Oklahoma heads to Starkville trying to steady a season that has started 3-3, and Saturday brings a first-time matchup with Mississippi State at Davis Wade Stadium. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m., and the game will air on SEC Network.
There’s a twist to this one beyond the SEC novelty: Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby knows Oklahoma well. Lebby came to OU as part of the 2002 class as an offensive lineman, then stayed on as a student assistant for four years after his playing career ended because of injury. He later worked as Oklahoma’s offensive coordinator during Brent Venables’ first two seasons in 2022 and 2023.
The biggest storyline, though, is the status of Mississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor. He was listed as questionable on the initial SEC availability report released Wednesday, and his availability could shape everything. Taylor has thrown for 1,450 yards, 17 touchdowns and four interceptions in five games this season.
That sets up a simple question for the Sooners: can a defense that leads the nation by allowing only 13 first downs per game slow him down if he plays? Here’s how the matchup is being picked.
Jenni Carlson sees Oklahoma escaping with a 20-13 win. Her call: “BELL BOTTOM” - the Sooners hear plenty of cowbell in their first visit to Starkville, but the defense eventually quiets the noise while the offense keeps grinding through a rough day.
Joe Mussatto has Oklahoma winning 23-16, with his “STARK CONTRAST” prediction leaning on a turnover battle the Sooners win and cleaner football late. He called it the opposite of what happened in Oklahoma’s loss to Kentucky last week.
Jeff Patterson is even lower-scoring, taking OU 13-9 in a game he labels “LESS COWBELL.” He notes that Taylor has been at his best when healthy, but expects the Bulldogs quarterback, even if he returns from what appears to be a foot injury, to be limited as a pocket passer against a Brent Venables defense he describes as playoff caliber.
Colton Sulley is the lone pick for Mississippi State, with the Bulldogs winning 27-24. His “DOG POUND” prediction has Taylor playing and continuing his strong season while Oklahoma’s offense hands Mississippi State favorable field position. Sulley also expects OU quarterback John Mateer to turn it over a couple of times, keeping the conversation about whether he should be benched alive.
Jacob Unruh rounds out the predictions with Oklahoma winning 21-17. In his “STONE WALLED” take, he has defensive tackle David Stone leading a defense that controls the game again, even adding a score to help ease some of the pressure on an offense still searching for answers.
In Other News...
Oklahoma's Defense Gets A Serious Warning Before Mississippi State
Mississippi State brings a very different kind of test into the matchup, one built around a veer-and-shoot offense that leans on numbers in the run game and works in run-pass options when the look is right. For Oklahomas defense, that means the assignment is less about one dramatic wrinkle and more about staying disciplined snap after snap, keeping the front sound and making sure the Bulldogs dont turn the ground game into easy yards.
The tempo and pace also raise the pressure on the Sooners to communicate cleanly and line up correctly before the ball is snapped. If Oklahoma can stay connected and execute consistently, it can force Mississippi State to work longer drives and avoid the kind of explosive plays that make this offense so difficult to contain. [Read more 🡒]
Ben Arbuckle May Have Found What Oklahoma's Offense Needed
Ben Arbuckle's latest outing as Oklahoma's offensive play-caller offered a clearer picture of what the Sooners have been chasing. In a 23-15 win over Mississippi State that pushed Oklahoma to 4-3, the offense leaned into the running game and turned in its most productive day of the season, finishing with 467 total yards while staying efficient and controlled.
John Mateer did his part by completing 76% of his passes without a turnover, and the backs helped carry the load on the ground. Just as important for Oklahoma, the offense kept the clean sheet it needed by avoiding sacks and giveaways, a combination that gave the Sooners a steadier rhythm than they've had at times this fall and hints at a formula worth building on. [Read more 🡒]
Sooners Finally Got The Formula Right But One Problem Wont Go Away
For one Saturday in Starkville, Oklahoma looked a lot more like the team it expected to be when it entered SEC play. The Sooners beat Mississippi State 23-15 at Davis Wade Stadium, moved to 4-3 overall and 2-2 in the league, and finally put together the kind of clean offensive and defensive showing that has been too rare this fall. John Mateer set the tone with 283 passing yards, two touchdowns and no turnovers, and Oklahomas defense did enough to keep Mississippi State under control for most of the afternoon.
Still, the win did not come without another familiar concern hanging over it. The Sooners left points on the field with missed field goals by Sandell, a reminder that even when the broader formula works, the margins remain too tight for comfort. Oklahoma got the result it needed and some much-needed traction in conference play, but the lingering issue is whether it can keep that balance intact when the pressure rises again. [Read more 🡒]