Jason Witten Stole the Show in His First Game Calling Plays for Oklahoma

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The gravity of the moment wasn’t lost on Jason Witten.

He enjoyed a storied career as a tight end, but Saturday represented a change to kickstart his coaching career in his first game as Oklahoma‘s interim offensive coordinator.

“After this long week, I was coming in today and the 18-wheeler was out front when we were coming in,” Witten said after the 23-7 win. “And I was walking and I saw seven national championships. Fifty conference championships on the back of the 18-wheeler. 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 was handed the keys Monday after OU fired Ben Arbuckle. He wasted no time rallying the troops.

“I told the players in their first meeting as an offensive group was just, 'Hey, look this is not ideal. But ultimately, we haven't coached very well and ultimately haven't got the results we've wanted,’” Witten said.

“And so I told them what they could expect from me. Met with the offensive staff and told them, 'Hey, listen if you don't want to be here I understand that. Go see Coach Venables. But here's what we're going to do. We're going to figure it out.'

“And throughout my journey, I think in life, when adversity's hit, how do you respond? What do you want it to look like in your one shot at it? And so for me it was like, hey attack it head-on. We met as a group and we addressed it.”

The response? OU scored on three of its first four drives in the first half.

Witten’s first two drives resulted in points, which marked the first time since Oklahoma joined the SEC that the offense scored on its first two drives.

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Adversity hit in the third quarter. Oklahoma punted on three straight drives, but the offense attacked things head-on.

The Sooners pieced together a 20-play drive, the longest at OU in 54 yards, that marched 89 yards and ate 12 minutes and 45 seconds to score the touchdown and ice the game.

“A thing of beauty. It was fabulous in every way,” Oklahoma coach Brent Venables said. “It was game control—understanding of the offensive structure, defensive structure, just working really well, bleeding the clock out. … Offensively, they created that. They caused that.”

In total, the Sooners posted 351 yards of total offense and they held onto the ball for nearly 38 minutes. OU played turnover-free — winning the takeaway battle 2-0 — in a professional, organized offensive effort.

“I wanted somebody that saw how good we can be, and whatever that means,” Venables said of Witten. “I don’t say that in a braggadocious type of way. I just, you know, a clean way, and everything matters. I thought our guys just looked like a really refined unit offensively, and we still have plenty of things that we’ve got to get cleaned up.

“… Just appreciate the fight, the toughness, the belief, the leadership of our locker room, and those things just don’t happen on their own through the struggle and through the disappointment on the season that we all share. I love the fight and I love the belief and I love our willingness to continue to show up, love one another, fight for their opportunity.”

Witten admitted he arrived late to coaching — a byproduct of his soon to be Hall of Fame playing career. But he seized the moment on Saturday and looked like a play-caller seasoned well beyond his years.

“It wasn't about one person,” Witten said. “It was about the team tonight. And just proud to be a part of it.”

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