Completed Event: Football versus Illinois State on August 30, 2025 , Win , 35, to, 3
Final
Football
35
vs Illinois State
3
University of Oklahoma Athletics
Football
Arbuckle, Ben
Ben Arbuckle
- Title:
- Offensive Coordinator / Quarterbacks
• Ben Arbuckle was hired as Oklahoma’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach on Dec. 2, 2024, after serving the 2023 and 2024 seasons in the same capacity at Washington State University.
• Arbuckle presided over a 2024 Cougars offense that ranked 12th nationally in the regular season with its 36.8 points per game and ranks sixth out of 130 FBS teams in passing touchdowns (30), eighth in yards per pass attempt (9.1), ninth in passing efficiency rating (165.2), 12th in yards per completion (13.9), 14th in yards per play (6.7), 22nd in total offense (440.4 ypg), 24th in passing offense (268.8 ypg) and rushing touchdowns (27), 27th in turnovers lost (12), 28th in completion percentage (.652), 31st in interceptions thrown (7) and 55th in rushing offense (171.6 ypg). WSU rushed for over 100 yards in 11 games (its most since 2005) and 89 yards in the other regular season contest.
• Through the 2024 regular season, Washington State quarterback John Mateer was the only QB nationally to register at least 20 passing touchdowns (29; fifth nationally) and at least 10 rushing touchdowns (15; 13th nationally). His 15 rushing touchdowns were the second most in WSU history and the most ever by a quarterback, while his 826 rushing yards set a school single-season record by a QB. He led the country in points responsible for (268) and points responsible for per game (22.3), and ranked fifth nationally in total offense (330.4 yards per game), seventh in yards per pass attempt (9.1), eighth in passing efficiency (164.1), 11th in yards per pass completion (14.0), 16th in passing yards (3,139) and 18th in passing yards per game (261.6). He notched a rushing TD and a passing TD in 10 of 12 contests and was responsible for at least five TDs in five games.
• In Arbuckle's first year at Washington State in 2023, the Cougars ranked fourth nationally in passing offense at 336.8 ypg (up from 44th and 253.8 ypg the year before his arrival), 35th in total offense at 421.7 ypg (up from 93rd and 360.7 ypg), 36th with its 147.2 passing efficiency rating (up from 71st and 132.3 figure) and 37th in scoring offense at 31.7 ppg (up from 79th and 26.1 ppg).
• WSU quarterback Cam Ward ranked third in the country in 2023 in completions per game (26.9), fourth in passing offense (311.3 ypg) and sixth in total offense (323.3 ypg). The Cougars posted 400-plus yards of total offense in seven games, including a season-high 718 in a win over Northern Colorado and 528 in a victory over No. 14 Oregon State. Against the Beavers, Ward completed 29 of 35 passes for 422 yards and four touchdowns en route to being named national player of the week. He and wide receiver Lincoln Victor were named 2023 All-Pac-12 performers.
• Combined over Arbuckle's two seasons at Washington State, the Cougars rank 10th nationally in passing yards per game (302.7) and in passing touchdowns (57), 12th in touchdown/interception ratio (3.56), 13th in passing efficiency rating (154.5), 20th in scoring offense (34.2 ppg) and 22nd in touchdowns from scrimmage (101).
• The 29-year-old Arbuckle has quickly ascended the coaching ranks. He began his coaching career in a quality control role at Houston Baptist University for two years (2018-19), working mainly with the offensive line his first season and the quarterbacks his second.
• After spending the 2020 season as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Seminole High School in Seminole, Texas, Arbuckle landed at Western Kentucky University as an offensive quality control staffer and contributed to a 2021 offense that led the nation in passing (433.7 ypg) and ranked second in total offense (536.2 ypg) and scoring (44.2 ppg). He helped mentor quarterback Bailey Zappe, who broke single-season FBS records for passing yards (5,967) and passing touchdowns (62).
• Arbuckle, who is from the small town of Canadian in the Texas panhandle, was promoted to co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for WKU's 2022 season. In his first year as a full-time coach, he served as primary play-caller and promptly helped the Hilltoppers finish second nationally in passing yards (339.0 ypg), seventh in total offense (497.1 ypg) and 15th in scoring offense (36.4 ppg), and guided quarterback Austin Reed to a nation-leading 4,746 passing yards and respective No. 3 and 4 rankings in passing touchdowns (40) and total offense (355.0 ypg).
• The 2022 season culminated with a 44-23 win over South Alabama in the New Orleans Bowl, resulting in a 9-5 overall record. In that game, WKU racked up 677 yards of total offense, including a New Orleans Bowl-record 522 passing yards. Arbuckle was named to 247Sports' 30-Under-30 list of rising college football coaching stars that season.
