Oklahoma left Ben Hill Griffin Stadium with a 23-7 win over No. 24 Florida, and the biggest change came before the Sooners even kicked off. Brent Venables’ decision to move on from Ben Arbuckle and hand the offense to tight ends coach Jason Witten gave OU a sharper edge in The Swamp, where the Sooners scored on three of their four first-half drives and looked far more put together than they had in recent SEC play.
That early rhythm mattered. Witten became the first OU play-caller this season to score on the opening two drives of an SEC game, something Seth Littrell, Joe Jon Finley and Arbuckle couldn’t manage.
The first half wasn’t flashy, but it was organized. Oklahoma looked like it had a plan, and that showed up on a second third-down play when John Mateer hit tight end Rocky Beers for a 41-yard gain, the Sooners’ sixth-longest completion of the season.
The drive still ended in a field goal, but Venables’ confidence in the offense was clear on Oklahoma’s next series. Facing fourth-and-1 from the Sooners’ own 46, he kept the offense on the field.
Witten answered with heavy personnel and a direct snap to Lloyd Avant, who powered ahead four yards for the first down. Oklahoma then went 84 yards in 15 plays for a touchdown, finishing with a clean design that left former Florida tight end Hayden Hansen wide open in the end zone.
Witten’s first-half output of 13 points was still shy of the 14 Finley produced in his debut as interim OC in 2024, but the difference was what came after. Finley’s debut stalled out in the second half. Oklahoma’s did not.
The Sooners wobbled a bit in the third quarter, but Mateer’s third-and-4 completion to Jacob Jordan on the final play of the period got the offense moving again. From there, Oklahoma put together the kind of possession that can drain the life out of a stadium: a 20-play, 89-yard touchdown march that took nearly 13 minutes off the clock. The Sooners converted five more third downs on that drive, with Avant’s wildcat helping move the chains once, Mateer using his legs for another first down, and Mateer also finding Avant and Jordan through the air.
The finishing blow came on a play that nearly turned into a disaster. Mateer rolled right and fired toward Isaiah Sategna, forcing the throw just enough that the ball sailed past Florida defensive back Ben Hanks III. Sategna hauled it in anyway for the touchdown, and what could have been a costly mistake instead became the play that put the game away.
Oklahoma’s defense did its part from the start. The Sooners helped keep Florida’s offense stuck on the sideline early, and that seemed to keep Jaden Baugh from settling in.
Baugh finished with 35 yards on eight carries, and while his 15-yard touchdown was a strong effort as he dove to the pylon, he never found much room otherwise. Oklahoma held him to one yard or less on three carries, and that score was his only run of more than seven yards.
Florida never found much traction through the air either. Tramell Jones Jr. went 10-of-22 for 133 yards and two interceptions, while Oklahoma finished with a 351-203 edge in total offense.
The win moved Oklahoma to 5-4 overall and 3-3 in SEC play. Florida dropped to 5-4 overall and 3-4 in conference action.
The Sooners return home next weekend to face No. 10 Ole Miss, which was blown out by No.
2 Georgia.
In Other News...
Jason Witten Just Changed The Feel Around Oklahomas Offense
Oklahomas offense looked noticeably different in its first game under Jason Witten, and that alone was enough to change the mood around the program. After Brent Venables moved on from Ben Arbuckle and elevated Witten from tight ends coach to interim offensive coordinator, the Sooners responded with an upset of No. 24 Florida, putting together a more composed showing than they had managed during the earlier offensive struggles.
The improvement showed up in the details that usually decide close games, from a long scoring drive to better clock management late. It was only one game, but for a unit that had been searching for stability, Wittens first turn calling the shots offered Oklahoma a cleaner, more confident look and left the bigger question hanging over what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
John Mateer Turned Oklahomas Toughest Week Into A Statement Win
The week around Oklahomas win over Florida carried more than the usual pressure of a conference game. Ben Arbuckle, who had built a close relationship with quarterback John Mateer, was fired after a disappointing 2026 season, and the news landed hard in a locker room that had already been dealing with the usual strain of trying to steady itself in November. Mateer spoke emotionally about the move after the victory, a reminder that football decisions can ripple well beyond the depth chart.
Brent Venables tried to make one thing clear in the aftermath: Arbuckles firing was not tied to Mateers performance. Even so, the timing gave the Sooners statement win a different feel, with the quarterback asked to process a personal loss while helping deliver a result the program badly needed. For Oklahoma, the on-field response mattered, but so did the way the moment exposed how much the seasons biggest decisions are still being felt inside the building. [Read more 🡒]
John Mateer Just Gave Oklahoma Fans A Real Reason To Reconsider This Offense
John Mateers latest outing gave Oklahoma a much better look at what this offense can be when it is built around his strengths. In the Sooners upset win over Florida, he accounted for 263 of the teams 351 total yards, completing 64% of his passes for 207 yards and two touchdowns without an interception while adding 56 rushing yards. The change at offensive coordinator, with Jason Witten stepping in for Ben Arbuckle, seemed to open things up in a way that fit Mateer more naturally.
For Oklahoma, the encouraging part was not just the production but the shape of it. Mateers running ability was used more effectively, and the passing game looked less cramped, giving the Sooners a more balanced attack than they had shown before. It was one game, but it was the kind of performance that forces a second look at what this offense can be if the new structure keeps working. [Read more 🡒]