Oklahoma Shuts Out UTEP 51-0 in Dominant Season Opener
- 10 Oklahoma Sooners opened their college football season in dominant fashion on Friday, shutting out the UTEP Miners 51-0 in Norman, Oklahoma, according to reporting by the Associated...
- Oklahoma wasted little time establishing control, driving 76 yards for a score on the game's opening possession.
- Isaiah Sategna III provided one of the night's most explosive highlights midway through the first quarter when he fielded a punt and returned it 88 yards for a...
The No. 10 Oklahoma Sooners opened their college football season in dominant fashion on Friday, shutting out the UTEP Miners 51-0 in Norman, Oklahoma, according to reporting by the Associated Press. Quarterback John Mateer led the offensive onslaught by throwing three touchdown passes and completing 11 of 17 attempts for 225 yards before exiting late in the third quarter. The Sooners scored on their first eight possessions of the night, racking up 170 rushing yards on 39 carries—an average roughly 52 yards higher than their ground output from the previous season.
Offensive Efficiency and Scoring Breakdown
Oklahoma wasted little time establishing control, driving 76 yards for a score on the game’s opening possession. Mateer connected with Colorado State transfer Rocky Beers for a 40-yard touchdown, set the tone early, and later added a 34-yard scoring strike to Isaiah Sategna III alongside a 48-yard touchdown pass to Virginia transfer Trell Harris.
He played like you want your quarterback to play,
Sooners coach Brent Venables said, according to the Associated Press. Just do what we need the quarterback to do.
You know, manage things, take what’s there, make good decisions, protect the football, getting us out of negative plays.
He did a lot of really good things.
Special Teams and Defensive Dominance
Isaiah Sategna III provided one of the night’s most explosive highlights midway through the first quarter when he fielded a punt and returned it 88 yards for a touchdown. According to the Associated Press, it marked the first punt return for a score by Oklahoma since the 2023 season opener. Sategna finished the contest with 215 total all-purpose yards and two touchdowns.
Defensively, the Sooners completely stifled UTEP, limiting the visitors to just 198 total yards of offense. The pressure continued immediately after halftime when Peyton Bowen forced a fumble on the Miners’ opening possession of the third quarter, which teammate Taylor Wein recovered. Two plays later, Mateer connected with Sategna again to stretch the lead to 34-0.
I thought we competed hard, but I give a ton of credit to OU,
UTEP coach Scotty Walden said, as reported by the Associated Press. That’s a really good football team. Watching them on tape and then seeing them live in person, I think this is a better version of what they were last year. I think they’re going to be a force.
Looking Ahead to Week 2
With the opening shutout secured, Oklahoma turns its attention to a major early-season test on the road. The Sooners travel to face No. 16 Michigan on Saturday, Sept. 12, with kickoff scheduled for 11 a.m. Central Time on FOX.
