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Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables made an interesting comparison to Auburn's offense on Tuesday. Steve Sisney/For The Oklahoman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Brent Venables Makes Interesting Comparison to Auburn's 'Smart,' 'Violent' Offense

Originally posted on Auburn Tigers on SI
By Gunner Norene | Last updated Sep 17, 2025 6:10 PM ET

The No. 22 Auburn Tigers are set to open conference play at No. 11 Oklahoma in Norman this weekend, and a large amount of focus is directed toward quarterback Jackson Arnold, a former Sooner who transferred to Auburn over the offseason.

However, another interesting matchup to watch is Auburn’s dominant rushing attack versus Oklahoma’s stout defensive front.

Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables spoke on the strength vs. strength clash and praised the Tigers’ heavily improved offense.

“They’re smart, they’re well-coached, they’re super athletic, they’re big, they’re strong, very powerful,” Venables said in his press conference on Tuesday. “Again, the left tackle is 6-foot-7, 350 [pounds] and he’s a great player. They’ve got a lot of guys that are very physical, very violent, and then the running back and the quarterback are excellent runners. They’re elite runners within the system, they’re not just guys – they’re really good.”

Venables is referring to Virginia Tech transfer Xavier Chaplin, who many thought was one of the best offensive linemen in the portal over the offseason. Chaplin has certainly lived up to the expectations, and he and junior center Connor Lew headline Auburn’s veteran room up front in the trenches.

The offensive line has improved significantly from previous years, and one of the main proofs of this is Auburn’s impressive performances on the ground against Baylor, Ball State, and South Alabama.

Auburn has accumulated 726 total rushing yards over the course of the past three weeks, including a 307-yard outing in Waco to open the season. The Tigers simply gashed the Bears on the ground, and Arnold contributed 137 of their 307 yards, making him the contest’s leading rusher, while also tallying two touchdowns.

Senior running back Damari Alston suffered a shoulder injury against Baylor, causing him to miss the last two games and allowing junior Jeremiah Cobb to step up in his absence. Cobb did just that, rushing for 121 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries versus Ball State and 119 yards and one touchdown against South Alabama.

“Cobb is an excellent runner. [He is] really explosive. [He] runs well behind his pads,” Venables said.

Additionally, the Tigers are averaging 5.8 yards per carry as a team, which ranks 13th in the nation.

Venables understands the tough challenge that this Auburn rushing attack will present to his squad, and expects to see a wide array of looks from Auburn’s dangerous arsenal of weapons on Saturday.

“We’re going to have to do a great job. We’re going to see a variety of styles, and entry angles, and different formations. They do a great job of finding ways to create leverage in the run game, and be physical, and run downhill, too,” Venables said. “They make sure that – they divide the defense and put some option principles, in addition to the other styles of run they have. It’s everything from quarterback draw to power read to quarterback counter to the power sweep… they run it all really well.”

As mentioned previously, Venables was further asked about Auburn’s offensive line and the difficulties it may pose to his defense. He did not hesitate to compliment not only the Tigers’ big men up front, but also the various pieces around the offensive line that have performed so well.

“They’re really good (on the offensive line). That’s where it all starts for them,” Venables said. “They’ve rushed for 10 touchdowns, and they had 13 all of last year. So, they’re better up front, they’re better at receiver, they’re better at quarterback. I just look at all of the efficiencies, and they’ve been a really clean, efficient unit.”

Venables, a head coach widely known as a defensive mastermind, continued by making an interesting comparison of the matchup that could very well determine the outcome of Saturday’s game, and expressed admiration for Auburn’s offensive successes thus far.

“Their offense looks like our defense from an efficiency and cleanliness [standpoint],” Venables claimed. “The things you have to do to win, they’ve been able to do… I think they’re around a 50 percent conversion rate on third down, they’re a 100 percent conversion on fourth down.”

“That’s a small sample size, like us, as well, but they’re playing with a lot of confidence right now and getting better, so it’s going to be a great challenge.”

This article first appeared on Auburn Tigers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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