Five Takeaways From Florida’s Struggle-Filled Loss to Oklahoma
The anticipation grew as the lights dimmed and The Pride of the Sunshine sorted into its UF letter formation. Looking on from the tunnel, a determined Jon Sumrall donned a scowl that persisted through gritted teeth.
The determination on the Florida coach’s face wore away for a moment to take in the environment in front of him, wearing a muted grin when looking at the night sky illuminated by orange and blue. All the pomp and circumstance of a night game in The Swamp would be enough for Sumrall to break out a full smile, bursting onto the field and through the pyro that announced his team’s return to Gainesville for the first time in nearly a month.
The pregame theatrics were one of the limited reasons for smiles and one of the only times that a crowd of 90,442 would roar in enthusiasm all night at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
When Florida (5-4, 3-4 SEC) actually hit the field, very little was able to raise the usually raucous Gators contingent from its seats. A long, dragging game, controlled entirely by Oklahoma (5-4, 3-3) throughout the third and fourth quarters to the tune of a 23-7 victory that keeps UF out of bowl eligibility for yet another week.
Here is what stands out the most from Oklahoma’s successful, first trip to The Swamp:
No Answer is Right for Florida at QB
Aaron Philo struggled last week, facing the pressure of both Georgia’s suffocating defense and the outside noise for Tramell Jones Jr. to take over the starting quarterback role. That exact scenario unfolded this week, with Jones taking over the duties against Oklahoma to little success.
Jones finished his second collegiate start with a much different result than his first, completing 10 of his 22 passes for 133 yards and two interceptions. The first of the two blemishes came in a crucial spot for UF as well, with Jones delivering a pass into the chest of Oklahoma cornerback Courtland Guillory after the Gators passed on a 35-yard field goal and opted to go for it on fourth-and-2 inside the red zone. The sophomore passer also had limited room to run Saturday, only utilizing his legs 11 times for seven yards.
The Gators have now given both Philo and Jones a chance to stop the slide and get the season back on track. Neither has been able to, meaning Florida still has a long road to becoming bowl eligible based on what the quarterback position has given it. To say that the seven-point output is all on Jones is not fair, as the offensive unit as a whole continues to fall short.
Florida’s Offense in State of Dysfunction
Some teams face slumps or adversity in the SEC, but the top teams are able to figure it out and move forward. Florida is not yet a part of that group. The Gators have scored less than 20 points in their stretch of four losses in five games, the lone outlier being 27 points against Texas.
Florida’s offensive woes have worsened over the past two games, with the unit only mustering a lone touchdown in consecutive contests. The Gators also only produced 203 yards of total offense, another characteristic that depicts how lackluster the group has been.
“We’re making some things harder than they need to be, I feel like at times,” Sumrall said Saturday. “I don’t really have an explanation for it right here right now.”
What makes the struggle so frustrating for Sumrall and fans alike is how Florida’s offense started the season, blasting off for 214 points in its first four games. If the Gators cannot come up with answers on the offensive end quickly, it may be a long final three games to end the regular season.
Penalties, Penalties, Penalties
As much as Florida has been up and down, one aspect of the Gators’ season has been consistent. No team produces more penalty yards per game in the SEC than Florida (71.1), which clears the pack by five yards per game.
What was different from usual is not how many times Florida was flagged being costly, rather it was specifically when they were flagged.
After Florida came up empty on its first offensive drive, the Gators were driving successfully on their second attempt. Staring down a third-and-6 in Oklahoma’s territory, Jones found Florida wide receiver Bailey Stockton for an 18-yard strike to keep the drive alive. The big gain was called back moments later due to a holding penalty on right tackle Caden Jones.
The infraction set up a third-and-16, which Florida would also convert on a quarterback scramble from Jones for 18 yards. Unfortunately, it was déjà vu, as Jones would be called for holding again, killing any momentum Florida built offensively and pushing them far outside of field goal range.
The self-inflicted wounds continue to plague Florida, with no sign of an end to penalty problems in sight.
Defense Stays Solid, But Can’t Stop Bleeding
Through the first half, Florida’s defense did an adequate job of holding Oklahoma out of the end zone. Aside from the Sooners’ 15-play drive that ended with former Gator and OU tight end Hayden Hansen scoring on a 3-yard touchdown catch, UF was able to contain an Oklahoma offense that found rhythm early.
That trend continued through the third quarter until the unit crumbled on the longest drive of the season in the SEC. Oklahoma tacked on another touchdown after a 6-yard pass from quarterback John Mateer to wide receiver Isaiah Sategna III made the score 20-7. Far more impressive than how the drive ended is how it progressed, with Oklahoma controlling the ball for 20 plays and over 12 minutes and draining the chance of a Florida comeback.
“We would get maybe too aggressive, they would hit somebody in the flat and maybe make us pay for it. But that’s a frustrating deal,” Sumrall said. “It’s nagging because you’re wanting to get off the field so bad to get our offense another shot of making it a game and we couldn’t find an answer for getting off.”
The 23 points Florida’s defense gave up stand out slightly more considering the fact they came at the hands of Oklahoma’s interim offensive coordinator Jason Witten, who had never called plays at the collegiate level before stepping in as an interim Monday. When you take away that perspective though, the effort from Florida’s defense to hold its last three opponents under 30 points cannot go unnoticed.
Where Does Florida Go From Here?
One of Sumrall’s areas of emphasis Monday was how much the Gators still had left to play for, citing college football’s chaotic season as an opportunity for UF to possibly reach the College Football Playoff at 9-3 if it won out. That scenario is out the window with the loss to Oklahoma leaving the Gators dejected and losers of four out of their last five.
While all seems to be doom and gloom for Florida, the remaining three games still carry plenty of weight. For starters, the last 180 minutes of the regular season serve as an opportunity for Florida to evaluate the quarterback position for next season. Both Philo and Jones still carry plenty of eligibility, but a stretch of consistent and productive play matters if either wants to claim the starting role for their own next season.
Additionally, the Gators still sit only one win away from bowl eligibility and a ranked win at Kentucky next week would do wonders for the caliber of contest they end up in.
Most importantly of the list, a stretch of wins to end the seasons would instill more faith in the coaching staff’s ability after a roller coaster debut season for the Sumrall era at Florida. While a 4-0 start may have raised expectations past achievable points for this team, an 8-4 season that ended on a three-game win streak would show promise for what the Gators could achieve next season.
That mark may be unattainable if Florida cannot dig deep this week and prepare well to face a gritty Kentucky team on the road. The Gators, a 2.5 to 3.5-point underdog depending on the sportsbook, will need to look internally and figure out a plan to stop getting in their own way if they want to take down the playoff-hopeful No. 6 Wildcats (7-2, 5-2). Coverage begins at 3:15 p.m. Saturday on WRUF 98.1-FM/850-AM/103.7 HD2 and at 6:15 p.m. on ESPN.
“I think from an execution standpoint, there already is a spiral,” Sumrall said. “We have to be more detailed in what we’re doing to make improvements and adjustments.”
Category: Feature Sports News, Gator Sports, Gators Football
