GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida coach Jon Sumrall did his homework.
Looking for a strong message to wake up the Gators after their lackluster loss to Georgia last week in Atlanta, Sumrall flipped the calendar to November.
Literally and figuratively.
He reminded the 24th-ranked Gators (5-3, 3-3) as they prepared for Saturday night's Southeastern Conference home game against Oklahoma (4-4, 2-3) that they have much to play for in the final month of the regular season. First, they can become bowl-eligible by beating the Sooners. That might not sound like much, but considering Florida has been home during bowl season two of the past three years, it's a start.
Beyond that, Florida still has a chance to finish with a winning SEC record and a nine-win season. Again, Sumrall has larger goals in mind, but you've got to start somewhere.
"I showed them what 9-3 looks like versus 5-7,'' Sumrall said. "At the end of the day, if you win the next four, lose the next four, how does that feel? A lot different."
Back at home on Saturday 🐊 🆚 Oklahoma ⏰ 7:45 p.m. ET 📺 SEC Network 🏟️ The Swamp 🎟️ https://t.co/mniIA0SS5r https://t.co/mqz6PS8sAp
Florida is 7-14 in the final month of the regular season over the past five seasons. The only bowling that gets you is at Splitz of Gainesville.
The Gators are coming off a loss, and so are the Sooners. Oklahoma suffered a beatdown at home against South Carolina last week — Sumrall can relate to Sooners coach Brent Venables in that regard — but Venables has more problems than a bad home loss.
He made a change at offensive coordinator this week (see below) and needs a win to quiet the critics. That's life in the SEC. One week you're up, one week you're down.
Here is our latest edition of The Opening Kickoff for a closer look at the Florida-Oklahoma game:
THREE STORYLINES
Second-year quarterback Tramell Jones Jr. will make his second career start for the Gators. Jones replaced Aaron Philo in last week's loss against Georgia, completing 18 of 25 passes for 172 yards and an interception. He scored Florida's only touchdown on a 2-yard run in the fourth quarter. Jones filled in for an injured Philo on Oct. 17 at Texas and led the Gators to a 27-24 upset of the No. 7-ranked Longhorns. He finished 22 of 35 for 155 yards and two touchdowns.
The Gators are at home for the first time since their 19-point loss to South Carolina on Oct. 10, marking their second consecutive lopsided loss. They rebounded to upset Texas the following week, but after a bye week, the Gators did not play well in their loss to Georgia last week in Atlanta. Former head coach Urban Meyer will be inducted into the program's Ring of Honor at the end of the first quarter. Meyer went 65-15 in six seasons leading the Gators from 2005-2010, including two national championships (2006 and 2008). Meyer's second national title came with a 24-14 victory over the Sooners in the BCS National Championship Game.
Oklahoma is expected to start quarterback John Mateer after firing offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle on Monday and naming tight ends coach Jason Witten as the interim OC. Mateer (1,835 yards passing, 13 TDs) has been under heavy scrutiny with seven interceptions and two lost fumbles in the first eight games. The Sooners are ranked 108th in scoring offense and 111th in total offense. Witten, the former University of Tennessee and Dallas Cowboys standout, will call the plays the rest of the season to see if he can spark the offense.
THREE PLAYERS TO WATCH
Tramell Jones Jr. is the obvious one for the Gators. He will be making his first start at The Swamp in a night game. While the experience will be a new one for him, his performance on the road in front of 103,000 fans at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium proved he can handle the spotlight. Jones dealt with unspecified physical ailments ahead of the Georgia game but showed no signs of being slowed by injury when he took over in the second quarter. Jones has completed 70.8% of his passes (63 of 89) for 579 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions. He has 77 yards and one touchdown rushing.
