Better players, better men: Back in Alamo Bowl, OU’s culture fundamentally different 2 years later

SAN ANTONIO — When Oklahoma’s bus pulled up to its hotel Saturday, Ethan Downs felt an overwhelming sense of deja vu.

Downs and the Sooners were here, in the same city playing in the same bowl game, just two seasons ago. But the circumstances and the culture surrounding the team are a distant memory.

Then, Lincoln Riley had bolted Norman weeks earlier, future Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Caleb Williams was on his way out, and it felt like the world was crashing down on OU. Now, two seasons into the Brent Venables experience and following a 10-win regular season, the vibes are different this time around ahead of Thursday night’s Alamo Bowl matchup with Arizona (8:15 p.m., ESPN).

“(The players are) acting like we're a more disciplined group than was previously here,” said offensive lineman McKade Mettauer, who didn’t play under Riley. “ … It sounds like (strength and conditioning coach Jerry Schmidt) is more disciplined with the guys and demands excellence as opposed to the previous staff, but the standard just seems to be different.”

Oklahoma’s buy-in from players, including a few who could’ve left for the NFL, has played a significant role. So has the family atmosphere Venables has revived after years of Riley shunning former players. Support from alumni and donors is on another level as well.

It all makes for a complete 180 from where the Sooners were when Hall of Fame coach Bob Stoops passed his visor to Venables after defeating Oregon here in 2021, exciting a starving fanbase after one of the roughest periods for the program in over 20 years.

“It (has been) really nice to have a coach that really wants representation from the past,” former OU linebacker and legendary figure Brian Bosworth told the OU Daily. “Obviously, Lincoln was 100% the exact opposite of that.”

Players have responded to Venables’ recognition of Oklahoma’s traditions too, including when Bosworth and other former players have spoken to the team throughout the season. All-American linebacker Danny Stutsman, who changed his mind from leaving for the draft to staying last-minute, even announced his decision in a video filmed with Bosworth, a two-time Butkus Award winner and national champion.

I’M NOT 🤬 LEAVING. pic.twitter.com/FfCIy23Q9W

— DannyStutsman (@FbStutsman) December 11, 2023

“I have great appreciation and respect for the guys in our locker room,” Venables said Wednesday. “I think every coach would sit up here and say the same thing, but the buy-in has never been higher. I think the results from the season would say that. This is a group of guys that are highly invested, several of them in the last two years, obviously starting in January we had 97 players in their first or second year at Oklahoma.

This was as evident as ever Tuesday when OU named its bowl game captains.

“That was an honor,” said Downs, a second team All-Big 12 selection, of being one of five leaders named by his teammates. “It wasn't a coach’s choice. We picked a poll, it was a locker room. Who we wanted the leaders to be, and when they said it was us and I was chosen as part of that group, I teared up and started crying. Like man, this is an honor because this is stuff I dreamed about as a kid.”

The main themes of Venables’ first two seasons have been family, togetherness, trust and belief. They’ve been a bedrock through six moments he and the team have surmounted together in the past 729 days.

From the chaos surrounding the 2021 Alamo Bowl. To the re-embrace of OU’s foundations at the 2022 spring game. To the lack of depth exposed months later in a blowout loss against Texas. To the devastating news of his wife’s cancer diagnosis. To avenging themselves against the Longhorns this fall. To making an offensive coordinator hire that will be pivotal in how his tenure will ultimately be defined.

Collectively, what they’ve been through and what they’re building has motivated Oklahoma’s players to play their best in a lesser bowl game than they originally planned. They want to finish what they started two seasons ago in the Alamodome. Since that game, Venables has poured into each player who has passed through the program with a goal to help them improve and leave as better players and men than when they arrived.

“That's the one of the most important characteristics of our program here at Oklahoma — player centric — and that everything we do, focuses on how we can help our players be the best version of themselves,” OU athletic director Joe Castiglione told the OU Daily. “And that we're connected when they're here and stay connected as they move on into their livelihood. That's a very important element of our program.

“ … I know from moment one how much that's part of (Venables’) vision and I've seen it consistently ever since he's come here as our head coach, that is a big, big deal, and it starts with the players that are here.”

