Oklahoma
‘Not the Normal New’: What’s Changed (Or Hasn’t) Under New Oklahoma Offensive Coordinator Seth Littrell
Last year when the Sooners took the field to play Arizona in the Alamo Bowl, those in command of the offense had taken control only weeks before. It was a lot of change between the regular-season finale and bowl season.
Quarterback Jackson Arnold got the nod to make his first career start as a freshman after Dillon Gabriel entered the transfer portal. Seth Littrell and Joe Jon Finley were promoted to co-offensive coordinators after Jeff Lebby left the program to become the head coach at Mississippi State.
All that wasn’t for a one-game stint, though. Since, Arnold has been given the reins of the offense as QB1 as a redshirt freshman for the upcoming 2024 season. Littrell and Finley were permanently named co-offensive coordinators, with Littrell getting play calling duties while also serving as quarterbacks coach.
All that change, though, it still doesn’t seem as if much is new for OU’s offense.
“I wouldn’t say there’s a big learning curve for Coach Littrell, but obviously he’s a different person than (Lebby), different personality,” Arnold said. “Maybe calls some things different than Lebby, focuses more on certain things than Lebby would. So I wouldn’t say it’s a learning curve, but, you know, just kind of getting to know Coach Littrell and seeing what he likes, and seeing how he likes to call a game has been big for me this fall camp.”
After playing fullback for the Sooners in 1997-2000 and winning a national championship as a senior, Littrell started his coaching career as a graduate assistant in 2002 at Kansas. He was eventually an offensive coordinator at Arizona, Indiana and North Carolina before getting his first head coaching gig at North Texas, where he led the Mean Green for seven seasons. Ultimately, before the 2023 season, he returned to Norman as an offensive analyst before getting promoted within the year.
“We’re running a lot of the same stuff and it’s just good to be back with him and kind of just picked up right where we left off,” said tight end Jake Roberts, who played under Littrell at UNT for three seasons before transferring to Baylor after Littrell was dismissed.
“Some of the same stuff, similar concepts, a lot of different verbiage. Some similar stuff, some different stuff, but it’s all good.”
The last time Littrell was an OC in 2015 for North Carolina, the Tar Heels averaged 40.7 points a game. This is when you see Littrell’s fullback roots shine through. Most of UNC’s production that season came on the ground with 3,142 rushing yards on the season, averaging 224.4 a game. Just over 55% of the Tar Heels’ offensive plays that season were runs. For comparison, the 2023 Sooners ran the ball about 53% of the time, still having a balanced attack that leaned just slightly on the run.
“It’s not anything crazy,” running back Jovntae Barnes said. “This team has been together for a couple of years. It’s making sure everyone is on the same page. The No. 1 thing is that and he’s been doing a good job with that.
In his first season back as an offensive coordinator with a redshirt freshman quarterback leading his offense, Littrell so far hasn’t reinvented the wheel during OU’s fall camp. He was part of last year’s offense that averaged 41.69 points a game and returns talent like Barnes and Gavin Sawchuk at running back. Although, that was in the Big 12, not the SEC, and only four starters of more than six games return for 2024.
“They’re new, but it’s not the normal new,” OU coach Brent Venables said. “They’re not unfamiliar. These are guys that have been there offensively, systematically and there’s a natural cohesion there. The relationships are real with coach (Bill) Bedenbaugh, coach (DeMarco) Murray and coach (Emmett) Jones. So it’s not like you’re having to gel that, if you will. Don’t ever take that for granted. But that’s a group of guys that have, in many ways, grown up in the profession together.”
The Oklahoma City Thunder are taking on the Phoenix Suns in Game 2 of their opening-round series. The OKC Thunder are hoping that they can repeat their Sunday afternoon performance in this contest. Game 2 will be an interesting test with the Suns having more time to prepare.
Phoenix was up against a rock and a hard place in the series opener. The Oklahoma City Thunder not only have the talent advantage but the rest advantage as well. Phoenix punched their ticket to the NBA Playoffs on Friday night by staving off the Golden State Warriors on Friday night before landing in Oklahoma City on Saturday and playing on Saturday afternoon to the tune of a 119-84 blowout Thunder victory.