• Arbuckle attended Canadian High School before playing quarterback at West Texas A&M University. He graduated in 2018 with a dual degree in finance and economics. He and his wife, Lauren, have a son named Hudson.
• Arbuckle presided over a 2024 Cougars offense that ranked 12th nationally in the regular season with its 36.8 points per game and ranks sixth out of 130 FBS teams in passing touchdowns (30), eighth in yards per pass attempt (9.1), ninth in passing efficiency rating (165.2), 12th in yards per completion (13.9), 14th in yards per play (6.7), 22nd in total offense (440.4 ypg), 24th in passing offense (268.8 ypg) and rushing touchdowns (27), 27th in turnovers lost (12), 28th in completion percentage (.652), 31st in interceptions thrown (7) and 55th in rushing offense (171.6 ypg). WSU rushed for over 100 yards in 11 games (its most since 2005) and 89 yards in the other regular season contest.
• Through the 2024 regular season, Washington State quarterback John Mateer was the only QB nationally to register at least 20 passing touchdowns (29; fifth nationally) and at least 10 rushing touchdowns (15; 13th nationally). His 15 rushing touchdowns were the second most in WSU history and the most ever by a quarterback, while his 826 rushing yards set a school single-season record by a QB. He led the country in points responsible for (268) and points responsible for per game (22.3), and ranked fifth nationally in total offense (330.4 yards per game), seventh in yards per pass attempt (9.1), eighth in passing efficiency (164.1), 11th in yards per pass completion (14.0), 16th in passing yards (3,139) and 18th in passing yards per game (261.6). He notched a rushing TD and a passing TD in 10 of 12 contests and was responsible for at least five TDs in five games.
• In Arbuckle's first year at Washington State in 2023, the Cougars ranked fourth nationally in passing offense at 336.8 ypg (up from 44th and 253.8 ypg the year before his arrival), 35th in total offense at 421.7 ypg (up from 93rd and 360.7 ypg), 36th with its 147.2 passing efficiency rating (up from 71st and 132.3 figure) and 37th in scoring offense at 31.7 ppg (up from 79th and 26.1 ppg).
• WSU quarterback Cam Ward ranked third in the country in 2023 in completions per game (26.9), fourth in passing offense (311.3 ypg) and sixth in total offense (323.3 ypg). The Cougars posted 400-plus yards of total offense in seven games, including a season-high 718 in a win over Northern Colorado and 528 in a victory over No. 14 Oregon State. Against the Beavers, Ward completed 29 of 35 passes for 422 yards and four touchdowns en route to being named national player of the week. He and wide receiver Lincoln Victor were named 2023 All-Pac-12 performers.
• Combined over Arbuckle's two seasons at Washington State, the Cougars rank 10th nationally in passing yards per game (302.7) and in passing touchdowns (57), 12th in touchdown/interception ratio (3.56), 13th in passing efficiency rating (154.5), 20th in scoring offense (34.2 ppg) and 22nd in touchdowns from scrimmage (101).
• The 29-year-old Arbuckle has quickly ascended the coaching ranks. He began his coaching career in a quality control role at Houston Baptist University for two years (2018-19), working mainly with the offensive line his first season and the quarterbacks his second.
• After spending the 2020 season as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Seminole High School in Seminole, Texas, Arbuckle landed at Western Kentucky University as an offensive quality control staffer and contributed to a 2021 offense that led the nation in passing (433.7 ypg) and ranked second in total offense (536.2 ypg) and scoring (44.2 ppg). He helped mentor quarterback Bailey Zappe, who broke single-season FBS records for passing yards (5,967) and passing touchdowns (62).
• Arbuckle, who is from the small town of Canadian in the Texas panhandle, was promoted to co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for WKU's 2022 season. In his first year as a full-time coach, he served as primary play-caller and promptly helped the Hilltoppers finish second nationally in passing yards (339.0 ypg), seventh in total offense (497.1 ypg) and 15th in scoring offense (36.4 ppg), and guided quarterback Austin Reed to a nation-leading 4,746 passing yards and respective No. 3 and 4 rankings in passing touchdowns (40) and total offense (355.0 ypg).
• The 2022 season culminated with a 44-23 win over South Alabama in the New Orleans Bowl, resulting in a 9-5 overall record. In that game, WKU racked up 677 yards of total offense, including a New Orleans Bowl-record 522 passing yards. Arbuckle was named to 247Sports' 30-Under-30 list of rising college football coaching stars that season.
• Arbuckle attended Canadian High School before playing quarterback at West Texas A&M University. He graduated in 2018 with a dual degree in finance and economics. He and his wife, Lauren, have a son named Hudson.
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