What OU football coach Brent Venables had to say about Sooners' game vs. Texas Longhorns

NORMAN — OU football coach Brent Venables' weekly press conference had a bit bigger crowd Tuesday.

That's because his 12th-ranked Sooners take on Texas in the Red River Rivalry on Saturday in Dallas (11 a.m., ABC).

"I really like where we're at mentally," Venables said. "But again, recognize the excitement and all the things that go along with playing in the Cotton Bowl."

The Sooners enter the game 5-0 and 2-0 in Big 12 play.

Here's a look at what Venables had to say:

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Dillon Gabriel, Quinn Ewers set the tone

Last year, Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers threw for 289 yards and four touchdowns in the Longhorns' 49-0 win.

OU was without Dillon Gabriel, who suffered a concussion a week earlier in a loss to TCU.

Ewers and Gabriel will go head to head Saturday and how they handle the atmosphere and the game figures to go a long way toward deciding the outcome.

"Everybody looks to that person from a leadership standpoint, a focus standpoint, sometimes emotional as well," Brent Venables said. "Both of those quarterbacks have special qualities."

One of the biggest factors, Venables said, is that the quarterback not try to do too much. "Got to put on my Superman cape," Venables termed it.

"That's not the case," he said.

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Brent Venables on limiting interviews

Brent Venables has been fairly open in making his players available for interviews.

The Sooners held a pair of media days just for newcomers — both freshmen and transfers — in both the spring and ahead of preseason camp.

As recently as a couple weeks ago, 16 players were made available combined after practices Monday and Tuesday.

But this week, Venables tightened things down.

Only four players — quarterback Dillon Gabriel, wide receiver Drake Stoops, offensive lineman McKade Mettauer, and cornerback Woodi Washington — were made available after Monday's practice and the scheduled Tuesday night interviews were canceled.

Venables said that was due to the outside attention brought by OU-Texas week, saying he felt like players were sometimes baited into saying things that could be construed as bulletin board material ahead of such a big game.

"Let me see if we can get him to say something," Venables said. "It's not different for us in a lot of ways. ... Most ways it's not. I do think for the media it's a bigger deal."

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Brent Venables reflects on 2011 Red River Rivalry game

For the first time since 2011, both teams come into the game undefeated.

That season, with Venables as the Sooners' defensive coordinator, OU scored three defensive touchdowns — one each by Demontre Hurst, David King and Jamell Fleming — helped lift the Sooners to a 55-17 win.

"This game is always important regardless if you're both undefeated or not," Venables said, saying the three defensive touchdowns made it "a beautiful day."

Venables was caught on camera repeatedly celebrating those big defensive plays that season.

"Every week your pride is at stake, and I don't say pride as in ego, just pride as in everyone's working together," Venables said. "I'll never make apologies for celebrating the success of a lot of hard work."

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Extra points

Some more of what Brent Venables had to say:

On Texas' WR corps: "I'm still trying to figure that out. If anyone's got any ideas let me know. ... These guys are home-run hitters man. They're the real deal. .... Our guys are excited about the challenge. It's going to be a real challenge."

On health: "Relatively healthy other than the players that we've already talked about the last couple of weeks that we've lost for the season.

On Texas linebacker Jaylan Ford: "As good of a linebacker that's out there in college football."

On his team's mindset going into the game: "We're certainly not where we want to be in any way, shape or form. ... You can't forget to celebrate successes along the way but always have to keep the right perspective."

On Sooners' running game: "We're not where we need to be yet but we will. It always has been an important part of this game when you peel the onion back."

On Sooners' WR depth: "I think it's a credit to all the players getting open, Dillon having the poise to go through his reads, take advantage of where the openings are. ... Everybody gets an opportunity to have some success."

On using Dillon Gabriel more in the running game: "Most good offenses that you see out there today have some element of that. ... More than willing to do it. Defenses will be the first one to tell you that a designed quarterback run with somebody that can also throw the ball is a tough challenge. ... He's done a nice job using his legs to improvise and he does a good job using his eyes down the field."

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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU football coach Brent Venables previews Red River Rivalry vs. Texas