Oklahoma’s trip to Mississippi State gave the Sooners something they badly needed: a road win, a better feel on offense and a little more breathing room in the push toward bowl eligibility.
The 4-3 start and 2-2 mark in SEC play come with the season now heading into its final five games, and Saturday’s performance offered more than just a result. It was Oklahoma’s best offensive showing of the year, even if the scoreboard could have looked even cleaner. The Sooners piled up 467 yards of total offense and, for the second straight week, outgained the opponent by more than 100 yards.
There were still missed opportunities baked into the night. Tate Sandell missed three field goals, and Rocky Beers had a touchdown that somehow wasn’t ruled a touchdown. Even so, the offense kept moving the ball against a Mississippi State defense that had been giving up 28.5 points per game.
John Mateer was at the center of it again. Over the last three weeks, with the exception of the fourth quarter against Kentucky, he has looked more settled and in control for Oklahoma.
In wins over Texas and Mississippi State, and for three quarters in the loss to Kentucky, he’s managed the offense well. Against the Bulldogs, he flashed the improvisation that made him a Heisman contender early in the 2025 season, but he also showed a willingness to take the easy throw and keep the chains moving.
Mateer finished 76% on his passes for 283 yards and two touchdowns. He likely would have crossed 300 yards and added another score if Beers had held onto that end-zone catch. He still has things to clean up, but the quarterback is playing solid football right now, and South Carolina’s pass rush is the next major test coming to town.
The ground game also deserves a bump in stock. Oklahoma ran it 41 times for 184 yards, the first time this season the Sooners reached 40 carries. In 2025, OU had four games with 40 or more carries.
Tory Blaylock led the way with 12 carries for 71 yards, Lloyd Avant added 13 carries for 55 yards, and Mateer chipped in nine carries for 37 yards. The formula is pretty clear: if Oklahoma can keep leaning on the run, it can take some of the load off Mateer and let him operate more as a manager than as the entire offense.
That kind of balance matters even more with Oklahoma’s defense playing the way it has. It’s the sort of complementary football the Sooners are trying to build.
On defense, Adepoju Adebawore’s rise keeps rolling. A five-star signee in the 2023 class alongside Peyton Bowen and Jackson Arnold, Adebawore has flashed throughout his Oklahoma career.
The issue had been staying healthy. Now that he is, the fourth-year player is putting together a breakout season.
Against Mississippi State, Adebawore posted two total tackles and 1.5 sacks, including a sack on the first defensive snap of the game. He’s been sturdy against the run all season, but now the pass-rush production is showing up too. He is tied for second on the defense with 11 total pressures.
In Other News...
OU Fans Think Memorial Stadium Could Be Getting A Huge Summer Event
A cryptic post from Oklahomas official athletics accounts has Sooners fans doing the kind of detective work that usually comes with schedule releases and transfer rumors, not summer concert news. The image was vague enough to spark plenty of speculation, but it lined up with other stadium teases circulating around the music world, and Memorial Stadium has long been a venue that can double as more than just a football home.
The most talked-about possibility is a Noah Kahan show next summer, especially with a countdown appearing on his website that has fueled talk of an announcement coming soon. Nothing has been made official yet, but the timing of the post and the pattern behind similar stadium hints have given fans a reason to think one of the biggest summer events in Norman could be on the way. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Faces A Real Test Up Front In Norman
South Carolina is bringing real momentum into Norman, and that alone makes this matchup worth a closer look for Oklahoma. The Gamecocks have stacked consecutive wins over ranked Florida and Tennessee, while the Sooners are trying to follow their recent victory over Mississippi State with something they have not managed yet this season: back-to-back wins. With both teams looking to keep moving in the right direction, the line play figures to be central to everything that happens Saturday.
For Oklahoma, the immediate concern is up front, where the Sooners are still sorting through an offensive line situation that will be under the microscope against one of the SECs most disruptive young defenders. South Carolina coaches pointed to edge rusher Dylan Stewart as a player who can change the tone of a game, and Oklahomas staff knows that kind of pressure can decide whether a rhythm offense ever gets settled. In a game with momentum on the line for both sides, that front-five battle may end up defining the afternoon. [Read more 🡒]
Porter Mosers Most Talented OU Team Already Has A Big Concern
With Oklahomas season opener against East Texas A&M approaching, the Sooners used local media day to sort through the state of a roster Porter Moser believes has real upside. The most notable update centered on Tae Davis, who is back with the team after being away, giving Oklahoma another familiar name in the mix as the coach continues to piece together what this group will look like once the games start counting.
Moser also addressed the rest of the roster, touching on injuries, transfers and other availability questions that remain part of the preseason picture. Even with those moving parts, his tone was upbeat about the talent on hand, which makes the lingering uncertainty around Davis even more notable for a team that wants to turn promise into something more concrete this winter. [Read more 🡒]