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Oklahoma’s Brent Venables on Tiger Stadium: ‘One of the Most Intimidating Venues’

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Oklahoma’s Brent Venables on Tiger Stadium: ‘One of the Most Intimidating Venues’


The LSU Tigers (7-4, 4-3) will host the Oklahoma Sooners on Saturday night in the 2024 regular season finale with Brent Venables’ squad heading to Baton Rouge.

It’ll be a Southeastern Conference clash with Brian Kelly and Co. looking to end the season on a positive note and carry the momentum into the offseason.

LSU is bowl eligible, but it’s imperative the program wraps up the regular season in the win column and reaches 8-4 status on the year.

The Tigers will have a tough task in front of them when it comes to containing Oklahoma signal-caller Jackson Arnold.

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A quarterback on the rise, Arnold is fresh off of a career game against the Alabama Crimson Tide where he led the Sooners to an impressive upset victory.

Now, it’s all eyes on the SEC matchup in Week 14 between a pair of programs looking to wrap up the regular season with a statement win.

The Sooners will head to Tiger Stadium, a venue the Oklahoma declares one of the “most intimidating” in all of college football.

A look into what both head coaches had to say ahead of the matchup and what to expect on Saturday night in Death Valley.

“Incredibly talented football team. They’ve got a fantastic roster. Coach [Brian] Kelly is one of the best coaches in college football. He has a fantastic staff and really good players,” Venables said of LSU. “I got a lot of people I can brag on, but I don’t want to do that right now and take me out of this great moment we’re in right now.

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“It’s going to be a great challenge in one of the loudest and most intimidating venues in all of college football. I’ve never been there. I was hoping and praying and doing my rain dance for no night game, but no such luck.”

Containing Jackson Arnold:

“[Arnold] is an outstanding quarterback that can throw it, but he rushed he rushed for 131 yards on 25 carries,” Kelly said. “Everybody here knows our history with the quarterbacks that run the football. That will be a challenge for us.”

Closing Out SEC Play on a Positive Note:

“I think you’ve gotta look at it from a perspective of ‘Where are we relative to the season?’” Kelly said. “We’ve made really good progress and then we have three games where, take the Alabama game out of the mix. If you take the three games that we had a lead going into the fourth quarter, then you know a lot more about yourself. You need to finish and close games. We didn’t finish and close games or we could’ve been 9-1.

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“So part of it is having the confidence to know that you can go and win games in the SEC and they certainly can. They’ve won a lot of games. Regardless of the three-game losing streak, they’ve won 11 of their last 15 games. They’ve won 15 out of 16 night games. So this is a team that has repeated winning. So you talk about that during the week and you go back and prepare and they did and they came out and they played with a lot of confidence.”

Paul Finebaum: LSU, Brian Kelly in a “Really Bad Spot” Moving Forward

LSU Dishes Out Offer to No. 1 Quarterback in America

Nick Saban Calls LSU Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier a “Sleeper” Ahead of 2024 Season

Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and LSU Tigers On SI: @LSUTigersSI for all coverage surrounding the LSU program.

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Oklahoma

SEC Fines OU $200,000 After Fans Storm Field Twice In Win Over Alabama

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SEC Fines OU 0,000 After Fans Storm Field Twice In Win Over Alabama


The Southeastern Conference announced Sunday that the University of Oklahoma has been fined $200,000 for violations of the league’s access to competition area policy during and after its game against Alabama on Nov. 23.

Oklahoma fans stormed the field twice during the Sooners’ stunning 24-3 victory over the No. 7 Crimson Tide. The first violation occurred when fans prematurely entered the field before the game clock expired, causing a delay in the contest. The second violation came when fans fully stormed the field after the final whistle to celebrate the upset win on Senior Night.

The $200,000 fine includes $100,000 for Oklahoma’s first offense under the SEC’s revised policy and an additional $100,000 for the premature on-field entry. Fines collected for these violations are directed to the opposing institution.

The SEC’s access to competition area policy, designed to protect the safety of players, coaches, officials, and fans, prohibits spectators from entering the field at any time before, during, or after games. The policy applies to all sports sponsored by the conference and was last updated at the SEC Spring Meetings in 2023.

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“This policy is in place to ensure the safety of everyone involved,” the SEC stated. Penalties for violations range from $100,000 for a first offense to $250,000 for a second and $500,000 for subsequent offenses.

