SEC Coach Abruptly Fired After 17-Point Defeat in Week 9
from Essentially College Football
“Fire Arbuckle!” By Week 9 against South Carolina, Oklahoma fans had run out of patience. The game was still on, but the offense had given them little reason to keep their frustration to themselves. Quarterback John Mateer was misfiring, missing receivers even when they were wide open. The offensive line was a mess, and it was a performance that left the crowd absolutely embarrassed! And offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle knew it, too. Why else would he cross the Owen Field from one end to the other after the game, barely moving his head, his gaze fixed ahead?
He seemed to shut out everything taking place around him, bracing for what was to come next. He knew.
As reported by On3, Arbuckle has been fired after the 42-25 ‘a– whupping’ loss, as head coach Brent Venables called it. The team had a disappointing 4-4 start to the season, and the struggles at quarterback were simply refusing to end. It is difficult to reconcile Oklahoma’s current struggles with how this partnership actually began.
Arbuckle arrived in Oklahoma from Washington State alongside quarterback John Mateer, and in their very first season together, the pair helped the Sooners to the College Football Playoff. That past success feels almost incomprehensible with the state of the offense today.
Plus, the numbers had been warning signs for some time. Mateer’s 65.6% completion percentage, and seven interceptions in eight games, forced Arbuckle to acknowledge how bad things looked. The offensive statistics had been concerning as well, with the team ranked at the bottom in the SEC in total yards per game, averaging just 336.9 yards per game. Along with this, they were second-to-last in the SEC in points per game, scoring only 22 points so far.
Against South Carolina, those concerns became impossible to ignore. Oklahoma managed a mere 71 yards in the first half and headed into the break trailing 28-10. The offense had contributed precious little to the scoreboard, with its only points coming from a field goal. The other seven belonged to linebacker Kip Lewis, who returned an interception for a touchdown. It was a damning first-half display.
There was little improvement in the third quarter. Oklahoma entered the fourth trailing 35-10 with just 118 total yards and no offensive touchdowns.
The Sooners finished with 359 yards, but 241 came in the final quarter, when John Mateer threw both of his touchdown passes. That late production narrowed the deficit to 42-25 and improved Oklahoma’s final totals, but it followed three quarters in which the offense had generated only three points. It goes without saying that people were looking at Arbuckle for answers after the game.
“I own it. I’m not mad at any of those players,” Arbuckle said. “If I’m frustrated at anybody, it’s with myself because I didn’t have them ready to come out and play their A-game.”
But none of that feels enough. After all, Oklahoma had brought Arbuckle in to put an end to years of uncertainty at offensive coordinator. Jeff Lebby left for the Mississippi State head coaching job after the 2023 regular season. Seth Littrell, appointed as his successor, lasted just seven games in 2024 before being fired. Joe Jon Finley took over play-calling for the rest of that season, leaving the program once again in need of a permanent answer. Arbuckle was meant to be that steady hand who could give the offense direction and consistency. Instead, the Sooners have remained frustratingly erratic, and the stability Oklahoma hoped he would bring has never materialized.
His dismissal now leaves the Sooners changing their offensive leadership again before a full-time coordinator could complete two seasons.
Who will handle the play-calling responsibilities now?
Oklahoma has reportedly named Jason Witten as its new offensive play-caller following Arbuckle’s dismissal on Monday. Witten is in his first year as a tight end coach with the Sooners.
Witten played professional football for 17 seasons, most of them with the Dallas Cowboys, before he finished his career with the Las Vegas Raiders. He had impressive numbers in his NFL journey, compiling 1,228 receptions for 13,046 yards and 74 touchdowns. He was also a two-time first-team All-Pro and 11-time Pro Bowler, and he ranks fourth all-time in NFL receptions and 22nd in yards among all receivers.
After retiring from the NFL, Witten became the head coach of Liberty Christian School in Argyle, Texas. He led the school’s football team, the Warriors, to consecutive state titles in 2023 and 2024 in the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools (TAPPS).
Witten’s first assignment as Oklahoma’s interim offensive play-caller will be at Florida on November 7. The Sooners then face Ole Miss, Texas A&M, and Missouri to close the regular season, giving him four games to improve an offense that struggled under Arbuckle.
His elevation fills the immediate vacancy, but it does not settle Oklahoma’s long-term plans at offensive coordinator. For now, Venables is turning to Witten to help steady the offense and finish a disappointing season.