Florida Turns to Tramell Jones Jr. at Quarterback as No. 25 Gators Host Oklahoma

No. 25 Florida returns to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday night for its first game since a 27-8 loss to Georgia, and the Gators are expected to do it with a different quarterback. Tramell Jones Jr. is set to start against Oklahoma in place of Aaron Philo, according to reports from CBS Sports and ESPN, as first-year coach Jon Sumrall tries to steady a 5-3 season that has swung from a road upset of Texas to a turnover-filled afternoon in Atlanta.

Kickoff is 7:45 p.m. Eastern on SEC Network, with Matt Schumacker, Aaron Murray and Taylor Davis on the call, according to the Sooners' game notes as reported by Yahoo Sports. Florida, No. 25 in the AP poll and No. 24 in the College Football Playoff rankings, is favored by 5.5 points on ESPN's line. Oklahoma (4-4) is unranked.

The quarterback decision

Philo was pulled against Georgia after throwing two interceptions in Florida's first three drives, and he has lost his last three starts, according to Florida Gators On SI. Jones replaced him and went 18 of 25 for 172 yards with a rushing touchdown and an interception, but he also threw a late interception in the end zone as Florida tried to rally. ESPN's game preview credits Philo with 1,367 passing yards, nine touchdowns and five interceptions on the season while completing 70.5 percent of his passes.

Jones has been here before. When Philo was injured at Texas on Oct. 17, Jones led the Gators to a 27-24 upset of the then-No. 7 Longhorns in Austin, going 22 of 35 for 155 yards and two touchdowns, On SI reported. ESPN reported that he became the first Florida quarterback since 1997 to win his first career start on the road against a top-10 opponent. Saturday would be his second career start.

Sumrall did not publicly name a starter this week. On Monday he said there would be no big announcement at the position and that both quarterbacks need to be ready, and after the Georgia loss he said the players around the quarterback also have to play better, according to On SI. The site also reported that Jones is dealing with an injury that may require offseason surgery; Sumrall declined to give details.

Florida's season so far

The Gators opened 4-0 before losing three of their last four, with the Texas win the exception. Their results, from ESPN's schedule:

The Gators are 3-3 in SEC play. Running back Jadan Baugh has been the constant, with 801 yards and 13 touchdowns on 152 carries, though Georgia held him to 38 yards on 17 attempts. Dallas Wilson leads Florida with 31 catches for 417 yards, and Bailey Stockton caught eight passes for 76 yards against Georgia.

A strong Florida offense, a leaky defense

By the numbers in ESPN's preview, the Gators score 35.6 points per game, 23rd in FBS, and average 426 yards. The defense is the concern: Florida allows 28.1 points per game, which ranks 103rd, and 235.8 passing yards per game, 104th. Discipline is another issue, with Florida ranked 127th nationally at 75 penalty yards per game. On defense, Jayden Woods leads the team with 4.5 sacks and Myles Graham with 55 tackles.

Oklahoma at a crossroads

Oklahoma enters on a sour note after a 42-25 home loss to South Carolina, its fourth loss of the season. The Sooners are 2-3 in the SEC under Brent Venables, who is 36-24 at Oklahoma. Oklahoma's results, from ESPN's schedule:

Oklahoma started the season ranked No. 10, according to ESPN's schedule data, and it upset a top-ranked Texas team at the Cotton Bowl in October. But the Sooners have scored more than 27 points only once, in the opener against UTEP, and they have dropped two of their last three.

Venables has relieved offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle of his duties, and tight ends coach Jason Witten, the former Dallas Cowboys star, will call plays as interim coordinator for the first time, according to the Sooners' game notes reported by Yahoo Sports. Quarterback John Mateer is expected to start after taking his normal first-team repetitions this week. Mateer has thrown for 1,835 yards with 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions, and he threw for 244 yards and two touchdowns against South Carolina. Isaiah Sategna III leads Oklahoma with 45 catches for 591 yards.

The Oklahoma offense has struggled badly. The Sooners average 22 points per game, 108th nationally, and rank 128th in rushing at 106.8 yards per game, according to ESPN. Their defense is a different story: Oklahoma allows 304.6 yards per game, 20th in FBS, and opponents convert just 28.2 percent of third downs, seventh-best in the country.

Series history

This is only the third meeting between the programs and the first in Gainesville. Florida beat Oklahoma 24-14 in the BCS national championship game after the 2008 season, and Oklahoma won the Cotton Bowl 55-20 after the 2020 season, according to the Sooners' notes.

What's next

The stretch run is unforgiving for both teams. Florida visits Kentucky, No. 6 in the CFP rankings, on Nov. 14, hosts Vanderbilt on Nov. 21 and closes the regular season at Florida State on Nov. 27. Oklahoma hosts Ole Miss on Nov. 14. For Florida fans, Saturday's answers will come quickly: whether Jones can hold the job, whether the defense can contain a Sooners offense playing under a new play-caller, and whether the Gators can protect a spot in the rankings heading into the season's final three weeks.