Oklahoma’s interim offensive coordinator Jason Witten just made an undeniable case for the full-time job, delivering a gritty 24-17 win over No. 19 Ole Miss that saw the Sooners dominate time of possession for nearly 37 minutes. This wasn’t a flashy victory, but it was a masterclass in grinding out a game and proving a run-heavy blueprint can absolutely mask roster weaknesses.
The Brutal Grind That Drowned the Rebels
Coming out of halftime with a small lead, Witten made a clear decision: drown Ole Miss. The Sooners’ first six play calls of the half were runs, broken only by a single 3-yard screen pass. On a second-and-9, quarterback John Mateer hit running back Lloyd Avant on another screen for 20 yards, which was Mateer’s longest completion of the day. It was nothing pretty, just pure, relentless football. Oklahoma kept converting third and fourth downs, setting up a brutal 12-play touchdown drive that bled nearly half of the third quarter off the clock.
This victory marked Oklahoma’s second consecutive win of the season, and it wasn’t built on eye-popping numbers. The Sooners barely cracked 300 yards of offense, and seven of their 24 points even came from a punt return touchdown by Isaiah Sategna III. But what Witten’s group did accomplish was consistently putting their defense in prime positions, a defense that, frankly, had been left out to dry far too often this season.
Witten’s “Take Away Decisions” Blueprint
So, how did a guy whose only prior coaching experience was at the private high school level pull this off against a ranked opponent? Coach Brent Venables made a surprising choice elevating the future Hall of Famer, but Witten’s commitment to the running game is leading the way. For the second straight week, Oklahoma leaned heavily on the run to dominate time of possession, holding the ball for almost 37 minutes against two explosive offenses. This gave their defense a much-needed opportunity to rest.
Witten spread the ball around, giving it to three different rushers at least nine times. They threw only 19 times on 68 plays, and most of those were short passes. Think big-boy football: on Jonathan Hatton’s 5-yard touchdown run to start the third quarter, the Sooners ran out three tight ends and an extra offensive lineman. When Hatton met traffic, those linemen just pushed him into the end zone. It’s the kind of physical running game rarely seen since the peak of the Lincoln Riley era. The strategy is pure genius, especially considering the roster’s reality: middling talent at wide receiver, poor offensive linemen, and a quarterback in John Mateer who has struggled mightily with decision-making. Witten’s plan is simple: take away the decisions.
Witten has clearly shown a proof-of-concept for his run-heavy, possession-based attack. What’s next for Oklahoma and for Witten? Everyone will be watching to see if this “big-boy football” is just a two-week fluke or if it’s the real deal that can carry them through the rest of the season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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