Jason Witten sends message about Oklahoma expectations after play-calling debut at Florida

The drive that finished off the Florida Gators on Saturday night lasted 20 plays, covered 89 yards and took 12 minutes and 45 seconds off the clock at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. John Mateer ended it with a touchdown pass to Isaiah Sategna III, the Oklahoma Sooners left Gainesville with a 23-7 win, and the man who called every play of it had been the program’s tight ends coach until Monday.

Oklahoma fired offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle on Nov. 2 with the Sooners at 4-4 and 111th nationally in total offense, and Brent Venables handed the play sheet to Jason Witten for the rest of the season.

Witten had never called plays at the college level. He coached high school football at Liberty Christian in Texas after his playing days and joined Oklahoma’s staff in January.

Witten told his players at their first meeting that the situation was not ideal and that the coaching and the results had not been good enough, Ryan Chapman of Sooners On SI reported.

He also told the offensive staff that anyone who did not want to be there could go see Venables.

His first game produced 351 yards, five scoring drives, no turnovers and nearly 38 minutes of possession against a ranked SEC defense. Oklahoma put points on the board on each of its first two drives for the first time since joining the conference, and three of its scoring drives ran 10 plays or more.

“After this long week, I was coming in today and the 18-wheeler was out front when we were coming in. And I was walking and I saw seven national championships. And I just kind of smiled because I’ve been on the big stages, the biggest of stages, and I know what the expectation is here at Oklahoma,” Witten said.

“I’ve been on the biggest of stages… and I know what the expectations are here at Oklahoma” https://t.co/xYo6WIZtAi

— Cayden McFarland (@caydenmc) November 8, 2026

What did Venables see from Witten’s offense?

Venables, who hired Witten as a position coach in January and then gave him the whole offense, was asked about the game and about the choice he made. “A thing of beauty. It was fabulous in every way… I wanted somebody that saw how good we can be, and whatever that means. I don’t say that in a braggadocious type of way,” Venables said.

Florida finished with 203 total yards, and Mateer threw two touchdown passes and ran for 56 yards without a turnover. T

he win moved Oklahoma to 5-4 and 3-3 in the SEC, one victory from bowl eligibility, with the Ole Miss Rebels coming to Norman on Nov. 14.

“It wasn’t about one person,” Witten said when the night was over. “It was about the team tonight.”

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