John Mateer ignited a relentless offensive barrage and Isaiah Sategna dazzled on special teams as the Sooners dominated every phase to deliver a statement win in Norman
NORMAN, Okla. - No. 10 Oklahoma did exactly what it was supposed to do on Friday night in Norman.
The Sooners scored on their first eight possessions, got a big night from John Mateer, and shut out UTEP 51-0 in the season opener for both teams.
Mateer looked sharp and in control before sitting down late in the third quarter. He completed 11 of 17 passes for 225 yards and three touchdowns. The scoring throws went 40 yards to Rocky Beers, 34 yards to Isaiah Sategna, and 48 yards to Trell Harris. That is a nice mix of the new and the familiar. Beers and Harris are transfers. Sategna is the proven go-to guy. All three showed up immediately.
The tone was set early.
Oklahoma drove 76 yards for a touchdown on its first possession, then forced a punt that Sategna took back 88 yards for a score. Just like that, it was 14-0 midway through the first quarter. It was Oklahoma’s first punt-return touchdown since the 2023 opener, and it gave the night the kind of energy you want in a home opener.
Sategna finished with four catches for 76 yards and a receiving touchdown to go with the return score. He was involved in every way that mattered.
The offensive line was one of the bigger preseason questions, especially when it came to running the ball. For one night at least, the Sooners looked functional there. Lloyd Avant got the start and led the team with 15 carries for 79 yards and a touchdown. Oklahoma finished with 170 rushing yards on 39 carries, averaging 4.4 yards per attempt with two rushing scores. That is not a finished product, but it is a better start than a lot of people expected after all the noise around the line and the backfield.
The defense finished the job. Oklahoma led 27-0 at halftime and kept the pressure on after the break. Peyton Bowen forced a fumble on UTEP’s first possession of the third quarter, Taylor Wein recovered it, and two plays later Mateer hit Sategna for another score to make it 34-0. Wein had a strong all-around night with five tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and the fumble recovery. Reggie Powers III led the team with seven tackles and added a tackle for loss.
The Miners were limited to 198 total yards and never found a rhythm. UTEP had a couple of early drives that showed a little life, including possessions of 50 and 43 yards in the first half. Both ended in missed field goals. That was as close as the Miners came to making the night uncomfortable.
Oklahoma’s defense did not allow them to cash anything in, and the offense never really let the game breathe after the opening punch.
The bigger takeaway for the Sooners is simple. They looked prepared, they scored in a lot of ways, and they did not give UTEP much hope after the first quarter. Mateer was efficient. The skill players made plays. The run game was respectable enough. The defense created a turnover and kept the shutout intact. That is a clean way to start the year.
UP NEXT: The schedule does not stay soft. Oklahoma gets an extra day out of the Friday opener, then heads to Ann Arbor next Saturday to face No. 16 Michigan at 11 a.m. CT on FOX. That is the first real measuring stick.
Friday night was about doing the job and leaving with no regrets.
The Sooners did that. Now the standard rises in a hurry.
