STARKVILLE - Mississippi State is about to find out which version of Oklahoma shows up in town.
The Sooners have been one of the most hard-to-read teams in college football this season, which is exactly what makes this matchup so tricky for Jeff Lebby and the Bulldogs. One week Oklahoma stunned Texas in Dallas.
The next, it was getting beat by Kentucky. Now the trip to Starkville brings another chance for the Sooners to sort themselves out - and another chance for Mississippi State to do the same after a rough stretch of its own.
A big chunk of the uncertainty starts with Oklahoma’s offense, where the numbers have been uneven. Quarterback John Mateer has thrown for 1,308 yards with nine touchdowns and seven interceptions, while completing 65.1% of his passes.
The turnover issue has been the glaring problem. Against Kentucky, Oklahoma moved the ball well for much of the game, but the offense fell apart in the fourth quarter.
Mateer finished 24 of 40 for 270 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. That leaves a simple question hanging over this game: which Mateer will Mississippi State get?
The Sooners also appear to have settled on a lead back in Avant, who ran through the Texas defense two weeks ago and has kept rolling since. He has 60 carries for 267 yards and two touchdowns this season, and slowing him down will matter for a Mississippi State defense that needs to find some answers.
Then there’s Isaiah Sategna, the former Fayetteville High School standout who brings a different kind of threat. His speed lets Oklahoma stretch the field vertically, and he’s already shown he can create problems in a hurry.
Sategna has 33 catches for 414 yards and two touchdowns, and the Bulldogs will have to know exactly where he is at all times. Mateer will be looking his way often.
Oklahoma’s defense is a different kind of challenge. Brent Venables has a reputation for building units that can make life miserable for opposing quarterbacks, and Mississippi State’s own quarterback situation is unsettled heading into the week. Whether Parker Puckett or Kamario Taylor gets the nod, the Bulldogs offense has to bounce back after a rough showing against LSU.
The Sooners also have a linebacker who can be all over the field in Owen Heinecke. Heinecke has a knack for diagnosing plays quickly and showing up near the football no matter where it goes. He can make trouble against both the run and the pass, and he already has 44 tackles and one sack.
Oklahoma and Mississippi State enter the game in similar spots, each trying to clean up mistakes and avoid letting the other capitalize first. Which team handles that better will be one of the main answers waiting on Saturday afternoon.
In Other News...
Oklahoma Fans Wont Like Why Ryan Fodje Stayed In Against Kentucky
Late in Oklahomas home loss to Kentucky, starting left tackle Ryan Fodje went down with a right ankle injury in the closing minutes of the third quarter and briefly headed to the sideline for examination. He came back with the ankle heavily taped, a sequence that mattered because the Sooners offense was already losing its grip on the game and needed stability in the worst possible spot.
Brent Venables said the call to put Fodje back in came with input from the training staff and from Fodje himself, a detail Oklahoma fans probably will not love given how the rest of the night unfolded. After he returned, the offense kept sputtering, with the protection issues showing up in the form of sacks and interceptions, leaving the injury decision as one more thing the Sooners will have to sort through after an ugly home result. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Faces One Big Offensive Concern Entering Mississippi State
Brent Venables missed Tuesdays press conference because of flu-like symptoms, leaving defensive tackles coach Todd Bates to field questions as Oklahoma turned the page toward Mississippi State. The conversation quickly settled on the offense, where the Sooners are still trying to get a steadier rhythm while the defense continues to hold up at a national level.
Ryan Fodjes injury status was part of the discussion, along with the broader issues on offense and the encouraging signs from running back Tory Blaylock as he works back from an early-season injury. For Oklahoma, the formula is clear enough: the defense is doing its part, but the offense still has to answer the biggest question hanging over this stretch of the schedule. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Still Has One Last Chance To Prove This Season Matters
Hayden Hansen did not try to dress up Oklahomas latest stumble against Kentucky. The Sooners have spent too much of this season fighting through offensive inconsistency to pretend otherwise, with the numbers reflecting the same problem on a week-to-week basis: too few yards, too many turnovers, and not enough sustained rhythm to take pressure off the rest of the roster.
Mississippi State gives Oklahoma one more chance to show this season still carries meaning beyond the frustration of the last few weeks. Hansen pointed to perseverance and motivation as the standard inside the building now, and the Sooners need that mindset to translate quickly if they want to finish with anything resembling momentum. [Read more 🡒]