Baton Rouge, LA has long been a place of intense competition and a true test for coaches. Brent Venables, a renowned figure in college football, shares his experiences of facing the deafening shouts and relentless hostility of LSU fans. His teams' two games against LSU rank 1 and 2 on his list of the most challenging places he's ever coached, and these were technically neutral-site games.
Challenges on the Field
In 2003, Venables' Oklahoma team lost to the Tigers 21 - 14 in the New Orleans Superdome during the national championship. In 2019, his Clemson team faced a similar fate, losing to LSU 42 - 25 in another national championship showdown. The Superdome, known for its echo canyon reputation, hosted capacity crowds of 79,342 and 76,885 respectively.When the University of Oklahoma kicks off against LSU at Tiger Stadium this Saturday evening, it will be the third-largest crowd to watch the Sooners play. With a listed capacity of 102,321, the Sooners draw a large crowd wherever they go, especially in their first year in the SEC. This season, the official seating numbers for the OU game tied the highest for Missouri (62,321 capacity) and Auburn (88,043 capacity), and ranked second at Ole Miss (67,926, behind the 68,126 at the Georgia game two weeks later). Observers from all three schools noted that there were more fans in town for the Sooners than usual.Overcoming the Crowd
Despite the large crowds and fan noise, this Oklahoma team doesn't seem to be intimidated. Before last week's victory over Alabama, their three best conference games were on the road. They showed their mettle by jumping out early and winning late at Auburn, leading 14 - 10 at halftime at Ole Miss, and being inches away from winning at Missouri before a late-game fumble."External factors don't win for you," Venables emphasized. "Our players need to embrace the chaos of game day on the road and maintain great focus, intensity, and passion. Execution and taking care of the ball are what win games. The defense must do more than their part to give us a chance on Saturday night."Right guard Febechi Nwaiwu added, "We have to ignore the outside noise and focus on LSU. They have a great team and defense. We need to be at our best to win, just like in every other game."The Opposing Team's Enthusiasm
Safety Billy Bowman shared his excitement about facing LSU. "I've heard about Death Valley. It's probably going to be the best stadium I'll walk into. I've never been there, but I'm looking forward to it. It's fun when the opposing team cheers loud, and being in that environment is like fulfilling a dream from a little kid."Venables, with a 35-year coaching career, has faced many difficult road atmospheres. Texas A&M, Georgia, Florida State, and South Carolina come to mind immediately. In 2000, Kansas State was deafening, an electric night. But games against LSU, even in New Orleans, rank among the toughest challenges."So, those are two of the places, in that state, against that team, that present a tough challenge," he said. "We're prepared for it and looking forward to the experience."When asked about the real "Death Valley" between Clemson and LSU, Venables looked at the stats. LSU is 14 - 1 in home night games since coach (Brian) Kelly took over. In three years, they're 18 - 2 overall. "I've heard from every coach I love and respect that's been in the biggest venues. They all point to Death Valley, Baton Rouge, night game. It's the toughest challenge in college football. We're ready to bring out the best in the LSU faithful and look forward to the challenge. Our players know that execution, physicality, and effort are what matter."New
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