point lead, had great momentum, and then lost it. We surrendered a 75-yard drive, lost leverage in coverage on third and six, and gave up a fourth-and-two conversion on that drive.” Venables added, “We made some poorly-timed mistakes that they capitalized on, including a pick-six, which sent us into halftime tied at 17.”

Venables went on to discuss the Sooners' poor kicking game. Oklahoma's junior kicker, Tate Sandell, came into this game with a streak of 23 straight made kicks. However, tonight he missed two, the most he has missed in a single game all season. Sandell had only missed one kick previously, making 23 of 24 field goals. 

These kicks came at the worst possible times. Both misses were on back-to-back drives, with each kick needed to make it a one-possession game. Sandell missed a 36-yard field goal with 2:53 left in the fourth quarter. His second miss came from 51 yards with 1:13 left, while Alabama led by ten points. The score remained 34-24 at the time of both kicks. 

“Kicking game, there were some times it was really good tonight, and there were some times where we didn't have what we had all year long.” 

Venables was asked about his quarterback, John Mateer’s, performance in the loss. Mateer threw for 307 yards and two touchdowns, and rushed for one. Two of those touchdowns came in the first half (one rushing and one passing). Venables praised Mateer's character and his battle all season since his surgery for a broken hand in September.

“He’s [Mateer] a warrior man, he’s got everything that you want in a competitor, and a leader, in a quarterback. He’s got great talent, he fought through it, it’ll be his testimony.” Venables said, “I think you saw glimpses of how special he can be all season long, despite some of the injuries and things of that nature that he fought through, and I think you saw tonight.”

Venables was then asked what defined this season, a year in which Oklahoma reached the College Football Playoff after a disastrous 2024, when the Sooners finished 6-7.

“Just the Selfishness of the football team, the leadership of the whole locker room, led by our seniors, guys that made a decision to save a deposit, and I just took a withdrawal and saw how much they could get out of it, and made it all about them.” Venables said, “This is a group of guys that got us to our fifth playoff and did again in many ways to many people the unthinkable.”

Venables and the Sooners’ season concludes following Friday’s 34-24 first-round CFP loss to Alabama. The Crimson Tide will advance to the Rose Bowl to face Big Ten champions Indiana, led by Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza, on New Year's Day. 

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