Florida’s defense did show some signs of life on Saturday, and they kept the Gators hanging around long enough that, had the offense had a pulse, their fate might have been different.
But while they only gave up 23 points to Oklahoma, it was a deceptive 23 points, as the Sooners played ball control all night long, and Florida didn’t seem to have answers for a guy who was calling plays for the first time ever.
Florida gave up a 20-play TD drive to Oklahoma
For those keeping score at home, Oklahoma fired its offensive coordinator last week and installed Hall of Fame tight end Jason Witten to call plays in college for the first time ever. Oklahoma’s first drive was ten plays and ended with a field goal.
Okay, fine, we can live with that.
Then Oklahoma engineered a 15-play drive that ended with former Gator Hayden Hansen receiving a walk-in TD after some razzle-dazzle. It should also be noted that Oklahoma entered the game with the 2nd worst red zone TD rate in the country.
Lovely.
After Florida got a TD, the Sooners went down and kicked another field goal to enter halftime with a 13-7 lead.
Coming out of halftime, Florida got some needed stops and seemed to have some confidence brewing. They forced three straight punts to open the half, so it isn’t their fault that the offense seemed unbothered to reward them.
But then Florida looked hopeless as Oklahoma strung together a 20-play drive that once again ended in a red zone TD to seal the game. Oklahoma had 1st and 20 on that drive and still managed to convert to keep things going.
Again, if keeping score at home, it is the first 20-play drive to end in a TD the Gators have given up over at least the past 20 years.
Afterward, Sumrall was asked about the drive and admitted they didn’t seem to adjust to what Oklahoma was wanting to do:
“And situationally, I go back to we didn't have a real good awareness or feel for what that looked like and how they were going to call it, that it was really already a four-minute drill in their mind, which means they're trying to run the clock out to some degree, where they weren't looking for explosives right there.
They were just looking to kind of keep getting enough yards to convert and nothing down the field as much. But situationally, there's a couple things that I'd like to do differently as a coach there. And I have to be better, and our staff has to be better for our guys on defense next time.“
There is truth to that, but it also seemed that, at the point of contact, Oklahoma kept falling forward to pick up yards. Whether that is toughness, desire, or overall strength is something only Sumrall can know.
And so while things have gotten better on defense compared to where they were, giving up three drives of ten plays or more to a guy who had never called plays before isn’t the greatest of looks.
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