Brent Venables had simply seen enough out of his team's offense.

In his first public appearance since he announced Sunday the dismissal of OU offensive coordinator Seth Littrell, Venables explained his decision to make the midseason change.

"Over the last several months, there’s a body of work that you look at all of it and evaluate it," Venables said during his weekly Coaches Show. "And obviously we haven’t played winning football on offense. And so you always go back and look at why. We know what some of the issues have been from a roster standpoint, from an injury standpoint, and those are very real without question. But at the end of the day, you look at (it and say) OK, if we continue to do what we’ve been doing there’s a good chance we’re going to continue to have the same results.

"At the end of the day just felt that, you know, I gave it it’s time. Or I didn’t feel like I was rushing to judgement. And everything doesn’t fall at the feet of coach Littrell either. I would be remiss if I didn’t say that. And (it's) incredibly hard because you know so many people are affected. There’s a real domino effect. But at the end of the day I’ve got to do what’s best for the players and certainly the program and that’s what ultimately led to decision."

The evidence was certainly mounting that a change was needed. The Sooners rank 93rd in scoring offense (22.1 points per game), 125th in total offense (288.1 yards per game), 106th in rushing offense (111 yards per game), 112th in passing offense (176.4 yards per game) and 132nd in yards per play (4.1). In addition, the Sooners now sit at 4-3 (1-3 SEC) on the season are coming off of back-to-back losses by multiple touchdowns, including Saturday's 35-9 loss to South Carolina.

And while Venables made it clear that the issues aren't solely on Littrell, the Sooners simply had to make a change.

"You have injuries, maybe you have a young quarterback, maybe have a new offensive line, and you got some guys banged up there, and there's a continuity thing, and then you have several guys on offense that are in their first year, whether they're an older guy or younger guy," Venables said. "So I look at that, but I know that we're not the only ones, but why are we historically not where we need to be?

"And there's been some improvement. It's been incredibly incremental. You don't sound right by saying that, because at the end of the day, the result has been the result, and it's all crap. And so for me, I've got to look out for everybody else, and... maybe it provides a spark, maybe it creates a little more edge, although I've felt like we've had great engagement and great will to invest week in and week out by both the players and the staff, but maybe this provides a little bit of a spark."

With Littrell's departure, the Sooners will turn to co-offensive coordinator Joe Jon Finley as the primary play caller while Kevin Johns will assume an interim role as co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

Johns — who was previously the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Duke — was hired during the offseason as an analyst and has filled in a variety of roles this season. Venables said Finley was tasked with playcalling duties because Johns hasn't been as involved in the day-to-day operations of the offense, but expressed confidence in both guys.

"Kevin has that experience at several places, a very good track record at Memphis as well, at Duke — places where you really got to get after it and work and recruit, develop, and really high-level success offensively," Venables said. "Super bright. He and I work together a lot because he helps me in a lot of different spaces — special teams, defense. I work through him. I got different ideas of things I know are hard on a defense, and I study the other opponents’ defense, and I know these are things that can work and expose them, and if they can fit our gameplan, he puts things together in a presentation to the staff. Then they pick and choose what they like out of that that fits this week.

“He and Joe Jon will work together, with the rest of the staff; everybody has a role, but those will be the two voices putting stuff together, and then Joe Jon will call it on gameday.”

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