Staying focused on quarterbacks, John Mateer entered his second season at Oklahoma with high expectations. After throwing for more than 3,000 yards and 29 touchdowns two seasons ago for Washington State, Mateer passed for 2,885 yards, 14 scores and 11 interceptions in his first season in Norman. Sooners fans yearned for Mateer's Washington State numbers in 2026. Instead, fans have blamed the fifth-year senior for the Sooners' offensive struggles. He has completed 65.6% (162 of 247) and needs 165 yards Saturday to reach 2,000 yards for the season, but turnovers and lack of a consistent running game have caused issues.
Gators receiver Eric Singleton Jr. is not having the season most expected due to a high-ankle sprain he suffered in the first game of the season. Singleton missed two games and has slowly worked his way back onto the field. He has 13 receptions for 101 yards, used mostly on quick passes and horizontal runs. Singleton appears to be getting more comfortable each week, and the Gators could use him at full speed with Vernell Brown III ruled out for his fifth consecutive game and the offense seeking answers.
FIVE QUESTIONS WITH … GATORS TE LACOTA DIPPRE
A transfer from James Madison, Dippre has started six games and has four receptions in the past two games, including two for touchdowns in the win at Texas.
Tight end Lacota Dippre catches one of his two touchdowns in Florida's win at Texas on Oct. 17. (Photo: Hannah White/UAA Communications)
Q: What was it like to catch those two scores at Texas in a big win?
A: It was definitely something exciting. It was exciting just because it helped the team win. Even if it's in the pass game or the run game, it was definitely nice to get a little bit of exposure there. It was definitely something that helped me have more confidence about myself.
Q: Where has your game improved the most this season?
A: Definitely in the run game. I work on my footwork and hand placement a lot, and my tight end coach did a great job with me. I'm not the biggest tight end in the SEC, nowhere near it, but I think I do a pretty good job within the run game, blocking even people that are bigger than me and things like that. It was definitely something I'd get better at; understanding fundamentals and technique is going to play a crucial role with my body.
Q: What is the mindset after the Georgia loss?
A: Obviously, it's not the outcome you want, but there's a lot of things that maybe fans don't really see. We weren't playing our best football individually. I didn't play a perfect game. The guy next to me didn't play a perfect game. You need everyone to do a good job to get yards.
Q: What do you remember about Jason Witten as a tight end?
A: I mean, he was a dude. He was really good in the NFL. He's definitely one of the top tight ends when he played. And you know, it'll be pretty cool. I mean, I don't know much about his coaching style or anything. I haven't seen anything on that. But, you know, that's pretty cool to have him across the sideline, as he's one of the better tight ends to ever play.
Q: Do you expect the team to be fired up a little extra with Urban Meyer going into the Ring of Honor?
A: Yeah, when he came by and told us his message, it was great. It stuck with me. This is a guy who's done it. It's not a guy that's just fronting or saying whatever. He's won national championships, so you really want to hone in on that. I've been watching the Saban documentary too, and he's on it a lot, talking about when they played Alabama and everything. And you know, every game you want to go out there and honor everyone that walked through this building, every fan that cheers for Florida, every kid that wants to be a Florida Gator.
THREE DIGITS
48 — Consecutive wins for Florida against opponents playing for the first time at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. 600 — Rushing yards for Jadan Baugh in the first four games. 201 — Rushing yards for Baugh in the last four games. AVAILABILITY REPORT*
FLORIDA — OUT: WR Vernell Brown III (knee), LB Jaden Robinson (undisclosed), OL Emeka Ugorji (undisclosed), TE Evan Chieca (undisclosed), DL Jeramiah McCloud (suspended). PROBABLE: WR Bailey Stockton (foot), DL Emmanuel Oyebadejo (undisclosed). OKLAHOMA — OUT: LB Taylor Heim, DB Dakoda Fields, WR Trell Harris, LB Cole Sullivan, TE Trynae Washington, DB Jacobe Johnson, OL Ryan Fodje, OL Fred Hinton. DOUBTFUL: OL Eddy Pierre-Louis. QUESTIONABLE: DB Peyton Bowen. PROBABLE: WR Elijah Thomas, DL Kenny Ozowalu.
