Kyle Trask Struggles as Spencer Rattler, Oklahoma Rout Florida in Cotton Bowl

Lincoln Riley’s bowl drought resulted in blowout vogue. 

The Oklahoma head coach eventually bought his first postseason victory on his fourth are trying because the No. 6 Sooners knocked off a shorthanded No. 7 Florida crew, 55-20, on the Cotton Bowl Fundamental in Arlington, Texas, on Wednesday.

OU (9-2) has now received on the least nine video games in every of Riley’s first four seasons.

The Gators (8-4) played with out their top four pass-catchers. Wideouts Trevon Grimes and Kadarius Toney opted out to prepare for the NFL draft. Tight cease Kyle Pitts also declined to raise part, while receiver Jacob Copeland used to be unable to play after sorting out determined for COVID-19.

The foursome mixed for 2,778 yards and 34 touchdowns this 365 days. That gave Florida quarterback and Heisman Trophy finalist Kyle Trask a possibility to illustrate off his ability set with a recent carve of receivers, nonetheless it unquestionably wasn’t ample to manufacture the take.

Or not it’s the principle time UF has did not take its bowl sport beneath head coach Dan Mullen.

Principal Performers

Spencer Rattler, QB, Oklahoma Sooners: 14-of-23, 247 yards, 3 touchdowns

Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, Oklahoma Sooners: 18 carries, 186 yards, 1 touchdown

Charleston Rambo, WR, Oklahoma Sooners: 2 catches, 45 yards, 1 touchdown 

Kyle Trask, QB, Florida Gators: 16-of-28, 158 yards, 3 interceptions 

Emory Jones, QB, Florida Gators: 8-of-16, 86 yards; 10 carries, 60 yards, 1 touchdown

Florida Cannot Match Sooners’ Stage

Per week ahead of Oklahoma and Florida kicked off, Gators linebacker James Houston uttered a phrase he potentially wants he could well additionally raise relieve.

“Oklahoma is a factual matchup,” Houston urged newshounds. “But they don’t appear to be on our diploma, they don’t appear to be SEC, they don’t appear to be the Florida Gators.” 

These words could well well be thrown relieve at him with 11 minutes closing in the fourth quarter. With OU up 41-13, the overwhelmingly pro-Oklahoma crowd started chanting “S-E-C” relieve on the Gators. The Sooners scored some other time moments later to perform it 47-13.

No subject mystique the Southeastern Convention carried heading into the Cotton Bowl, it used to be gone as soon as Oklahoma took the self-discipline. As a substitute, it used to be OU quarterback Spencer Rattler who appeared extra like one amongst the cease gamers in the nation as he led nine scoring drives on 14 possessions. 

The Sooners racked up 249 passing yards, 435 rushing yards, 61 tackles and one sack.

It used to be primarily the most capabilities allowed by Florida in a bowl sport since Steve Spurrier’s 1995 crew misplaced 62-24 to Nebraska in the Fiesta Bowl. It also occurred to be the 2d straight sport the Gators gave up bigger than 50 capabilities after Alabama hung 52 on them in the SEC Championship. 

It bought to the point the set OU used to be readying to present Riley the identical old Gatorade bathtub with bigger than four minutes easy closing. 

Ultimate one crew appeared elite on Wednesday. It wasn’t the membership that bragged about it. 

Shaky Open Sinks Gators

No subject Mullen regarded as the worst-case scenario to begin the Cotton Bowl ahead of the game, actuality proved worthy worse. 

A considerable amount of turnovers, accidents and dropped passes restricted what used to be already a skinny offense. Oklahoma’s ability to quick flip that inferior fortune into capabilities build UF in a near-very unlikely gap to near relieve from. And a quarterback whose next stop is the Heisman Trophy ceremony sounded just like the leisure nonetheless a contender. 

Trask used to be intercepted on relieve-to-relieve-to-relieve drives to launch the game after the Sooners had already sliced their formulation thru the Gators protection for a touchdown on the principle possession of the game, which most intriguing ate up two minutes of clock.

The first opt Trask tossed used to be taken relieve for a touchdown. The 2d led to an OU self-discipline goal. The third by some potential came relieve to Florida after the protection recovered an OU fumble—yet that can per chance well presumably additionally’ve been primarily the most dispiriting play of the half of on one amongst the wildest drives of the game. 

Sophomore backup quarterback Emory Jones entered the game as Mullen gave Trask a further 2d to earn his composure after missing his target on first down. Jones and Trask kept switching off in the huddle, rattling OU’s protection. After eventually reaching the Sooners’ 10-yard line, Trask used to be picked off in the tip zone, killing any momentum UF had mustered. 

After tossing five picks all season prolonged, the senior quarterback turned the ball over three instances correct away Wednesday. 

Trask appeared prepared to high-tail out the relief of the game on the sidelines after Jones bullied into the tip zone for the Gators’ first touchdown of the evening ahead of halftime, nonetheless he turned ailing as he jogged off the self-discipline, requiring Trask to re-enter. 

Jones used to be healthy ample to return in the 2d half of as Trask’s college profession resulted in correct in regards to primarily the most brutal formulation that it’s likely you’ll per chance well presumably mediate of. After racking up 4,125 passing yards and an NCAA-main 43 touchdowns, his time at UF concluded in heartbreak. 

What’s Next?

Florida enters the offseason with hundreds of momentum on the recruiting path. In accordance with 247Sports actions, the Gators have the No. 5 class in the SEC for 2021, ranking No. 10 in the nation. The Sooners, meanwhile, sit down atop the Gargantuan 12 rankings with one 5-important person recruit and 12 4-stars. That locations OU at No. 9 in the nation.