Ground Down: Oklahoma Drains Florida, 23-7

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Florida spent Saturday night waiting for a spark that never came.

Oklahoma controlled the football, the clock and nearly every important down in a 23-7 victory at The Swamp, holding the Gators to 203 total yards and shutting them out in the second half.

The loss dropped Florida to 5-4 overall and 3-4 in the SEC. Oklahoma improved to 5-4 and 3-3.

For most of the night, the game stayed close enough for Florida to steal. The Gators trailed only 13-7 at halftime and drove to the Oklahoma 4-yard line midway through the third quarter. But quarterback Tramell Jones Jr. was intercepted at the goal line, ending a 10-play, 52-yard possession that became Florida's best chance to take the lead.

The Sooners responded by taking the game away one snap at a time.

Oklahoma marched 89 yards in 20 plays, converted five third downs and consumed 12 minutes, 45 seconds before John Mateer found Isaiah Sategna III for a 6-yard touchdown. The drive began late in the third quarter and ended with 4:56 left in the game, stretching the lead to 20-7 and leaving Florida almost no time to answer.

That possession told the story of the night. Oklahoma held the ball for 37:50, ran 81 plays and converted 10 of 18 third downs. Florida had the ball for only 22:10, ran 49 plays and went 2-for-9 on third down.

Florida's next possession produced four plays, minus-8 yards and a turnover on downs. Tate Sandell added a 31-yard field goal with 1:56 remaining, and Jones threw his second interception on the Gators' final drive.

Jones finished 10-of-22 for 133 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions. He added 7 rushing yards on 11 attempts as Oklahoma kept Florida's quarterback contained and forced the Gators to operate behind the chains.

Florida's lone touchdown came in the second quarter after the offense finally found some rhythm. Jadan Baugh finished the drive with a 15-yard scoring run, cutting Oklahoma's lead to 10-7 with 3:15 left before halftime. Baugh carried eight times for 35 yards.

Duke Clark supplied most of Florida's offense, catching four passes for 70 yards and rushing six times for 28 more. Dallas Wilson added four receptions for 48 yards, but the Gators could not create the explosive play needed to loosen Oklahoma's defense.

The Sooners did not overwhelm Florida with quick strikes. They simply kept possession and stayed on schedule. Mateer completed 21 of 33 passes for 207 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. He also rushed 14 times for 56 yards. Oklahoma finished with 351 total yards, including 144 on the ground.

Florida's defense spent too much of the night on the field but continued to give the offense chances. Linebacker Myles Graham led the Gators with 15 tackles, including 10 solo stops and half a sack. The unit held Oklahoma to 13 points through three quarters before the 20-play drive finally broke the game open.

Sandell made all three of his field-goal attempts, including a 48-yarder just before halftime, and accounted for 11 points. His consistency mattered in a game where Florida never scored after Baugh's touchdown.

Now the Gators have to find their offense on the road. Florida visits Kentucky on Nov. 14 with bowl eligibility still one win away and very little margin for another night like this one.

Statistics and play-by-play from ESPN. Schedule information from FloridaGators.com.

Photo courtesy UAA (University Athletic Association, FloridaGators.com) and Victoria Riccobono. See the official Florida Gators photo galleries at FloridaGators.com.