Florida's Dan Mullen: 'Scout Team' Played Well in Cotton Bowl Loss vs. Oklahoma

The No. 6 Oklahoma Sooners crushed the shorthanded No. 7 Florida Gators 55-20 in the Cotton Bowl on Wednesday. Florida had 16 players on the inactive list, including stars such as tight end Kyle Pitts and wide receivers Kadarius Toney and Trevon Grimes.  

After the game, Florida head coach Dan Mullen referenced his team's roster state in a discussion with reporters.

"The last game the 2020 team played was 11 days ago," Mullen said.

He also added the Gators "didn't have to play" and that he thought the "scout team guys played well."

Florida was missing players on the defensive side of the ball, as well, including cornerback Marco Wilson, safety Shawn Davis, linebacker Ventrell Miller and defensive tackle Kyree Campbell.

The Sooners dominated the Gators from start to finish, amassing 684 yards from scrimmage. They led 17-0 before the midway point of the first quarter and took a 31-13 edge into halftime. Oklahoma also scored the first 24 points of the second half before Florida put a garbage-time touchdown on the board.

In addition, Oklahoma rushed for 435 yards and three touchdowns on 40 carries, logging 10.9 yards per attempt.

On defense, OU forced quarterback Kyle Trask to throw three interceptions, including one that led to a Tre Norwood pick-six. The Heisman Trophy finalist went just 16-of-28 for 158 yards and no touchdowns.

Oklahoma finished its season 9-2. The Gators fell to 8-4.