ARLINGTON, Texas - Oklahoma football coach Lincoln Riley will remember this season for a long time.
It took a lot to get to the end of it, but it came with two significant trophies for his Sooners.
Oklahoma navigated a schedule played under the cloud of the COVID-19 pandemic - and the program's first 0-2 start in Big 12 play since 1998 - to win its sixth conference title in a row, then wrapped it up with an overwhelming 55-20 victory over Southeastern Conference runner-up Florida on Wednesday night in the Cotton Bowl, the first New Year's Six game of the 2020 season.
"It's very meaningful to us, with the way the year has gone, for everybody to be able to look at the tough things and not see obstacles but see opportunities," Riley said. "It's been our mindset. We felt that way the entire year and really closed so strong."
Spencer Rattler threw three touchdown passes and ran for another score, and Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for 186 yards for the Sooners (9-2) at the Dallas Cowboys' AT&T Stadium, the same NFL venue where 11 days earlier they won the Big 12 championship.
Oklahoma led Florida 17-0 in the first seven minutes on way to the most points and yards (684) the Sooners have ever generated in a bowl game. The Sooners rushed for 435 yards, including 110 from freshman Marcus Major. They averaged 10.52 yards per play overall, the most ever against a Power Five opponent in a bowl game, according to STATS.
Rattler threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to fellow freshman Marvin Mims on the game's opening series, and Florida's first possession ended with Tre Norwood's 45-yard interception return for a touchdown. That was the first of three picks thrown by Heisman Trophy finalist quarterback Kyle Trask in the first quarter - after he had only five all season.
"A couple of times, we confused their quarterback with coverage, and he let go of a couple of throws that weren't as decisive as we usually see him make," Riley said.
Oklahoma played in its sixth consecutive New Year's Six bowl game, but the past three seasons the Sooners had lost College Football Playoff semifinals while giving up an average of 54 points to SEC teams. The Sooners were sixth in this year's final CFP rankings - one spot ahead of Florida - but their 0-2 start in Big 12 play effectively knocked them out of playoff contention by mid-October.
"I feel like this win specifically is going to get us going, going into next year," Rattler said. "This is a game we wanted to come out here and, Coach Riley said, we want to make a statement. As a group, we do that well."
These Gators (8-4) were much different than the team that just 11 days earlier fell 52-46 to No. 1 Alabama in the SEC title game and had averaged nearly 42 points a game.
Trask played presumably his final college game, but he didn't have his top four receivers and didn't play after the opening drive of the second half. AP All-America tight end Kyle Pitts and two other receivers opted out to start preparing for their pro futures, and sophomore receiver Jacob Copeland tested positive for COVID-19. They were among 17 players that Florida said were unavailable.
Dual-threat sophomore quarterback Emory Jones had a 1-yard keeper for Florida's first touchdown midway through the second quarter, capping a 16-play, 88-yard drive on which both he and Trask took snaps.
Trask finished 16-of-28 passing for 158 yards, while Jones was 8-of-16 for 86 yards - with 12 Gators catching passes.
"A lot of guys got some really good experience out there for us tonight," coach Dan Mullen said. "I think the future is really bright."
Rattler was the fourth starting quarterback in as many seasons to lead Oklahoma to a Big 12 title and a NY6 game, but he was the first in that group who began his career in the program rather than coming in as a transfer. He was 14-of-23 for 247 yards against Florida, and he also ran for 40 yards.
Florida got within 17-13 late in the first half before Theo Wease caught a pass on a short crossing route, then cut back inside behind some downfield blockers for a 36-yard touchdown. Rattler then got his rushing touchdown in the closing seconds of the first half.
Stevenson had a 15-yard touchdown run in the third quarter - and although at least six defenders got their hands on him, he shuffled and twisted toward the end zone.
The Gators, who played in their third consecutive NY6 game since Mullen became their head coach but took their first loss in those three bowls, showed some positive glimpses of what their offense could be capable of after Trask set single-season school records with 4,283 passing yards and 43 touchdown passes this season. Jones ran for 60 yards, and freshman running back Nay'Quan Wright had gains of 18 and 26.
Rattler finished with 28 touchdown passes, and Mims set a Sooners freshman record with nine receiving scores in 11 games. The Sooners are 45-8 in four seasons under Riley - the most wins in the first four seasons for an Oklahoma coach. Bob Stoops, his predecessor, was 43-9 from 1999 to 2002, a stretch that included the Sooners' most recent national title in 2000.