The NBA has seen plenty of upsets already. The Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers and Portland Trail Blazers have all stolen games from the higher seed. The Thunder know they have to keep the foot on the gas in this contest.
“These series are unpredictable. No 2 games are the same. The minute you make an assumption, you are overconfident, or the minute you go down and you’re overly urgent, that can impact your ability to be present in the next game,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said pregame on Wednesday night.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are seeing the Suns make an adjustment with their starting lineup by inserting Collin Gillespie to give Phoenix a trio of ball handling scoring options alongside Devin Booker and Jalen Green. This gives the Suns hope to be able to find better shot quality against this stifling Thunder defensive unit.
Oklahoma City is healthier now than they have been all season. The Thunder only are missing rookie Thomas Sorber (ACL) who is out for the year. This allows the Bricktown Ballers to roll out their traditional first five in this contest.
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Phoenix Suns, Game 2 Starting Lineup
Oklahoma City Thunder Starting Lineup
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, G
- Lu Dort, G
- Jalen Williams, F
- Chet Holmgren, F
- Isaiah Hartenstein, C
Phoenix Suns Starting Lineup
- Devin Booker, G
- Jalen Green, G
- Collin Gillespie, G
- Dillon Brooks, F
- Oso Ighodaro, C
The series will shift to Phoenix this weekend as the Oklahoma City Thunder hope to head into Saturday afternoon’s Game 3 with a 2-0 advantage in the series.
Stay tuned to Thunder on SI for complete coverage of the NBA Playoff run for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
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OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLA (KOKH) — The Oklahoma City Fire Department responded to a home fire late Tuesday evening, around 10:42 p.m.
According to OKCFD, fire could be seen from a window of the home located in the 4200 block of N. Phillips Avenue.
Firefighters were able to rescue an adult female from inside the home. No injuries were reported in connection with the fire.
Investigators believe that the fire may have originated from an outlet near the refrigerator that had a power strip plugged in that was supplying multiple appliances.
There was also no smoke detector present within the home.
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NORMAN — The Sooners were behind the eight ball for much of Tuesday’s game against Oral Roberts.
But one swing of the bat got them in a more favorable position.
Shortstop Jaxon Willits blasted a grand slam in the sixth inning to give No. 14 Oklahoma its first lead before eventually winning 7-6.
The Sooners trailed by as many as five runs before they rallied late.
In the first inning, Oral Roberts’ Cooper Combs hit a two-out grand slam to give the Golden Eagles a comfortable cushion. OU infielder Deiten Lachance got the Sooners on the board in the second inning with a solo home run, but ORU responded with a solo shot of its own in the next frame.
The Golden Eagles made it a 6-1 run game in the top of the fourth, and they appeared to be on cruise control. But in the bottom of that frame, OU’s rally began.
Dasan Harris made it a four-run game again with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fourth before Camden Johnson hit a sacrifice fly of his own in the fifth.
Then, in the sixth, the Sooners took their first lead of the game.
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Harris singled before Kyle Branch and Connor Larkin walked to load the bases. Willits then swung at the first pitch he saw, sending it well over the right-center field fence.
Neither team scored after Willits’ home run, as OU relief pitcher Xander Mercurius retired nine ORU batters in a row to seal the Sooners’ one-run win.
Michael Catalano started on the mound for Oklahoma, but his outing was short-lived — he gave up four earned runs on two hits and five walks in 1 ⅓ innings.
After coach Skip Johnson relieved Catalano in the second inning, six different OU arms entered the game. Reid Hensley collected the win, while Mercurius got the save.
OU improved to 28-12 overall with the win, while Oral Roberts dropped to 23-15. The Sooners are 7-3 in midweek games this season, and they clinched the season sweep of the Golden Eagles on Tuesday.
Next, the Sooners will hit the road for a three-game series against Auburn. The Tigers, ranked No. 11 by D1Baseball, are 10-8 in SEC play and took two of three games against Florida over the weekend.
The series will open on Friday, and first pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
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