Oklahoma has fired offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle with four games left in the regular season.

Tight ends coach Jason Witten is expected to take over as interim coordinator and call the plays, according to sources. Witten spent 17 seasons as a tight end in the NFL, nearly all of them with the Dallas Cowboys.

The move comes after the Sooners fell to 4-4 with a 42-25 home loss to South Carolina on Saturday.

An offense near the bottom of the SEC

Oklahoma ranks next to last in the SEC in both yards per game and touchdowns scored.

Arbuckle came to Norman after two strong seasons at Washington State. He was 27 when he got that job, the youngest primary coordinator in the Power 4 at the time.

His Washington State quarterback, John Mateer, followed him to Oklahoma the same month. Mateer was a Heisman Trophy candidate early last season before a thumb injury slowed him. He has thrown 21 touchdowns and 15 interceptions since.

'I own that 100%'

After Saturday's loss, Arbuckle said his offense came out tentative and undisciplined.

"Didn't look like we were ready to play," he said. "And I own that 100%. It's my job to have these guys, by the time that ball is kicking off, they're ready to roll, they're ready to play. And we weren't that tonight."

Coach Brent Venables said after the game that he believed the offense could be fixed. "We're a better team than what we played tonight," he said.

Second in-season firing under Venables

This is the second time Venables has fired an offensive coordinator during a season. He let Seth Littrell go seven games into the 2024 season.

Arbuckle was in the second year of a three-year deal worth $1.5 million a year. Oklahoma plays at No. 25 Florida on Saturday.