Reviewing the Reads After the Loss

#1 – Can the Gator defensive line get pressure against the Oklahoma passing game? The Gators got the pressure but couldn’t finish on some sacks, though overall they did a good job of getting Mateer off his spots on many occasions. Those failures to contain him allowed Mateer to add to an impressive running total to lead the Sooners in rushing. They held OU to under its average passing but gave up more than the average in the run game, mostly to the QB. The grade would be a B on the first read.

#2 – Can the Gator offensive line find themselves again? The simple answer was no, they could not. Whether it was Jones not adjusting the protection correctly or just guys missing blocks, the offense couldn’t get going primarily because they couldn’t protect the QB. The Sooners were in the backfield on so many plays, it looked like they were lined up offsides! Sometimes it appears we were running screen passes without telling the receivers! The grade was an F on the second read.

#3 – Can the Gators find enough in the running game to keep the tempo of the game in Florida’s favor? Duke Clark looked like the spark on a couple of plays, but his average of 4.7 was only slightly better than Baugh’s 4.4. Jones rushed for 34 but also lost 27 on three sacks for a net gain of 7 yards. The Gators’ 70 rushing yards were 100 fewer than their average for the season. The grade was a D on the third read.

#4 – Can Tramell Jones Jr. lead the Gators to a victory in the Swamp? Jones did not have a good night. He completed less than 50 percent of his passes and missed a couple of open guys that could have made a big difference. He also completed a couple that were brought back by penalties that could have changed the narrative. The two interceptions came on desperate plays that only slightly affected the game. What he didn’t do was manage the game well. For maybe the first time, he showed his lack of experience. He looked lost on too many occasions for the Gators to win on Saturday night. The effort deserves a D grade as well.

#5 – Can the Gators avoid beating themselves? While it seemed like the Gators committed a bunch of penalties, only four were enforced. However, those four made quite an impact. Two consecutive holding calls killed a drive that had the potential to move the Gators in front. A pass interference call against McClain kept a drive alive for OU. A couple of non-calls against OU were controversial as well. The crew in the stripes didn’t have a great night for either side. The Gators didn’t really beat themselves, but they gave momentum to the Sooners with some key mistakes. This effort may deserve less, but let’s call it a B- effort.

The crowd was incredible on Saturday night. It brought the excitement until the Gators gave up a soul-crushing drive of more than 12 minutes that ran out most of the fourth quarter. Even then, Ben Hanks had a chance to make the play to save the season, but he, like so many players on key plays, was a half-step too slow to make it. As the ball slipped through his hands into the white gloves of the Sooner receiver for a touchdown, the air completely came out of the Swamp. The Gators might be better than the Sooners, but on Saturday night they didn’t prove it. They played well on defense but were just not good enough. The offense has been AWOL since the bye week. It went bye-bye and somebody needs to find it and bring it back. Time will tell if Buster Faulkner can find a way to jump-start the dead body that is the Florida offense in time for the game in Lexington.

Cover photo: A Florida ball carrier runs past an Oklahoma defender during the Oklahoma game, Nov. 7, 2026. Photo courtesy UAA (FloridaGators.com); the photographer is not named in the source file. See the official Florida Gators photo galleries.