sports
Oklahoma beat Florida 23-7 with Jason Witten calling plays
Oklahoma fired its offensive coordinator midweek and handed play-calling to former Cowboys tight end Jason Witten. The Sooners then held Florida to 203 yards and rolled to a 23-7 win.
Oklahoma beat Florida 23-7 on Saturday in Norman, one week after head coach Brent Venables fired his offensive coordinator and handed play-calling duties to Jason Witten, the former Dallas Cowboys tight end who joined the staff this season.
Quarterback John Mateer threw two touchdown passes and the Sooners ran for 201 yards. Oklahoma put the game away with an 89-yard, 20-play drive that consumed 12 minutes and 45 seconds of game clock, the AP reported.
Florida quarterback Tramell Jones Jr. finished 12-of-26 for 128 yards with two interceptions. The Gators managed 203 total yards and did not score an offensive touchdown.
What the coverage missed
The 20-play drive is the story of this game, and it got buried under the Witten angle. Oklahoma held the ball for nearly an entire quarter. Florida’s defense could not get off the field. That is more demoralizing than a quick touchdown, and it tells you more about who controlled the line of scrimmage.
Witten has never called plays at any level before this week. The results were not flashy — Oklahoma averaged 4.6 yards per play — but the Sooners did not turn the ball over and they sustained drives. Sometimes the best offensive coordinator is the one who does not get in the way.
Florida has now lost three of its last four. The Gators are 4-5 and need to win two of their last three to reach bowl eligibility. That is the real story in Gainesville, and nobody is talking about it because the SEC race is more interesting.
What I think
Oklahoma is not a playoff team, but the Sooners are good enough to beat anyone in the SEC at home. Venables took a risk firing his coordinator in November, and it worked. Witten will get the credit, but the defense won this game. Florida could not run the ball and could not protect Jones. When you do both of those things poorly on the road, you lose by 16.
Florida is in trouble. Billy Napier is coaching for his job, and the schedule does not get easier. The Gators play LSU and Florida State to close the season. If they lose both, the administration will have a decision to make.