No. 24 Florida stifled by Oklahoma as Florida loses for fourth time in five games
· Yahoo Sports
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida’s October freefall continued into November, a month coach Jon Sumrall hoped would generate positive momentum for the future.
A 23-7 loss to Oklahoma on Saturday night in the Swamp was the latest misstep for the No. 24 Gators, now losers of four of their past five games after cruising to a 4-0 start in September.
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A 6-yard touchdown pass from John Mateer to Isaiah Sategna III with 4:56 remaining in the game capped a 20-play, 89-yard drive spanning nearly 13 minutes. Oklahoma’s longest scoring drive in 20 seasons ended Florida’s chance to pull out a win.
Most of the night, the Sooners’ first visit to the Swamp in the program’s storied history lived up to its billing as a defensive battle between two desperate teams. The game featured only two plays longer than 20 yards.
The Gators offense rarely found its rhythm during sophomore Tramell Jones Jr.’s first home start, and just the second start of the 19-year-old’s Florida career.
The Sooners overran Florida up front as the Gators struggled to sustain drives or generate a consistent running game. Facing a Sooners’ defense with All-SEC talent at all three levels, Florida (5-4, 3-4 SEC) finished seven of its 10 drives with less than 25 yards of production.
With a reported sellout crowd of 90,442 on hand for their first SEC night game of the season, the Gators ended the evening with just 203 yards, 11 first downs and ran just 47 plays. They scored a single touchdown for the second straight game. The Sooners (5-4, 3-3) sacked Jones three times and intercepted him twice.
Scoring opportunities were scarce for Florida, while mistakes and miscalculations were costly.
After Oklahoma took a 3-0 lead on a 41-yard field goal by Tate Sandell on its opening drive, the Gators reached Oklahoma’s 42. But right tackle Caden Jones, starting in placed of injured Emeka Ugori, committed consecutive holding calls to negate a pair of 18-yard gains, and Florida eventually punted.
A pass interference penalty on Florida cornerback Cormani McClain on the Sooners’ ensuing drive gave them 15 yards during a 84-yard drive, ending with a 3-yard touchdown catch by former Gators’ tight end Hayden Hansen, a Texas native who transferred to Norman after the 2025 season.
The Gators’ run game finally found some traction with Florida trailing 10-0 late in the first half.
After rushing for just 17 yards on the ground in their first three series, the Gators gained 42 of 61 yards on the ground during a 10-play drive, culminating with a 15-yard touchdown scamper by Jadan Baugh. Baugh’s 14th rushing touchdown of the season tied him for second all-time at Florida with Emmitt Smith and Buford Long behind Tim Tebow, who had 23 touchdowns on the ground during his 2007 Heisman season.
Oklahoma, though, answered with a 44-yard drive to set up a second field goal by Sandell, the reigning Lou Groza Award winner — this one from 48 yards, to give the Sooners a 13-7 halftime lead.
The Gators’ only chance to cut into the lead ended with a head-scratching decision by Sumrall.
A screen pass to Duke Clark, back from a two-game absence with an ankle injury, picked up 33 yards to Oklahoma’s 24. After Baugh’s 6-yard run on second down, offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner called a quarterback run for the 196-pound Jones, who was stuffed for a 1-yard gain.
Rather than try for a 34-yard field goal, the Gators tried to convert on third down, but Jones underthrew a pass and Courtland Guilroy intercepted it.
The Sooners answered with their epic drive with former Dallas Cowboys’ star tight end Jason Witten calling plays for the first time at the college level. Witten, an 11-time Pro Bowler, assumed the offensive coordinator role after coach Brent Venable fired Ben Arbuckle last week.
On a night to celebrate former coach Urban Meyer’s induction into the Gators’ Ring of Honor, the two-time national championship coach watched his former team turn in a forgettable performance.
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