Jason Witten walked by the Oklahoma Sooners' 18-wheeler as the Sooners were set to battle Florida in his first game as the Oklahoma interim offensive coordinator. Painted on the back of the truck were the Sooners' seven national championships and 50 conference championships.
“I just kind of smiled,” Witten, a former All-Pro tight end who played 17 seasons in the NFL, said. “Because I’ve been on the biggest of stages and I know what the expectation is at Oklahoma.”
Witten delivered on those expectations. Just hours later, tight ends John Locke Jr. and Rocky Beers doused Witten in a Gatorade bath on the sideline of "The Swamp" in Gainesville, Fla. Witten smiled before giving both tight ends a celebratory jumping shoulder bump.
In his first game calling
the plays, Witten guided Oklahoma to a 23-7 win over the No. 24 Florida Gators on Saturday. His performance capped off Oklahoma's best offensive game in conference play this season. The Sooners recorded 351 yards of total offense. Oklahoma ran for 145 yards and averaged 3.7 yards per carry on 39 attempts. The outing featured scoring drives on the first two possessions and a stifling 20-play drive in the second half that took about 13 minutes off the clock and put the Sooners up two scores with under five minutes to go.
No. 1 for Witten ✔️ pic.twitter.com/6ErAlAuPDm
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) November 8, 2026
Just five days ago, Witten took over the job after Oklahoma fired Ben Arbuckle following a disappointing loss to South Carolina. Witten, who guided two state championship teams in his five-year tenure as a high school head football coach in Texas before coming to OU, was excited for the opportunity. He met with the players, told them the situation was unfortunate, but he laid out a plan for what they could accomplish.
“I think the first thing was just our practice structure,” Witten said. “You get what you earn in life. And I think we had to have an intentionality to how we approached it. We got to understand football, what our scheme is, and what the opponent’s scheme is, and all the intricacies that go into allowing you to be successful.”
On Saturday, Witten was able to scheme open multiple quick throws and downfield shots. In total, eight different Sooners caught passes on the night. Five different Sooners had at least three receptions tonight. That type of spread helped many have their best performances of the year. That includes pass catchers Hayden Hansen, Parker Livingstone and Jacob Jordan. Quarterback John Mateer also played a turnover-free night, completing 21 of 33 passes for 207 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for a season-high 56 yards. All in all, it was a good night for Oklahoma football.
“These young men responded,” Witten said. “They trusted the process, and I’m sure there’s a lot of people questioning coach Venables' decision to go with me. And you just try to block out the noise and put your best foot forward. And tonight was pretty special. In all the years I’ve been around football (that) may be the greatest moment I’ve had.”
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: How Interim OC Jason Witten led Oklahoma to a win over No. 24 Florida
