When freshman defensive lineman David Stone dubbed Oklahoma’s front seven “The Dog Pound,” it started as an inside joke. Now, it’s the identity of one of the most complete defenses in college football.

Head coach Brent Venables said the nickname captures how his team wants to play.

“If they named themselves something and played like pansies, we’d stop that quick,” Venables said with a grin. “But they’ve shown up. They like to work, they like to compete, and they let you coach them hard.”

Venables said the self-chosen identity reflects ownership and the maturity that’s fueled Oklahoma’s unbeaten start.

“That says there’s great ownership in that group,” he added. “Quit letting me label you all the time. You guys decide what you want to be. I like that for them creating their own identi

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