Dec. 29, 2021: ‘A lot of uncertainty’

Venables' smile beneath the brim of the cap Stoops handed him said it all.

He was ready for the challenge awaiting him, and, like with everything in his life, he had a clear vision for what he wanted his program and culture to look like. Wide receiver Drake Stoops remembers what it felt like the last time Oklahoma played in the Alamo Bowl and is more relaxed this time around.

“(Venables) has changed (the culture) a lot,” said Drake, who played under Riley for four seasons. “He came in with a lot of uncertainty. Nobody knew what was going on, who's going to be the coach, should we stay? Should we leave?

“All that and he came in and just provided a certain level of peace. Especially for me. He's a familiar face. I know what he's about and the type of coach that he is, the type of man that he is, and so I knew I was gonna stay at that point.”

With two years of evidence Venables is building something successful, Castiglione’s mind is more at ease now looking back at the stress in late 2021.

“From just a coincidental standpoint, it is unique to come back to a bowl that was good for us two years ago,” Castiglione said. “Coach Venables was obviously involved and engaged to a certain point but also had the chance to put his staff together and navigate some very tricky waters.

“Which we've seen only get more tumultuous as the transfer portal and all that surrounds it has evolved in these two years. But it certainly was present then, and having to navigate all of that (was tough).”

For the players who were here two seasons ago with Riley, everything has changed.

“It’s a whole different culture,” Downs said. “He has different values, as every man does, but as a coach bringing in new coaches, a new style, a more complex defense. There's so many ways we’ve grown and been challenged, but coming back two years later, after we played Oregon last time, this has been really crazy.”

April 23, 2022: ‘It was surreal’

Castiglione will never forget Oklahoma’s 2022 spring game.

It was the first opportunity fans had to show their support of Venables and preview that season’s team, and Sooner faithful made it the most-attended spring game nationally that year, setting a program-record with 75,360 attendees.

“We'll talk about a lot of big wins of regular or postseason games, but that weekend will always be one of my favorite memories,” Castiglione said. “We had a lot going on, but it was more about the Oklahoma family coming together and the attendance was off the charts. We knew we'd have a big crowd but it seemed like the fans just kept on coming and coming and there were very few of them that bought tickets ahead of time.

“It was surreal watching it.”

Bosworth was one of dozens of exhilarated alums who showed up in support of Venables’ Sooners and joined in for a reunion-style photo at midfield at halftime.

Much like the former players were moved, so were donors.

Months later, on the eve of his first season as head coach, the athletic department announced a record $109 million in donations for the 2021-22 fiscal year, eclipsing the previous record of $58 million. That has continued in 2023 as the department raised $79 million, including $11 million invested toward OU football by 232 donors.

But what Bosworth felt on the field during that spring game was priceless: Welcomed back. He and fellow former players respected by current players cognizant of their role in the larger continuum of OU football, or as their coach puts it, playing for Team 129.

Bosworth says it was a monumental achievement and momentum booster for Venables’ plans.

“(He understood) bringing the base together during a time of uncertainty would only benefit the support the fans needed to give him,” Bosworth said reflecting on some of OU’s unique constants amid the changing eras of college football.

“But also the players with this strange-ass ability to fucking beam in and beam out wherever the hell they want to, to get them to at least plant some roots here. Knowing that the changing of the guard was something that was actually better for us. Not only in the short term, but in the long term versus what was here before.

“That really needed to be said loud and clear, and you needed 80,000 people and the fans needed the support of decades of players. It was a classy move, everybody knows who he is. It wasn't like a hard sell. It wasn’t like, ‘Hey, man, we've got to call all of our buddies and convince them to come in. It wasn't like that at all. It was like if there was a series of Sooner buses in every city, it would have been filled because everybody wanted to be there for that moment.”

Oct. 8, 2022: ‘Wish things were different’

Venables’ first OU-Texas game as a head coach didn’t go as planned to say the least.

Playing without concussed starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel, Venables and offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby stripped down the offense to run through a tight end and running backs. Its lack of depth glaringly exposed, Oklahoma fell 49-0 to its nemesis, the worst shutout loss regardless of opponent in program history. Things appeared dire.

