NORMAN — Danny Stutsman couldn’t contain his emotions during OU’s school song following the Missouri loss last Saturday.
After he changed back into his travel suit and finished with postgame interviews, Stutsman was met by a long hug from athletic director Joe Castiglione. Stutsman decided to stay with the Sooners after former coach Lincoln Riley left, he endured a 6-7 first season under Brent Venables and chose to return this year to continue building a culture.
This season hasn’t gone as anyone planned. But a day after Castiglione and OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. offered Venables a vote of confidence, Stutsman relayed the same message.
“Obviously, I have no doubt (in Venables),” Stutsman said after practice Wednesday. “The people here, the staff has no doubt. You guys talked to the president, there’s no doubt. Obviously, there’s something right that Coach Venables does where everyone that’s close around him and sees him every day, they have no, they have unwavering faith in Coach Venables.”
Venables wasn’t present during the SEC teleconference and didn’t speak to reporters after practice Wednesday due to a “private personal matter.”
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Stutsman, one of the Sooners’ leaders, spoke of not living up to the program’s standard, the vigorous preparation of the season and the heartbreak he’s feeling. While bowl eligibility seems far off, Stutsman said Venables has preached to the team about how important finishing this season strong is for the future.
“Obviously, acknowledge we put a lot of hard work in the season,” Stutsman said of Venables’ message. “We’ve gone at it every single day, we put in the effort. Sometimes the rewards aren’t there, and that’s life, that’s the game of football. And obviously, we gotta keep showing up and keep working. Before the light, there’s always gonna be darkness.”
Despite the loss last Saturday, Stutsman had one of his best games of the season, recording a season-high 19 tackles and passing Kevin Murphy for tenth on the OU career tackles list. He was named one of 15 Butkus Award semifinalists on Nov. 4.
However, Stutsman returned to win, not collect individual accolades.
“it’d be the same way if I did everything wrong, it didn’t work out,” Stutsman said of the Missouri game. “You go right back to the drawing board, you can’t just be focused by yourself. At the end of the day, it’s a team sport. So it hurts me just as much the next day when something like that happens. Obviously, I played decent, pretty good, good enough to win, but it’s just at the end of the day, it wasn’t.”
The Sooners are on a bye week and are preparing to face Alabama next Saturday, Nov. 23, and Stutsman is aiming to finish the season on a high note. One thing is clear, Stutsman still has steady belief in Venables.
Asked if it’s hard to ignore when fans are calling for Venables’ job on social media, Stutsman said he tries to ignore it.
“I got a talent, I can dig in the trash and not get dirty,” Stutsman said. “I heard (defensive ends coach Miguel Chavis) say that the other day, so I like that. Because it doesn’t really affect me, and I’ve done this for a while. At the end of the day, it’s just words. I think it motivates me, if anything, just when something like that happens, just overall in general.”
