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Oklahoma Football: 3 takeaways from Cotton Bowl win over Florida

By James Costanz

Dec 30, 2020; Arlington, TX, USA; Oklahoma Sooners head coach Lincoln Riley holds up the trophy after the game against the Florida Gators at ATT Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 30, 2020; Arlington, TX, USA; Oklahoma Sooners head coach Lincoln Riley holds up the trophy after the game against the Florida Gators at ATT Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 30, 2020; Arlington, TX, USA; Florida Gators quarterback Kyle Trask (11) throws a pass against the Oklahoma Sooners in the first quarter at ATT Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 30, 2020; Arlington, TX, USA; Florida Gators quarterback Kyle Trask (11) throws a pass against the Oklahoma Sooners in the first quarter at ATT Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Depleted Florida looked lifeless

There is no other way to paint this picture. Florida has had a brutal end to this season and it cannot end soon enough. Florida lost to LSU on Senior night after a shoe was tossed approximately 65 yards across the field. Then went on to lose in the SEC Championship in a far better effort, but a loss nonetheless.

Then you get to the Cotton Bowl. It is a tall task for any team to lose their best playmaker, but to arguably lose your four best? That put them in a hole too deep to dig out of.

The Gators were outplayed from start to finish on both sides of the ball. Kyle Trask had his worst performance of what was a great season. The Gators’ defense allowed 435 rushing yards and 48 points. There was no energy from the Gators and it showed on the field.

It is disappointing to see Florida go from a legitimate national champion contender to a 8-4 team in such a short period of time. Gator fans should remember this season as a good one, but it is tough to shake this three-game losing streak off. They played very well for the majority of the year, but when times got tough they could not answer the bell.

The Gators will lose many key players to the NFL, such as Trask, Pitts, Wilson and Toney. But, they are on track to have a third straight season in which their recruiting class ranks in the top 10 of the FBS. Dan Mullen has this program on the right track, but he has much more work to do to ensure that a finish like this will not happen again.

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