Oklahoma’s 20-Play Drive Ate 12:45 — and Florida’s Night With It

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Oklahoma’s night in the Swamp turned on a drive that refused to end. The Sooners took over late in the third quarter and went 89 yards in 20 plays, burning 12 minutes and 45 seconds — their longest drive by plays and time in at least 18 years, per SoonerStats.com — before John Mateer found Isaiah Sategna III for a 6-yard touchdown with 4:56 to play. It sealed a 23–7 win over No. 24 Florida and a winning debut for interim offensive coordinator Jason Witten.

Witten’s story is half of this one. Oklahoma fired offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle earlier in the week and elevated Witten — the former Dallas Cowboys tight end who was coaching high school football in suburban Texas last year — from tight ends coach to play-caller. His first touchdown call went, fittingly, to a tight end: Mateer’s 3-yard pass to Hayden Hansen, himself a former Gator, put Oklahoma up 10–0 in the second quarter. Witten called the win “maybe the greatest moment” of his football career, per On3.

The Sooners never trailed. Tate Sandell opened the scoring with a 41-yard field goal, and after Jadan Baugh’s 15-yard touchdown run got Florida within 10–7, Sandell’s 48-yarder sent Oklahoma into halftime up 13–7. The third quarter went scoreless, and then the drive happened: five third-down conversions, the ball moving from Oklahoma’s own 11 to the end zone while the fourth quarter drained away around it.

Mateer finished 21-of-33 for 207 yards and two touchdowns without an interception, and led Oklahoma in rushing too — 14 carries for 56 yards. The Sooners outgained Florida 351–203, held the Gators to 70 rushing yards, ran 73 plays and held the ball for 37:50. Florida quarterback Tramell Jones Jr. went 10-of-22 for 133 yards with two interceptions, the last of them Peyton Bowen’s late pick, and Sandell’s 31-yard field goal at 1:56 closed the scoring. The loss also ended Florida’s streak of 48 consecutive home wins against teams visiting the Swamp for the first time.

Florida (5–4, 3–4 SEC) had just appeared in the College Football Playoff rankings for the first time since 2020; a home loss to a 5–4 team will not keep the Gators there. Oklahoma (5–4, 3–3 SEC) leaves Gainesville with its season steadied and a new play-caller who is suddenly very hard to argue with.

Every play from Gainesville lives on the game’s Game Center page, and the rest of the college football slate is on the College Football hub.