“It was humbling; you can't dwell on that too much,” Castiglione said. “It's obviously painful, but you have to grow from every experience. People walk around making excuses, that's just not us. We don't do that. So you have to grow from it. Every one of those types of experiences, and we've had several, where you could go back and wish things were different.”

Looking back, the score was indicative of how hollow OU’s offense was without Gabriel.

“You lose your quarterback in this league, and you don’t have a quality backup, you’re doomed,” Bosworth said. “We had zero offense … There was no hope we were going to muster up any fight back on the offensive side of the ball. How do you keep from getting stabbed all over the field?”

Castiglione stood in the press conference room afterward as Venables offered no excuses. Clearly embarrassed, he took full responsibility and made unambiguous he understood the rivalry’s importance and was on a mission to never repeat a showing like that — anywhere — again.

“The only failures,” Castiglione said, “are those you don’t grow from.”

June 16, 2023: ‘A great husband’

Life gets you when you least expect it.

Following Oklahoma’s worst season since 1998 and amid all of the challenges of being a Power Five college football coach in 2023, Venables received awful news during what’s normally one of the relative quiet periods in a coach’s year.

His wife, Julie, was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Venables now had to juggle more off the field as a husband and father while also caring for Team 129 and preparing to lead the Sooners to a vital season of improvement. Castiglione, who speaks with Venables daily, says he never changed throughout the tough times the past six months.

“What he's managed as a leader,” Castiglione said. “His own growth as a leader, the program's growth, the changing, trying to manage all the different dynamics with running a major college football program right now (is impressive). He's trying to be a great husband and a great father with what Julie has gone through.”

Julie underwent surgeries in July and November, and in the last update Venables offered on Dec. 15, he said she’s “doing great.” OU’s leader has worn a pink bracelet on his left wrist all season, and his staff and players honored Breast Cancer Awareness month in October by incorporating the color into the team’s attire worn against UCF.

Castiglione said he loved Venables before this season but appreciates his consistency even more after watching what his family has gone through.

Venables often posed for photos postgame with his daughters Laney and Addie, immediately going from coach mode to dad mode back to coach mode in time for his pregame speech and press conference.

“He's a phenomenal human being,” Castiglione said. “He just is, he just continues to prove how great of a coach we have at Oklahoma. And a person and a leader and somebody who's just doggedly determined to lead this program to a high level of success.”

Oct. 7, 2023: ‘All the credit to the players’

One year after one of the worst losses in Oklahoma history, the Sooners were College Football Playoff contenders after one afternoon.

OU upset then-No. 3 Texas 34-30, fittingly sealed by a game-winning drive from Gabriel. A program seemingly spiraling after the loss of Riley a year earlier now appeared more ready to enter the SEC than Texas.

The Sooners’ defense called out several Longhorn plays at the line of scrimmage and stuffed UT four times near the goal line, demonstrating Venables’ hallmark defensive preparedness: Taking a punch, but delivering the knockout blow.

Standing in one of the Alamodome’s locker rooms this week, Drake recounted the Texas game and said that day’s success started with motivation in the offseason with winter and summer workouts.

Working with Schmidt, more players bought in ahead of Venables’ second season and the roster was more geared toward his scheme. More buy-in led to players coming in on Sundays to eat together and watch extra film, which Drake credits to Venables’ coaching and relationship building.

The competitive depth — a term Venables has used repeatedly this season — was evident during Venables’ second OU-Texas game, as was the deepened belief from the players.

“After the season, a lot of guys leave and you bring in new guys,” Drake said. “Getting the guys out who need to leave and bringing in guys that fit with what he's looking for. … You could see everyone just buying into the work and wanting to be great and do it for each other. I think about all things for a team and the development of a team. It's usually the offseason that has the most impact because once you get to the season, it's too late. You're busy and it's game time.”

Nov. 29, 2023: ‘Couldn’t be more excited’

One of the most important decisions a head coach can make is in the hiring of the coordinator running the side of the ball he isn’t an expert in.

For Venables, that moment arrived when Lebby departed to become head coach at Mississippi State. By all accounts from those close to the program, Venables nailed it just three days later by hiring Seth Littrell.

