Michigan’s trip into a non-conference showdown with Oklahoma comes with no shortage of warning signs, and Kyle Whittingham made that clear Monday.
In his weekly press conference, Whittingham said his first study of the Sooners left him impressed on both sides of the ball, especially with quarterback John Mateer and Oklahoma’s defensive front.
“I’ve studied their personnel,” Whittingham said of the Sooners. “I can tell you right now that they have a very talented defensive line and they have an outstanding quarterback. We have our work cut out for us big time, but last year’s game will be applicable.”
That reference to last year matters. Michigan’s 24-13 loss at Oklahoma showed a clear gap, with the Sooners racing out to a 14-0 lead and controlling the game on the way to a 408-288 edge in total yards. Mateer was the difference-maker in that one, piling up 344 total yards and three touchdowns.
Whittingham said the staff had already spent time on Mateer when he was at Washington State and entered the transfer portal.
“We did a deep dive on Mateer when he was at Washington State and went into the transfer portal, because we would have really liked to have him at Utah,” Whittingham said. “He’s a dual-threat guy that can really hurt you both ways.”
Oklahoma’s defense has just as much bite. Last season, the Sooners ranked third nationally and first in the SEC in rushing yards allowed per game at 77.3, while also leading the SEC with 45 sacks. Whittingham pointed to a group that includes defensive linemen David Stone and Taylor Wein, plus linebackers Kip Lewis and Owen Heinke, as the kind of unit that can make a real case for being the best in the country.
A lot of that, he said, traces back to Brent Venables. Whittingham said he met with the Oklahoma head coach a few years ago and came away with a strong impression.
“Brent came out to visit us in Utah about three years ago,” Whittingham said. “We shared ideas for hours so I have a lot of respect for him.
He’s extremely intelligent. I was very impressed with him.
It doesn’t surprise me that he’s done this.”
The Sooners also bring a special teams edge. Tate Sandell led the nation with eight field goals of 50+ yards last year and won the Lou Groza Award, while Oklahoma also has an All-SEC punter.
“The special teams are outstanding as well,” Whittingham said. “They have the Lou Groza Award winner at place kicker and an All-SEC punter. They are very talented in all three phases so we will really have our work cut out for us.”
For Michigan, the assignment is obvious: raise the level across the board. Whittingham said the setting fits the expectations that come with the program.
“The magnitude of this game is something that I appreciate and understand,” Whittingham said. “The bar has been raised at Michigan and that just comes with the territory. We want to coach big-time ball and this will be big-time ball.”
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The early returns were encouraging for Michigan, with some recruits leaving with offers in hand and others talking up the atmosphere, the coaching staff and the facilities. For a program that has made game-day visits part of its recruiting pitch, the opener gave the Wolverines a chance to sell the full experience, and it sounds like the staff made the kind of impression that can matter as these decisions start to narrow. [Read more 🡒]