Emmanuel Oyebadejo and Jeremiah McCloud react after a play against the Bulldogs at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. (Photo: Hannah White/UAA Communications)
A November To Remember? Gators Turn Attention To Sooners, Strong Finish
Wednesday, November 4, 2026 | Football, Scott Carter
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By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — In his first season as the Gators' head coach, Jon Sumrall got his first taste of the Florida-Georgia game last weekend.
He probably was ready to spit it out by halftime. But after a couple of days to rinse away the 27-8 defeat, Sumrall reminded his team where they are in the season.
"You signed up for the whole year,'' he said.
The 24th-ranked Gators (5-3, 3-3) open their November slate against unranked Oklahoma (4-4, 2-3) in the first matchup between the schools since the Sooners joined the Southeastern Conference. Florida remains in contention for a bowl berth and a nine-win regular season.
Those factors headlined Sumrall's message after the disappointing loss to the Bulldogs and with Oklahoma set to make its first appearance at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
"You remember the games you play in November,'' he said. "These games are valuable. How you finish matters. I'm not saying we're there yet, but if we find a way to just go 1-0 every week for the next four weeks, and you look up – who knows where you stand at that point in the chaos [that] we're all in in college football right now.
"If you could find your way to 9-3 at the end, there's a lot of possibilities that could happen with what else is going on in the world."
Tight end Luke Harpring signals a touchdown after quarterback Tramell Jones Jr.scores on a 2-yard run against Georgia. (Photo: Victoria Riccobono/UAA Communications)
Whether Sumrall pulled out Florida's record books and studied past Novembers is unknown, but if so, he was on point with former UF coach Urban Meyer returning to The Swamp on Saturday to be inducted into the program's Ring of Honor.
Meyer's UF teams, after losing at South Carolina in his first season in 2005, won 19 consecutive November games before losing to the Gamecocks in 2010, his final season. Meanwhile, Billy Napier, the man Sumrall replaced, struggled mightily in late-season games. Napier's UF teams went 5-13 in November during his four seasons.
To put together a November to remember, the Gators must eliminate the mistakes that doomed them in the loss to Georgia. Florida committed three first-half turnovers that led to 17 Georgia points and trailed 24-0 at halftime.
When the Gators gathered Monday to review the loss, Sumrall asked for a show of hands from those who committed miscues. Many hands went up.
"I raised mine,'' he said. "I got a penalty."
Officials flagged the Gators for eight penalties and 78 yards, including a 15-yard unsportsmanlike call on Sumrall. Following Aaron Philo's second interception, Sumrall was penalized for bumping into an official on the field. The additional yardage gave Georgia the ball at Florida's 17-yard line, and four plays later, Peyton Woodring's 28-yard field goal put the Bulldogs up 10-0.
"That's on me; the head coach is a dumbass,'' Sumrall said in his postgame press conference. "I wanted to go out there and make the freakin' tackle; that's what I wanted to do. I just lost my mind and was ready to go walk out in the field, and for a second probably lost my cool."
Philo's two interceptions led to points, as did a fumble by his replacement, Tramell Jones Jr. In the final minute before halftime, Jones was hit as he prepared to throw a pass, and Chris Cole scooped up the fumble and returned it for a 66-yard touchdown, giving Georgia a commanding 24-0 halftime lead. Jones threw an interception in the end zone in the second half.
Jon Sumrall watches from the sideline during the loss to Georgia. (Photo: Hannah White/UAA Communications)
Still, as poorly as the Gators played in Atlanta, they are ranked in the College Football Playoff rankings for the first time since 2020. The first rankings came out Tuesday night, with Florida at No. 24.
They caused quite a stir, with two-loss Alabama ranked No. 5, one-loss Notre Dame at No. 11, and one-loss Wake Forest at No. 16.
It has been an unpredictable season, and November will likely follow suit, which is why Sumrall urged the Gators to stay focused and not let up.
"We just have to come together as a group and understand that we gotta go every play as if we're the challenged player,'' tight end Lacota Dippre said. "And whoever's playing quarterback for us, just to give them the best ability. We have to help them out. Their job's hard enough as is."
While the Gators hope to get right Saturday, they face an Oklahoma team with its own issues. Head coach Brent Venables fired offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle on Monday and named tight ends coach Jason Witten, the former Tennessee and NFL standout, as interim offensive coordinator.
The Sooners lost to South Carolina at home last week, and their offense ranks 111th nationally (336.9 yards per game) and 108th in scoring (22.0 points per game). Compounding matters, quarterback John Mateer has struggled to recapture the promise he showed last season.
Mateer has thrown for 1,835 yards, 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He has also lost two fumbles. Sooners fans are calling for a change, much like UF fans who are lobbying for Jones to replace Philo as the starter. Venables remained noncommittal this week about whether a change is coming. If so, Whitt Newbauer or Bowe Bentley would take over for Mateer.
Regardless of who starts at quarterback, they will face a tough Sooners defense that is ranked fifth in the SEC (304.6 ypg) and seventh in scoring defense (20.8). Sixth-year linebacker Owen Heinecke has a team-high 64 tackles, including 7.5 tackles for loss and two sacks.
The Sooners represent Florida's first challenge in November; then they head to Kentucky, host Vanderbilt, and play Florida State.
None will be easy. But the Gators know they made it too easy for Georgia.
"We still have a lot left to play for,'' Sumrall said. "We have to find ways to continue to grow as a program. Our margins for winning right now are smaller than they need to be, and so we have to find every way to find an advantage to be successful."