*Updated Friday evening NEWS, NOTES, NUGGETS
Third all-time meeting between the schools, and first since the 2020 Cotton Bowl. Florida beat the Sooners for the 2008 BCS National Championship in Miami, and Oklahoma hammered the Gators in Arlington, Texas, six years ago.
This is the first regular-season matchup between the programs and the first on-campus meeting.
Both teams lost to South Carolina at home. The Gamecocks beat the Gators 38-19 at The Swamp on Oct. 10. Last week in Norman, the Sooners lost to South Carolina, 42-25.
The Gators will be without suspended defensive tackle Jeramiah McCloud, who is second among UF's interior linemen with 22 tackles. That opens the door for more playing time for reserves DK Kalu and Joseph Mbatchou.
Florida receiver Bailey Stockton has a team-high 35 receptions for 365 yards and two scores. Stockton is just four receptions shy of matching his total (39) in his final two seasons at Georgia Tech.
Junior running back Jadan Baugh needs 199 yards over the next four games to become the first player in program history with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. After averaging 150.0 yards per game in the first four games, Baugh has been limited to 50.3 ypg in the last four games.
Former Gators tight end Hayden Hansen has seven receptions for 84 yards and one score in his first season with the Sooners. Hansen transferred to Oklahoma after catching 30 passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns a season ago at UF.
Sooners defensive back D'Yoni Hill is coming home. Hill played at Gainesville High and epitomizes player movement in today's game. He started his career at Marshall, transferred to Miami in 2024, played at Wisconsin in 2025, and is finishing up at Oklahoma. Hill has played in five games.
Oklahoma's season looks like this: W-L-W-L-W-L-W-L. Before this season, Oklahoma's longest alternating win-loss start was six games, in 1968 under head coach Chuck Fairbanks and 2006 under Bob Stoops (both seasons started with a loss).
Sooners linebacker Owen Heinecke started his college career as a lacrosse player at Ohio State. He transferred to Oklahoma and was a walk-on his first three seasons. Heinecke has led OU in tackles in seven of eight contests and boasts team highs of 64 stops, 7.5 tackles for loss and four QB hurries.
THEY SAID IT
"I'm just glad to finally be back. Road games are fun and all, but it ain't nothing like The Swamp." — Gators defensive lineman Brendan Bett on the first home game in almost a month
"He's a tough guy and knows the value of running the football and the things that come with that, with the success that you have running the football. I think the best thing that he does, he looks at things from a defensive structure. He understands defense and how to attack defense." — Sooners coach Brent Venables on Gators offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner
"It's hard sometimes to block out any criticism or noise, and you're not in control of it. I think he's handling it well, but I'd be lying if I said it doesn't get to guys sometimes. And I think I've tried to encourage him, like, 'Hey, man, I'm for you. I've got your back. When you're ready and when it's right, let's go. If it's not right yet, let's be smart tough, not dumb tough.' And so I've tried to encourage him, and we believe in him." — Gators head coach Jon Sumrall on the criticism some fans have voiced toward injured WR Vernell Brown III
They continue to play defense the way they have the past two games and keep the pressure off Jones in his first home start. Jones will need help offensively, starting with Baugh and the running game. The offensive line has to play better than it did against Georgia for that to happen. Oh, and in case anyone has forgotten: avoid costly mistakes that lead to easy points. Georgia scored 17 points off UF turnovers in the first half last week, and that was the ballgame.
WHY SOONERS WILL WIN
Mateer responds to the offensive coordinator change with his first 300-yard passing game of the season. That includes Witten dialing up plays downfield against a Florida secondary that has played better in recent weeks after getting torched early in the season. Perhaps the most important factor for the Sooners will be to keep the crowd noise to a minimum. The Swamp at night is different, and the Sooners will quickly learn if the Gators come out balling.
