Florida’s path to a needed home win over Oklahoma in Week 10 is pretty clear: win the line of scrimmage, give Tramell Jones room to breathe, and don’t get spooked by the Sooners’ coaching shuffle.
The Gators are coming off a rough showing against Georgia after the upset win over Texas had fans thinking the momentum might be real. Three losses don’t officially end Florida’s College Football Playoff hopes, but another one Saturday would make the road a whole lot narrower.
It would also add more pressure on Jon Sumrall in what was supposed to be a big first season in Gainesville, with No. 7 Kentucky waiting next week.
Florida has a real chance to turn this into a ground-heavy game. Jadan Baugh is the obvious name to watch, and this feels like the kind of matchup where he could get back to his earlier-season form.
He hasn’t topped 100 yards since Sept. 26 against Ole Miss, but this is a strong spot for him to chase that mark again. Duke Clark is back this week, too, and Oklahoma’s run defense has been vulnerable, ranking 51st nationally and giving up 129 rushing yards per game.
South Carolina showed the blueprint last week, piling up 212 rushing yards against the Sooners, with quarterback LaNorris Sellers accounting for 96 and two touchdowns.
That kind of run game would do more than just move the chains. It would also ease the burden on Jones, who is making his first home start.
And after being sacked four times against Georgia, he needs help. Florida’s offense stalled badly in that game, finishing with its lowest point total of the season at eight.
The Gators have allowed 13 sacks all year, which is tied for 44th nationally, but Oklahoma brings real pressure. The Sooners have 23 sacks, good for inside the Top-30 nationally, and defensive linemen Adepoju Adebawore and Jake Kreul have combined for seven of them.
Even with the offensive coordinator change in Norman, Florida can’t overthink this one on defense. Brent Venables moved on from Ben Arbuckle this week, and former Dallas Cowboys tight end and OU tight ends coach Jason Witten is now the play-caller.
That may bring a few new wrinkles, but the production has not been there. Oklahoma ranks 109th in scoring offense at 22 points per game, and its red zone work has been even shakier, scoring on just 75% of trips inside the 20, which ranks 124th nationally.
The Sooners have also failed to top 30 points in any game this season other than the Week 1 51-0 win over UTEP.
Florida’s defense was strong early against Georgia, and that level of play should be enough here if it shows up again. If the Gators can force turnover-prone John Mateer into mistakes, that would only make the job easier.
In Other News...
Floridas Playoff Dream Is Gone And The Offense Looks Even Worse
Floridas playoff hopes were already hanging by a thread, and the 23-7 loss to Oklahoma finished the job while adding another ugly chapter to a season that has gone sideways fast. It was the Gators fourth loss in five games, and the offense again had no real answer, with the passing game sputtering and the overall operation never finding much rhythm against a Sooners defense that kept control from start to finish.
Tramell Jones Jr. finished 10 of 22 with two interceptions, a line that summed up how little Florida got out of the position in a game where Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer was much more efficient, throwing for 207 yards and two touchdowns. The bigger concern for Florida now is not just the loss itself, but how little momentum it carries into next weeks matchup with Kentucky, where the Gators will be trying to stop the slide before it gets any worse. [Read more 🡒]
Floridas Offense Just Raised A Bigger Concern Than One Loss
Floridas trip to Oklahoma turned into the kind of night that leaves a program searching for answers as much as a result. In a 23-7 loss, the Gators never found a rhythm on offense, struggled to stay on the field, and were undone by early penalties that made an already difficult matchup even harder to manage.
Tramell Jones Jr. threw two interceptions, and the lack of sustained production was stark enough that punter Alec Clark ended up outgaining the offense in total yardage. For a team trying to establish any kind of offensive identity, the bigger concern now is not just the loss itself, but how quickly Florida can clean up the mistakes that made it look so out of sync. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Took Another Step Back In A Lifeless Loss To Oklahoma
The frustration around Floridas season only deepened Saturday night at The Swamp, where the Gators were outplayed in a 23-7 loss to Oklahoma. It was the kind of flat performance that leaves little room for debate, with Florida sputtering on offense and getting pushed around enough on the other side of the ball to let the Sooners control the game from start to finish.
Tramell Jones Jr. threw two interceptions, and the Gators managed just 2 of 11 on third- and fourth-down chances, a rough combination for a team already searching for answers. Oklahomas win also carried a bit of history with it, improving the Sooners to 2-1 all-time against Florida and giving them their first victory in Gainesville, while the Gators were left to sort through another step backward in a season that badly needs a reset. [Read more 🡒]