GAINESVILLE, FL — A primary-time customer to The Swamp hadn’t left with a win in virtually 40 years. Till the Sooners did simply that Saturday evening.
OU beat Florida 23-7, subduing the Gators amid a rowdy crowd in Gainesville.
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Let’s get to the grades.
Extra: 5 OU soccer takeaways as Jason Witten sparks Sooners’ offense in rout at Florida
Tate Sandell was shaky in OU’s final street recreation. He went 3 for six on discipline targets at Mississippi State. He was stable in The Swamp. An ideal 3 for 3.
Sandell’s 41-yard discipline purpose gave OU factors on its opening drive. Then he made a 48-yarder earlier than halftime to present the Sooners a 13-7 lead. He completed issues off with a 31-yard chip shot.
The Sooners made three discipline targets and scored two touchdowns.
It has been a “down” season for Sandell, however he is now 15 for 21 on his discipline purpose tries. That is not dangerous.
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Retaining Florida off the sector: A
OU’s offense took the sector with 2:41 left within the third quarter. It exited the sector after Isaiah Sategna caught a landing with 4:56 left within the fourth quarter.
Twelve minutes and 45 seconds. That is how lengthy OU’s scoring drive was. It went 20 performs for 89 yards.
I am nonetheless making an attempt to wrap my head round it.
Loopy factor is, OU had a 15-play drive that lasted seven minutes and 11 seconds earlier within the recreation. That drive was OU’s longest of the season till it was trumped by the mega drive spanning the third and fourth quarters.
OU had a 15-minute benefit in time of possession.
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GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – NOVEMBER 07: Jacob Jordan #7 of the Oklahoma Sooners makes a catch within the first quarter of the sport between the Florida Gators and Oklahoma Sooners at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on November 07, 2026 in Gainesville, Florida. (Picture by Dustin Markland/Getty Photographs)
Jacob Jordan had 4 catches for 36 yards, which feels like a modest stat line.
However all 4 of Jordan’s catches have been third-down conversions. Of OU’s 20 first downs, Jordan was answerable for a fifth of them.
His catches weren’t flashy, however they have been awfully clutch.
Tight finish Rocky Beers led the Sooners with 72 receiving yards. Jordan was second, with two extra receiving yards than Isaiah Sategna.
Owen Heinecke ought to no less than be credited with half an interception. It was the Sooner linebacker that broke by way of the Gators’ entrance and popped quarterback Tramell Jones Jr., forcing an errant throw that Courtland Guillory dove to intercept.
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It was a touchdown-saving play for the Sooners within the third quarter. It got here on a fourth and three for Florida from OU’s 17-yard line.
Jones had receiver Eric Singleton Jr. huge open ultimately zone. It could’ve been a straightforward throw for Jones had Heinecke not been in Jones’ grill.
Heinecke led the Sooners with 10 tackles, together with one and half tackles for a loss.
Heinecke and the Sooners did a great job containing star Florida operating again Jadan Baugh, who rushed for under 35 yards.
Nov 7, 2026; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Oklahoma Sooners linebacker Owen Heinecke (38) gestures after a quarterback sack in the course of the first half towards the Florida Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Obligatory Credit score: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Photographs
Jason Witten: A+
The Sooners scored on their first two drives for the primary time in an SEC recreation since becoming a member of the league.
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One other line Jason Witten can add to his resume.
The long run hall-of-fame tight finish made one heck of a debut as OU’s playcaller. Is it too quickly to take away the interim tag?
Witten dialed up a great thing about a play on OU’s first landing. John Mateer faked a handoff to his operating again, then faked a flip to a receiver, then threw a landing go to Hayden Hansen.
Hansen was a becoming recipient on two ranges. In fact the primary landing below Witten went to a good finish. A good finish who transferred to OU from Florida.
Mateer appeared comfy all evening, which is not any small factor. Witten put him in the proper positions.
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Uniform matchup: C+
Florida’s basic residence look is difficult to beat: Orange helmets with “Gators” spelled in blue script, blue jerseys and white pants.
The Gators determined to go all blue Saturday evening. I did not thoughts the blue pants, however no orange helmets??? Travesty is just too sturdy of a phrase, however not by a lot.
The Sooners went with their customary street whites — their greatest look.
The Swamp: A+
This was the Sooners’ first journey to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, higher often known as “The Swamp.” Credit score legendary coach Steve Spurrier for the nickname.
“The Swamp is a spot the place solely Gators get out alive,” Spurrier advised the Gainesville Solar in 1992.
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The title took off from there.
The stadium holds 88,548 — about 8,000 seats greater than OU’s Gaylord Household-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Gainesville itself is about 20,000 folks greater than Norman.
So far as atmospheres, this was proper up there with Tennessee as one of the best I’ve witnessed for the reason that Sooners joined the SEC. It was looooouuuud when the Sooner offense took the sector for the primary time.
The “Go Gators” chant and chomp are iconic. Faculty soccer pageantry at its best.
Joe Mussatto is a sports activities columnist for The Oklahoman. Have a narrative concept for Joe? E mail him at jmussatto@oklahoman.com. Assist Joe’s work and that of different Oklahoman journalists by buying a digital subscription immediately at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
This text initially appeared on Oklahoman: Jason Witten revives OU soccer offense in beatdown of Florida in The Swamp | Report card