Oklahoma’s historic victory over Alabama marked its first on-field celebration at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in over two decades. Despite the fines, the Sooners’ triumph stands as a defining moment in their inaugural SEC season.

Sunday evening the OU Athletics Department said they did not have a statement regarding the fine.





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Country Music Star Leads Packed Football Stadium In Chilling Toby Keith Tribute: WATCH

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Country Music Star Leads Packed Football Stadium In Chilling Toby Keith Tribute: WATCH


Riley Green led Oklahoma fans in a very touching Toby Keith tribute over the weekend.

The Sooners pulled off a shocking 24-3 upset over Alabama in Norman Saturday night, and one of the coolest moments was when Green led the crowd in singing a classic Toby Keith song:

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“Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue.”

Riley Green leads Oklahoma fans in honoring Toby Keith. 

The country music icon was a huge Oklahoma fan, and the football team has been honoring him all season long with fans singing his songs.

The moment from Saturday might have been the best as Riley Green led fans in singing the legendary pro-America song.

Check it out below, and let me know what you think at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.

There’s no doubt that’s an awesome and chilling moment. Seeing a packed Oklahoma stadium rocking out to Toby Keith with Riley Green leading the way is epic.

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There’s no other way to describe it. Keith is among the most famous country music singers to ever walk the planet, and he passed away at the age of 62 after battling stomach cancer.

His death was nothing short of heartbreaking for country music fans. Yet, his legacy lives on, and that was on display Saturday night in Norman.

Props to the Sooners and Riley Green for honoring Toby Keith. You simply love to see it. Let me know your thoughts at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.





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PFF notebook: What the numbers say about Alabama's loss to Oklahoma

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PFF notebook: What the numbers say about Alabama's loss to Oklahoma


PFF notebook: What the numbers say about Alabama’s loss to Oklahoma

After defeating LSU on the road in Week 11, Alabama looked like a shoo-in for the College Football Playoff and had the inside track for the SEC Championship. However, two weeks later, the Crimson Tide’s momentum came to a halt as the 5-5 Oklahoma Sooners delivered a shocking 24-3 defeat in Norman, turning a trip to the Palace on the Prairie into a nightmare for Alabama.

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Alabama couldn’t find its footing in any way, shape or form. The Crimson Tide’s typically potent rushing attack was suffocated by a strong Oklahoma defense, while Sooners quarterback Jackson Arnold carved up Alabama’s defense with his legs, delivering a standout performance that kept the Tide trailing the whole game. Even Alabama’s special teams had their blunders, with typically reliable punter James Burnip having several self-inflicted errors throughout the game.

“Extremely disappointed. Frustrated,” said Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer. “We worked extremely hard, I thought, all week putting a plan together all week. Guys had good energy and were excited to come here on the road. We’ve just got to play better. We’ve got to be better.”

Before we turn the page to the now No. 13 Alabama’s matchup with Auburn in the Iron Bowl here’s a look at the Tide’s Week 13 performance through the lens of Pro Football Focus.

TOP PERFORMERS

Offense

(Player, position — offensive grade)

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Parker Brailsford, C — 70.5

The Washington transfer finished as the highest-graded offensive player in Alabama’s 21-point loss to Oklahoma. Among each offensive lineman who took at least one pass-blocking snap against the Sooners, Brailsford was the only one not to allow a pressure, although he did chart one penalty for the Crimson Tide.

Josh Cuevas, TE — 69.2

Cuevas finished with 40 receiving yards on two receptions, his second straight game hauling in two catches for at least 40 yards, helping him finish with a 71.6 receiving grade against Oklahoma. Unfortunately for the hybrid offensive piece, Cuevas allowed his first pressure of the season as a QB hit.

Jalen Milroe, QB — 67.7

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Although Milroe cracks into the top three, his placement here shows how abysmal Alabama’s offense was against the Sooners. Milroe’s grade was the second lowest of the season for the junior quarterback while simultaneously finishing with his lowest-graded rushing performance this year. In the passing attack, Milroe only charted one turnover-worthy play despite the career-high three interceptions.

Defense

(Player, position — defensive grade)

Tim Smith, DT — 82.5

The fifth-year defensive lineman was Alabama’s most consistent defender in the 24-3 loss to the Sooners, finishing with Alabama’s second-highest run defense grade, 78.0, and charting a lone pressure. Smith finished the day with four tackles on 38 snaps.

