NORMAN — Brent Venables was not going to spend Saturday night trying to convince anyone that Oklahoma had just turned a corner.
The Sooners won. They needed to win. But the way they got through a 14-6 game against New Mexico left plenty of the same questions hanging over the offense, with a trip to Georgia coming next.
“Well, that was ugly,” Venables said.
Hard to argue with that.
Oklahoma survived three first-half turnovers, leaned heavily on its defense and produced just enough offense to get out of its final game before SEC play. There were moments worth building on. There were also stretches that made it difficult to identify what this offense can consistently count on when it needs a play.
Venables was asked that very question: Does Oklahoma have something it can hang its hat on offensively?
“Not really. Watch the game. Did you see anything?” he said.
That answer says plenty about where things stand three games into the season. The concern extends beyond a bad series or one missed opportunity. OU is still searching for enough rhythm to put possessions together without a mistake sending it backward.
Venables pointed to a sequence that started with favorable field position and unraveled through a false start and a holding penalty. He acknowledged that opponents are going to make plays. What bothered him was how often Oklahoma contributed to its own problems.
Look, nobody is asking an offense to be perfect. But there has to be something dependable enough to build around, especially when the defense is repeatedly giving the team a chance.
That side of the ball did its part Saturday. Venables credited the defense with six sacks and 10 tackles for loss, along with the late fourth-down stop that kept New Mexico out of the end zone. He also praised players who had to handle more responsibility because of injuries.
“They really responded and saved our butt,” Venables said.
The offense did deliver two touchdown passes from John Mateer, and the Sooners made the plays necessary to finish the game after the final defensive stop. Those moments matter. They give the staff actual possessions to study for what worked and why.
The problem is that OU needed much more of that before Saturday became another game decided late.
Asked about his confidence in Ben Arbuckle moving forward, Venables kept his answer on the work ahead.
“He’s our offensive coordinator,” Venables said. “And, you know, we got a lot of work to do to improve, to get better.”
He stressed the need for more consistent explosive plays, a better offensive rhythm and a team that helps itself on both sides of the ball. He also wanted the defense to create turnovers, even after an otherwise strong performance.
The Sooners have a win to take into Georgia week. They also have a pretty honest assessment from their head coach of what has to change.
Now the work has to show up on Saturday.
