Oklahoma Defense Crushes Florida Offense in 23-7 Win
Interim coordinator Jason Witten and a stifling Sooners defense stopped the Gators cold in Gainesville.
By Beatriz Soto ·
Oklahoma defeated No. 25 Florida 23-7 on Saturday night in Gainesville, Florida, capping a 48-game home winning streak for the Gators against first-time visitors. The Sooners relied heavily on their defensive unit to limit the Florida offense to 203 total yards. Quarterback John Mateer provided just enough production to secure the victory for the Sooners, who improved to a 5-4 record.
The Sooners made a coaching change earlier this season. They fired offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle. Jason Witten, a former tight end for the Dallas Cowboys who coached high school football in suburban Texas last year, assumed the role on an interim basis. Witten directed the offense in this matchup.
The game remained tight for much of the first half. The Florida offense struggled to find rhythm under quarterback Tramell Jones Jr. The Gators managed only one play longer than 31 yards in the first half. That play was a punt return by Bailey Stockton. Oklahoma scored on its first two possessions to establish control early.
Oklahoma built a 10-0 lead on its second drive. Mateer completed a 41-yard pass to tight end Rocky Beers to set up a field goal. The Sooners then converted a fourth-down conversion from the Florida 46-yard line. Witten designed a reverse play that ended with Mateer flipping a 3-yard touchdown pass to Hayden Hansen.
Florida answered in the second quarter. Running back Jayden Baugh scored on a 15-yard run after Stockton's punt return. The play was initially ruled out of bounds but was reversed after review, with Baugh stretching for the pylon. The Gators took a brief 7-6 lead before Oklahoma regained control.
The momentum shifted permanently in the third quarter. With 6:27 remaining in the third quarter and the Sooners leading 13-7, Florida faced a fourth-and-3 situation from the 17-yard line. Jones threw a cross-field pass to Eric Courtland Jr. Courtland Guillory intercepted the ball in the end zone, nullifying the threat.
Oklahoma sealed the win with a 20-play, 89-yard drive that consumed 12 minutes and 45 seconds of the clock. The drive concluded with a short touchdown pass from Mateer to Isaiah Sategna III. The Sooners converted five third-down opportunities during that possession. The Florida offense followed with a four-and-out sequence, and Jones was sacked on fourth down for the third time of the game.
Jones finished the game 10-of-22 for 133 yards. Thirty-four of those yards came on the final drive when Oklahoma allowed him more space. Mateer completed 21 of 33 passes for 214 yards and added 56 rushing yards. The Sooners had only one play longer than 20 yards in the entire game.
Oklahoma will host Ole Miss on Saturday. Florida travels to No. 8 Kentucky on Saturday. The Gators appeared in the College Football Playoff ranking for the first time since 2020 but are expected to drop out after this loss.
This result ended a 48-game streak in which Florida defeated all opponents visiting the Swamp for the first time. The two programs have only met in bowl games otherwise, including a 2008 national title game won by Florida.
