OU football practices more 'professional' under Sooners' OC Jason Witten

NORMAN — Jason Witten changed some things when he took over as Oklahoma’s interim offensive coordinator last week.One of the first things he addressed when meeting with the rest of the offensive staff was practice structure and how the Sooners’ unit handled it. While there weren't drastic switches from how Ben Arbuckle ran things, the differences were noticeable.“The organization, for real,” Blaylock said of what was different about Witten-led practices. “Guys flying around. I wouldn’t say the format completely changed but there were some things he did tweak around a bit to make it more of a professional practice, to be real.”In Witten’s playcalling debut, five days after Arbuckle was dismissed, OU totaled 351 yards in a road win over Florida. The Sooners scored only 23 points but the entire offensive operation was smoother, efficient and more creative than at any point previously this season.OU also put together a 20-play, 89-yard drive that chewed up 12 minutes and 45 seconds. As is common when there are coaching changes midseason, Witten clearly inspired the Sooners to bounce back in a major way. He held players accountable and declared that he and the staff were going to right the ship.More: How OU football QB John Mateer overcame emotional week to lead Sooners in The SwampWitten chewed out wide receiver Manny Choice on the sideline, which was caught by TV cameras. Following the game, tight end Hayden Hansen said Witten, “Lit a fire under all of our butts.” Second-year player Michael Fasusi, who was named the SEC’s offensive lineman of the week after his performance against the Gators, was positively taken aback by Witten’s approach to preparation.“Practice was really good today, tomorrow's going to be even better,” Fasusi said Monday. “The mindset (Witten) brings, the knowledge he has and the passion he has, you can see the excitement on his face. He's happy to be out there on the field for us. The experience part. He knows what it's like to be physical. “Just having a guy with that grimy, nasty mindset too, knowing that it doesn't matter what position you play, we're finna go get dirty. Having a guy like that, it's wonderful. We're all thinking the same thing, we're all going to go ball for this dude as hard as we can."It was only one game but Witten made a clear difference offensively. He believes football is a meritocracy, meaning success in this game is rewarded to individuals who work for it.It’s something he’s trying to replicate this week ahead of OU’s home contest against Ole Miss at 3:15 p.m. Saturday at Gaylord Family — Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. The Sooners have yet to win back-to-back games this season.“You get what you earn in life and we had to have an intentionality to how we approached it,” Witten said. “We've got to understand football, what our scheme is and what the opponent's scheme is. All the intricacies that go into allowing you to be successful.”Colton Sulley covers the Oklahoma Sooners for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Colton? He can be reached at csulley@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @colton_sulley. Support Colton's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing adigital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU football practices more 'professional' under Sooners' OC Jason Witten