Lebby’s offense ranked No. 4 nationally in 2023 but struggled to execute in critical moments like at Kansas and at Oklahoma State, which left the Sooners here, in the Alamo Bowl, rather than in a New Year’s Six bowl. Littrell contributed all season as an analyst and attended every quarterback meeting, taking in the successes and mistakes made along the way.

“Coach Venables took time to think through all the different sides of a decision,” said Castiglione, who saw the search and vetting process firsthand. “The options that were available and which one would be best for the program. … We couldn't be more excited. We absolutely love Seth.”

Littrell being a former OU running back and his love for his alma mater was important to Venables. So was continuity heading into the SEC with a new offense and a new quarterback. Above all though, Littrell possesses the right qualities as a person Venables looks for on his staff.

“Getting that call was special to me,” Littrell said. “It gave me an opportunity to come back home, be near family but at the same time be around the Oklahoma family that I’ve missed over the years. So having that opportunity to sit back and see another way to run a program was important. It validates some things that maybe you did as a head coach. Hey, I was right there. Wasn’t far off. And then some things you could have done better. So it’s just learning and growing and getting back, and it’s been a blessing to be around this group.”

Much like the loyalty he has long had with Venables, Castiglione maintained a great relationship with Littrell after his playing days and admired his coaching career from afar. The two stayed in touch and Castiglione is thrilled to see him taking a bigger role in the program.

“It's just great when the stars align that all aspects of the decision come together and you can have a great coach,” Castiglione said. “He's also an Oklahoma graduate and just fortuitous to have been around what we were doing for the past season.”

‘Create buy-in’

If Billy Bowman Jr. knew what he knows now about the person and coach Venables is, he would’ve signed with Clemson out of high school.

It’s that infectious personality and desire to get the most out of players that drew Bowman back to Norman for another year in 2024. The All-Big 12 First Team selection who picked off six passes in 2023, good for second nationally, saw drastic improvement when Venables took over Oklahoma’s defense from Alex Grinch. And now he feels like he has unfinished business with his coach.

Standing in the Alamodome two years later, Bowman marveled at how things have turned for him and the program.

“(Venables’) main goal I would say is to create buy-in,” Bowman said. “And once you have more people buying in, even more people want to buy in and that attracts people.

“When he makes us do a whole bunch of stuff, we're like, ‘Why do we have to do this?’ But at the end of the day, he knows what he's doing and it's better for us and it makes us come closer and creates a bond. That is important when you're playing a team sport.”

The buy-in Venables has created has led Bowman, Downs and Stutsman, along with defensive linemen Jacob Lacey and Da’Jon Terry, to commit to his vision one more time and try to accomplish more next season as integral parts of Team 130.

It’s also telling when players like Mettauer, who transferred in when Venables took over, hear positive things from teammates about the current regime opposed to the former one.

“I know a lot of guys were like, ‘Man we could get away with this,’” Mettauer said. “Now, they're really making sure we do this, this and this and our grades are going up and our GPA is breaking school records, so you can just tell even if you just look at academic numbers that it's different and that translates to the field.”

Defensive tackle Isaiah Coe said last season that Venables changed his life. Bowman said the same on Tuesday.

The rising senior safety has not only raised his NFL draft stock, but he’s become a more vocal leader.

“He completely changed me,” Bowman said. “I know most of my teammates, if not all of them, will say the same thing. It was a completely different situation two years ago. … Coach Venables, I feel like he has changed the whole direction of where my career as a person and a player is going.”

Venables has changed the narrative surrounding Oklahoma football in two years while rebuilding the roster to better fit the style of play in the SEC.

What two years ago was known as a program that could score on anybody and barely defend anyone, is now respected on both sides of the ball. Even though the Sooners are entering a new conference, with a new offensive coordinator and a new quarterback who will play behind a new offensive line, there is more certainty in the air in San Antonio than in 2021.

All due to Venables’ vision.

“He's relentless in his pursuit of doing what's right for Oklahoma,” Castiglione said. “And the people that are part of the process, and he's very conscientious about everybody. Building value, making people feel appreciated, involved, connected. And he talks about how he wants the experience to include the building of and sustaining great relationships.

“And he manages a lot ,but every day, you're getting great energy, great focus, great intensity. The kind of characteristics he wants the team to have, you're getting it from him.”