Florida gets Oklahoma in the Swamp on Saturday night, and the matchup comes with plenty of pressure on both sides. The Gators and Sooners kick at 7:45 p.m. EST, with Florida trying to rebound and open November on a stronger note.
Oklahoma arrives at 4-4 overall and 2-3 in the SEC after a blowout loss to South Carolina, a rough turn for a team that made the college football playoff in 2025. This is also a rare meeting between the programs: the first since the 2009 national championship game and only the third time they’ve ever played.
The Sooners’ offense has not matched last year’s production. They sit second-to-last in the SEC in yards per game at 336.9 and are averaging 22.0 points per game.
In response, Oklahoma moved quickly this week, firing offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle and naming former Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten as the new play-caller. John Mateer is still expected to start.
Florida defensive coordinator Brad White had plenty of respect for Mateer when asked about the quarterback.
“I mean, he's a really, really good football player”, Florida defensive coordinator Brad White said about Mateer. “Go to the tape.
Everybody has moments of struggle or whatnot, but he is a really good football player that knows where to go with the football. Can extend plays with his legs.
He's tough as nails. There's a reason that he was sought after when he came out of Washington State.
We got our hands full. (Isaiah) Sategna III, (Rocky) Beers.
He's got two playmakers that he can get the ball to.”
Those two targets, Isaiah Sategna III and tight end Rocky Beers, have been central to Oklahoma’s passing game. They’ve been explosive options for Mateer and lead the Sooners in receiving yards, receptions and receiving touchdowns this season.
The run game, though, has been far less threatening. Oklahoma is averaging just over 100 rushing yards per game, which puts it in the bottom half of the SEC. Lloyd Avant and Tory Blaylock have handled the workload, but neither has topped 80 rushing yards in a game this year.
If the offense has been uneven, the defense has carried the Sooners. That’s been the pattern under Brent Venables, and it’s showing again this season.
Oklahoma ranks seventh in the SEC in points allowed at 20.8 per game and sixth in sacks with 22. The Sooners have also given up only one individual 100-yard rushing performance.
Up front, David Stone and Adepoju Adebawore lead a pass rush that has been a problem for opponents. The two have combined for six sacks, and Adebawore’s older brother, Adetomiwa, recently landed a big contract extension with the Indianapolis Colts.
The back end is just as dangerous. Linebacker Kip Lewis and safety Peyton Bowen headline a secondary and linebacker group that has made plenty of impact plays, including Bowen’s game-changing pick-six against Texas earlier this year. Bowen also owns the highest PFF grade on the defense.
Florida coach Jon Sumrall said the challenge is obvious, but also pointed to how complete Oklahoma looks on film.
“Yeah, it gets easier, got Oklahoma this week and their defense (laughter)”, head coach Jon Sumrall said. “That’s this league, though.
They are really good. I think what’s most impressive about them, they have really good individual players.
"The pieces they play with are really talented, but I think the sum is greater than what you would think the individual parts are. They play really well together.
You can tell the time they spent in the system with Brent, and the cohesion defensively, it bleeds through the film.”
For newly announced starting quarterback Tramell Jones Jr., it’s another demanding assignment. Florida’s offense is coming off a turnover-heavy outing against Georgia, and now it faces an Oklahoma defense that has already proven how hard it is to move the ball against. With the Sooners also trying to find new life on offense, Saturday night should give the Gators a real test in the Swamp.
In Other News...
Oklahoma Gets A Needed Boost But Saturday Questions Still Linger
Oklahoma got a small but meaningful lift heading into the weekend with cornerback Eli Bowen and tight end Rocky Beers cleared off the injury report and available for the game against Florida. In a week when the availability list has been a moving target, getting those two back gives the Sooners a little more flexibility on both sides of the ball as they try to settle in before kickoff.
The bigger concern is what still remains unresolved. Wide receiver Elijah Thomas and defensive end Kenny Ozawalu are among the players listed as questionable, while eight others have already been ruled out and one more is doubtful, leaving Oklahoma with several late decisions still hanging over Saturday. The update helps, but it also underscores how much the Sooners are still managing as they head into a game where depth could matter just as much as the game plan. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Gets A Needed Boost But One Florida Concern Remains
The Sooners are getting some reinforcements at a useful time, with several players set to return to the lineup for the upcoming game against Florida. Eli Bowen, Jake Maikkula, Jer'Michael Carter and Rocky Beers are all back in the mix, which should help Oklahoma add some much-needed depth as it tries to steady itself for a tricky SEC matchup.
Still, the availability report is not all encouraging. Ryan Fodje, Cole Sullivan and Jacobe Johnson have already been ruled out, and Peyton Bowen remains questionable, leaving one important spot in particular still worth watching as kickoff approaches. For Oklahoma, the returns are welcome, but there is still at least one Florida-related concern hanging over the week. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Football Fans Wont Believe How One Playoff Spot Was Decided
When three Oklahoma high school football teams finished tied for third in District A-II-3, there was no film room, no points-differential debate and no last-second appeal left to sort it out. Liberty, Central Sallisaw and Gore had run through every available tiebreaker, and with only four playoff spots in the district, the decision came down to a coin toss at Catfish Round Up near Seminole.
Liberty and Central Sallisaw came out on top and moved on, while Gore was left out in the cold on the sports most old-school kind of margin. It is the sort of finish that reminds you just how thin the line can be in high school football, where a whole season can hinge on a flip once the usual math has been exhausted. [Read more 🡒]