What's ahead for first OU football game? Brent Venables not afraid to mix up formula

Oklahoma Sooners fans are excited for the first football game of the Brent Venables era.

Venables, who was hired away from Clemson in December, is known for his defensive prowess.

But he said he's not afraid to mix up the formula on offense, which has been one of the most prolific in the country under former coach Lincoln Riley.

“We're going to be multiple on offense,” Venables said. “We're going to have the ability to spread you out and throw it around. We're going to have the ability to run the football and be physical.

“We're going to be able to do a lot of different things, and we're going to keep you guessing.”

Venables said he wants the Sooners to be a physical team on both sides of the ball.

“We're going to be a tough, physical football team,” Venables said. “We're going to be able to run the football, and we're going to be able to stop the run.

“We're going to be a physical presence on the field, and we're going to make it hard for our opponents to move the ball.”

The Sooners open the season on Sept. 3 against Kent State.

The Golden Flashes are coming off a 4-8 season in 2021. But Venables said he's not taking them lightly.

“Kent State is a good football team,” Venables said. “They're well-coached, and they have a lot of good players.

“We're going to have to be ready to play our best game in order to win.”