Oklahoma heads into Gainesville looking for a reset, and the timing could hardly be more interesting. The Sooners are trying to shake off last week’s 42-25 loss to South Carolina in Norman as they prepare for their first trip into “The Swamp” to face Florida.
The biggest change comes on the Oklahoma sideline. In an effort to jump-start the offense, the Sooners moved on from Ben Arbuckle and turned the play-calling duties over to tight ends coach and future NFL Hall of Famer Jason Witten. This will be Witten’s first time calling plays at the collegiate level, after he previously led Liberty Christian, a high school program in North Texas.
That gives Oklahoma a fresh offensive wrinkle against a Florida defense that has not exactly been airtight. The Gators enter the game ranked No. 14 in the SEC in scoring defense and No. 13 in total yards allowed this season, so the Sooners have a chance to get rolling early if the new setup clicks.
But the offense isn’t the only side that has to answer. Oklahoma also needs a sharper outing from a defense that gave up more than 500 yards and 40 points to South Carolina last week. If Brent Venables’ group can put together a stronger four quarters, the Sooners will have a real shot to leave with a road win.
Follow along for live score updates, highlights, injury news, key plays and instant analysis as Oklahoma and Florida meet in this Week 10 SEC showdown at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Florida.
In Other News...
Former Sooners Defender Hits Crushing NFL Setback In Rookie Year
Gracen Haltons first NFL season came to a painful halt when the rookie defensive tackle suffered a broken ankle in San Franciscos game against the Las Vegas Raiders. For Oklahoma fans still tracking former Sooners across the league, it was a tough reminder of how quickly a promising debut can change, especially for a young defender trying to carve out a role early in his pro career.
There was a brighter note elsewhere for another former Sooner defender, as Nik Bonitto helped the Denver Broncos beat the Carolina Panthers by forcing a late fumble. And in a matchup that carried plenty of Oklahoma ties, Baker Mayfield and Caleb Williams faced off with Williams guiding the Chicago Bears to a 27-24 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. [Read more 🡒]
Sooners Could Land An Early Recruiting Boost Fans Will Notice
A potential early recruiting spark is starting to take shape for Oklahoma as the Sooners wait on a few key 2028 names who could help shape the next wave of the roster. Kamieon Compton-Nero, one of the top prospects in Oklahoma, is expected to announce his college decision on Nov. 13, with Oklahoma in the mix alongside Notre Dame, Ole Miss, Alabama and SMU. For a program that always has to balance regional priorities with national competition, getting in early on a player like that matters.
The momentum does not stop there, either. Recruiting reports and insider predictions have Oklahoma projected to land edge rusher Keoni Snipes, a four-star recruit from Alabama, while the Sooners are also still battling for offensive tackle Lincoln Faalafi, another highly ranked 2028 prospect out of California. None of those decisions are final yet, but the combination of local interest, national reach and analyst buzz is the kind of early-cycle attention that can give fans a real reason to keep an eye on the recruiting trail. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma May Need More Than A New OC This Offseason
Oklahomas offseason search is already taking shape around two of the most important jobs on the roster, with the Sooners needing a new offensive coordinator and a new starting quarterback after recent staff changes and eligibility issues. That combination has pushed the conversation beyond simply finding a play-caller and into the broader question of how the next offense will be built, especially after a previous package-deal approach with coordinators and quarterbacks did not deliver the way the program hoped.
Among the names tied to the opening are Mitch Dahlen at Oregon State, Kevin Decker at Memphis and Rob Ezell at Wake Forest, each with a quarterback connection and some level of offensive success attached to his background. For Oklahoma, the appeal is obvious: the next hire may need to bring more than a scheme, because the Sooners are looking for stability at the position that drives everything else, and the wrong pairing could leave them searching again before the plan ever has a chance to settle in. [Read more 🡒]