NORMAN — On a day when nothing was pretty, Oklahoma continually found ways to move the chains on third down. 

The Sooners converted 9-of-16 third downs in Sunday’s 24-17 win over No. 19 Ole Miss, and they went 1-for-2 on fourth downs. Even that failed conversion was by design right before halftime. 

Last week, OU went 10-for-18 on third down. 

Both weeks under interim offensive coordinator Jason Witten are the best marks of the last two years for the Sooners. 

“Yeah, just our players,” Witten said after the win about the difference in the past two weeks. “I think it’s been a great attention to detail. I think as a staff we’ve worked really hard to come up with good plays to try to attack the opponent.”

OU averaged 5.8 yards to go on third down, which head coach Brent Venables pointed to as another factor in the uptick. 

“You've got to win early to win late,” Venables said. “That's both sides of the ball. You win early on the drive to win late. … Staying on schedule on offense, being efficient, knowing what's there, anticipating what's there, being clean in our execution, not beating ourselves pre-snap and post-snap, just playing with good fundamentals, better at the basics, helps you be really efficient.”

The Sooners went 4-for-5 in third-down attempts for four yards or less against Mississippi, but the Sooners were able to spread the ball to Jacob Jordan and Manny Choice on third-and-7 and third-and-12 to keep things moving in third-and-long situations. 

Quarterback John Mateer praised the coaching staff’s ability to prepare for those moments throughout the week.

“(They’re) helping everybody understand why we’re doing it, what coverage we’ll get,” Mateer said. “They played us a little differently than we thought they were going to play us on third and long and third and medium. 

“But still, understanding the zone and the space and I think that’s where everybody’s done a really good job.”

Oklahoma has had to be efficient on third downs to embark on the long drives it has under Witten. 

The Sooners had three rushes for more than 10 yards and three completions for more than 15 yards, but they’re still not quite explosive as a unit. 

Witten hopes that will come over the next two weeks, and better weather would certainly help with that, but for now he’s content to get the most out of his unit in those high-leverage situations. 

“We’re giving them a multitude of different personnel that we’re using—and not so much personnel as far as 12-personnel, 11-personnel, but more so trying to put certain guys in certain spots on particular plays,” Witten said. “I think our players have just done a really good job of embracing that role. ‘OK, this is my role on this play, whether I’m the featured guy or I’m the decoy on that.’ I think concepts that we know, that we understand, repping them throughout the week, having a bit more time in practice. 

“Coach (Venables) has allowed us the opportunity to allocate a little bit more time on situational football. You know, those plays and those moments and those situations, they make a difference in the game, good or bad.”

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