The Oklahoma Sooners looked more efficient on offense last weekend against the Florida Gators than they had all season long. The Sooners beat the Gators on the road, 23-7, and gained over 350 yards of offense.
Tight ends coach Jason Witten called the game after being promoted to interim offensive coordinator following Ben Arbuckle's firing. He emphasized getting more players involved. Against Florida, eight players caught at least one pass, with five catching at least three. Two of those were Jacob Jordan and Parker Livingstone, who had played sparingly this season. Jordan especially shined, catching four passes for 36 yards. All four passes were on third down and went for first downs.
Head coach Brent Venables said the increased involvement for
players like Jordan and Livingstone was intentional.
"I think they've been good practice players," Venables said. "I think they've shown a body of work over the last several months that Coach Witten recognized and made it a point to make sure that you get players involved. I think the earlier that you can do that, it just creates more synergy, more emotion, more stick-to-itiveness, more belief, more strain, more finish. The more guys that feel like they're involved."
Getting more players involved could be an important part of Oklahoma's offensive identity moving forward. The Sooners have relied heavily on a handful of playmakers all season, but their performance against Florida showed the value of having multiple reliable options. Jordan's third-down production was particularly encouraging, giving the offense another dependable target in situations where sustaining drives is critical.
Witten's approach also creates more competition in the receiver room and gives opposing defenses more to account for. If Oklahoma can maintain that balance against the Ole Miss Rebels, it could make the offense harder to defend and build on the progress made in Gainesville. The challenge now is turning that increased involvement into a consistent part of the Sooners' game plan.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Brent Venables reveals why more players were involved against Florida