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DeVonta Smith — 74.1

Smith had a good game against the Sooners, totaling eight tackles and finishing with Alabama’s third-highest tackle rating (83.1). The defensive back allowed one reception for five yards in coverage,

Malachi Moore — 73.9

Alabama’s defensive leader, Moore, is set to play in his final regular season game for the Crimson Tide in the upcoming Iron Bowl, but had a solid performance in his final SEC road game. Moore finished the day with 10 tackles and a team-leading 74.7 grade in coverage.

Qua Russaw, OLB – 73.5

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Russaw lands in the top four with a consistent performance across the board. The redshirt freshman finished with four tackles and above a 70.0 grade in each overall defense, run defense tackling and coverage.

TOP BLOCKERS

Pass blocking

Jam Miller — 85.5 (10-pass-blocking-snaps)

Tyler Booker — 83.0 (34-pass-blocking-snaps)

Jaeden Roberts — 78.5 (24-pass-blocking-snaps)

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Parker Brailsford — 74.1 (24-pass-blocking-snaps)

Geno VnDeMark — 70.3 (10-pass-blocking-snaps)

Outlook: Alabama’s pass blocking finished with its second-lowest overall grade of the season, 59.0, only behind Alabama’s Week 8 loss to Tennesee. The Crimson Tide blockers allowed 12 pressures in total, with Elijah Pritchett allowing five; this was his fifth time of the season allowing at least three pressures in a game. The unit also totaled four penalties against the Sooners.

Run blocking

Kadyn Proctor — 67.7 (29-run-blocking-snaps)

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Parker Brailsford — 66.8 (29-run-blocking-snaps)

Jam Miller — 64.3 (12-run-blocking-snaps)

Outlook: Alabama’s run blocking also turned in its second-lowest grade of the season, 53.9. The Crimson Tide’s run game was abysmal against Oklahoma, only rushing for 70 yards on 30 attempts (2.3 yards per carry)

PASSING DEPTH

Jalen Milroe

Deep (20+ yards past LOS): 2 of 5 for 62 yards, 1 interception

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Medium (10-19 yards past LOS): 1 of 3 for 15 yards

Short (0-9 yards past LOS): 6 of 12 for 73 yards, 1 interception

Behind LOS: 2 of 4 for 14 yards, 1 interception

Ty Simpson

Behind LOS: 0 of 1

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Outlook: Jalen Milroe delivered his least efficient passing performance of the season against Oklahoma, finishing with an adjusted completion rate of 62.5% and recording his first turnover-worthy play in four games. Despite the interception, Milroe showed flashes in his deep passing game, logging two big-time throws and nearly a third, which was taken away by an illegal touching penalty on Alabama after Ryan Williams caught a fourth-quarter touchdown. Milroe’s passing in the short game was abysmal, finishing with a 50.2 grade on those passes, but three drops from his receivers also impacted his play in the range of the field.

TRUE FRESHMAN SNAP COUNTS

Players with Snaps:

Zabien Brown — 66 snaps (58 wide, 5 FG/XP block, 3 box) — Starter

Ryan Williams — 66 snaps (46 wide, 17 slot, 3 punt return) — Starter

Caleb Odom — 27 snaps (10 wide, 9 slot, 5 kick return, 3 punt return)

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Justin Okoronkwo — 14 snaps (5 kick return, 4 punt coverage, 3 punt return, 2 kick coverage)

Zavier Mincey — 13 snaps (5 kick return, 4 kick coverage, 2 punt coverage, 2 kick coverage)

Dre Kirkpatrick Jr. — 10 snaps (5 kick return, 3 punt return, 2 kick coverage)

Red Morgan — 7 snaps (5 kick return, 2 kick coverage)

Jaylen Mbakwe — 7 snaps (4 punt coverage, 3 punt return)

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Isaia Faga — 4 snaps (3 d-line, 1 FG/XP block)

Cayden Jones — 3 snaps (3 punt return)

Daniel Hill — 3 snaps (3 punt return)

Players with No Snaps (Alphabetical):

Amari Jefferson

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Bubba Hampton

Casey Poe

Jay Lindsey

Jayshawn Ross

Jeremiah Beaman

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Joseph Ionata

Kevin Riley

Noah Carter

QB Reese

Rico Scott

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Sterling Dixon



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