Tramell Jones Jr.’s first start in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium opened with a jolt. His first completion, a throw to Dallas Wilson, sent the sold-out crowd into a roar.
That was about as lively as Florida’s offense got for long stretches Saturday night.
The Gators managed only one touchdown, and that came late in the first half on Jadan Baugh’s 15-yard run. Even with that score, Florida went into halftime trailing 13-7, and the offense never found another gear in a 23-7 loss to Oklahoma that dropped No. 24 Florida to 5-4 overall and 3-4 in SEC play.
Florida’s defense had its own problems, especially on money downs. Oklahoma kept extending drives, converting four of eight third-down chances and its only fourth-down try in the first half alone.
By the end of the night, the Sooners had gone 10-for-18 on third down and piled up 351 total yards, including 144 on the ground. That was notable because Oklahoma entered the game last in the SEC in rushing offense.
“Defensively you have to continually respond, and in a game like that, their defense outplayed ourdefense,” head coach Jon Sumrall said. “I thought our defense did some good things, but we got outplayed by their defense.”
The bigger issue, though, was Florida’s inability to move the ball. The Gators finished with just 203 yards, including 133 through the air and 70 on the ground, and they repeatedly wasted chances when they got near scoring range.
One of the night’s biggest turning points came with Florida trailing 13-7. Instead of taking a field goal, Sumrall and his staff chose to go for it on fourth-and-3 in the red zone. Jones then threw an interception in the end zone on a pass intended for Eric Singleton Jr.
“I don't think we played good enough anywhere offensively to put ourselves in position to win,” Sumrall said. “We still have to continue to help whoever the quarterback is better than we have at times. As soon as it felt like we would get something positive start offensively, we had a penalty that would bring us back, and we never could find our rhythm.”
Jones finished 10 of 22 for 133 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions. He also ran 11 times for 7 yards. His second pick came with less than 30 seconds left.
Wilson was Jones’ favorite target, drawing 10 of his 22 passes. He caught four for 48 yards, but the connection never produced the kind of play Florida needed.
Baugh, meanwhile, couldn’t get much going against a Sooners defense that had struggled against the run coming in. He carried eight times for 35 yards and a touchdown, averaging 4.4 yards per carry.
“Right now, we're stalling, and there's not a whole lot of things that we're making look easy,” Sumrall said. “There's probably a lot of things that go into what's keeping us from being successful offensively.”
If Florida had any real spark on offense, it came from Duke Clark. Back after missing the previous two games with an ankle injury, he flashed the most explosiveness on the roster. Clark finished with 28 rushing yards on six carries and a team-best 4.7 yards per carry, and he added four catches for 70 yards, which also led the Gators.
Still, Florida kept sabotaging itself. On its second drive, what should have been two 18-yard completions turned into a mess when offensive lineman Caden Jones was flagged for back-to-back holding penalties, wiping out a promising march into the red zone.
Oklahoma also made life miserable for Jones. The Sooners came in ranked first in the SEC in third-down defense, and they backed that up by holding Florida to just two conversions on nine third-down tries overall and one of four in the first half. In the second quarter, linebacker Owen Heinecke sacked Jones on third-and-9 to force a punt.
Heinecke was everywhere for Oklahoma, finishing with 10 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks. The Sooners sacked Jones three times and finished with five tackles for loss.
Florida’s defensive leader was Myles Graham, who piled up a game-high 15 tackles and added 1.5 tackles for loss, a quarterback hit and 0.5 sacks.
“I did like our defensive response lot tonight at times,” Sumrall said. “I didn't love the long drive, but I think what I have felt through the last three weeks at least is a mentality shift on defense to where those guys are continuing to compete regardless of the situation.”
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The pressure numbers told a similar story. Florida managed 17 pressures, but the team pressure grade came in at 61.2, its second-worst of the season, and quarterback Tramell Jones Jr. was noticeably more comfortable when he had a clean pocket than when the rush got home. In the secondary, cornerback Ben Hanks III had a mixed afternoon, allowing three catches on six targets while also breaking up two passes, which summed up a defense that had a few bright moments but not enough to change the outcome. [Read more 🡒]
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With recent changes at quarterback and little offensive rhythm to lean on, Florida has been forced to search for footing while trying to stay afloat against tougher competition, including Oklahoma. Sumrall said the Gators need to figure out what they do best if they want to get through the next stretch, and that challenge now looks as important as any matchup on the schedule. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Suddenly Holds The Fate Of A Playoff Hopeful
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For Florida, the immediate relevance is hard to miss. Kentucky now has to beat the Gators in its upcoming matchup to keep any realistic path to staying in the playoff bracket, which gives Florida a direct hand in shaping the postseason picture even before the broader SEC picture sorts itself out. It is the kind of late-season spot where one game can ripple far beyond the standings, and Florida suddenly sits at the center of that conversation. [Read more 🡒]