Brent Venables demands more from OU football offense, backs embattled OC Ben Arbuckle

Norman — Brent Venables expects improved performance from Oklahoma's offense after their 14-6 victory over New Mexico. The Sooners, who suffered a similar struggle against Michigan last week, faced the same issues in their loss to the Lobos on Saturday. Quarterback John Mateer threw two interceptions in the first half and the team still hasn't found its ground game identity.

Venables, who hired offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle following the 2024 season, was asked about his confidence in Arbuckle's abilities moving forward. Venables declined to discuss confidence, stating, "He’s our offensive coordinator. We got a lot of work to do to improve, to get better." The crowd at Owen Field booed the offense throughout the game, with the loudest reactions occurring after the first half when the team opted for a field goal instead of a touchdown.

Arbuckle acknowledged the high expectations surrounding the offense, saying, "We understand the expectation. We understand the standard. We’re going to put our head down. We’re going to go to work." Venables, who has been more critical of the offense than usual during his tenure, emphasized the need for improvement to compete against upcoming opponents.