Oklahoma 23, Florida 7: Sooners own the clock and win the turnover battle
Oklahoma held the ball for 37:50, forced two interceptions and shut out Florida after the first half to win 23-7 as a 4-point underdog.
Oklahoma went into Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday and beat No. 24 Florida 23-7 by keeping the ball away from the Gators and never giving it back. The Sooners held possession for 37:50, converted 10 of 18 third downs and finished with zero turnovers. Florida threw two interceptions and did not score after the second quarter.
Both teams are now 5-4. The full market history is on the game page.
How it was won
Tate Sandell opened the scoring with a 41-yard field goal at 7:36 of the first quarter. Oklahoma extended the lead early in the second when John Mateer found Hayden Hansen for a 3-yard touchdown at 9:42, making it 10-0.
Florida answered with its only score of the day. Jadan Baugh ran 15 yards for a touchdown at 3:00 of the second quarter, and Patrick Durkin's kick cut the deficit to 10-7. Oklahoma responded before halftime, and Sandell hit from 48 yards with 36 seconds left to make it 13-7 at the break.
The third quarter was scoreless. Oklahoma put the game away late: Mateer threw a 6-yard touchdown to Isaiah Sategna III at 4:56 of the fourth, and Sandell added a 31-yard field goal at 1:56. Sandell finished with three field goals and three extra points, 12 points in all.
The box score is lopsided. Oklahoma outgained Florida 351 to 203 and had 20 first downs to the Gators' 11. Mateer completed 21 of 33 passes for 207 yards and two touchdowns, and he was also the leading rusher with 56 yards on 14 carries. Lloyd Avant added 47 yards on 13 carries as the Sooners ran for 144. Rocky Beers caught four passes for 72 yards, and Jacob Jordan had four for 36.
Florida's offense never settled. Tramell Jones Jr. went 10 of 22 for 133 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions. The Gators converted 2 of 9 third downs and ran for 70 yards. Baugh had 35 yards on eight carries. Duke Clark was the most productive player in orange and blue, with 28 rushing yards and four catches for 70 yards; Dallas Wilson caught four for 48.
Against the number
Florida closed as a 4-point favorite, with moneylines of Florida -185 and Oklahoma +154. Oklahoma won outright by 16, covering by 20 points.
The total closed at 46.5. With 30 points scored, the game went comfortably under, by 16.5. A third quarter without points and a Florida offense held to 203 yards did most of that work.
What's next
Oklahoma hosts No. 10 Ole Miss on Saturday, November 14. The Sooners have alternated wins and losses all season, a run that started with a 51-0 win over UTEP and includes a 27-24 win over then-No. 1 Texas and losses to Georgia, Kentucky and South Carolina. This was their second straight road win after losses at Michigan and Georgia earlier in the year.
Florida travels to No. 6 Kentucky on Saturday, November 14, on ESPN. The Gators have lost three of their last four, with the 27-24 win at Texas the lone exception, and they have scored 15 points combined in losses to Georgia and Oklahoma over the past two weeks. After a 4-0 start, the offense that put up 52 points against Ole Miss has not found the same footing.
