College Football Rankings Impact: No. 10 Oklahoma vs UTEP
John Mateer threw three touchdown passes, Isaiah Sategna returned a punt 88 yards for a score and No. 10 Oklahoma overpowered UTEP 51-0 on Friday night in the season opener for both teams. Much of the offseason focus for the Sooners centered on improving the offense after struggling for much of last season despite making the College Football Playoff.
The changes were apparent early, as two transfers scored touchdowns in the first quarter and a third added a touchdown later. The Sooners had runs of more than 10 yards on their first two plays, kick-starting a 12-play, 76-yard drive that finished with a 1-yard rushing score from Colorado State transfer Lloyd Avant.The Sooners scored on their first eight possessions and limited UTEP to 198 yards.
Mateer Leads the OU Football Roster
Mateer looked sharp, completing 11 of 17 passes for 225 yards before being pulled late in the third quarter.He threw scoring passes of 40 yards to Colorado State transfer Rocky Beers, 34 yards to Sategna and 48 yards to Virginia transfer Trell Harris. Mateer was efficient, spread the ball around and didn’t have to be a big piece of the Sooners’ rushing attack.
“He played like you want your quarterback to play,” Sooners coach Brent Venables said.“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.”
On the Sooners’ next drive, tight end Rocky Beers — another Colorado State transfer — hauled in a 40-yard scoring catch, hurdling a Miners safety near the goal line to cap the play.“I lost it in the lights a little bit,” he said.“I saw that guy starting to dip down and I did not want to take another hit below the waistline.” Later in the third, Mateer hit Virginia transfer Trell Harris for a 48-yard touchdown.
Special Teams Excellence from Isaiah Sategna
It didn’t take long for Oklahoma to add another score, as Isaiah Sategna III returned a punt 88 yards for a score after the defense held UTEP to three-and-out.Beers also blocked on Sategna’s punt return touchdown.It was the first punt return for a score by OU since the 2023 season opener.
Two plays later, Mateer connected with Sategna to make it 34-0. Sategna, the Sooners’ leading receiver last season, had four catches for 76 yards. Sategna scored twice and finished with 215 all-purpose yards. Lou Groza Award-winning kicker Tate Sandell hit a pair of second-quarter field goals to put the Sooners up 27-0 at the break.
Oklahoma Sooners Football Defensive Stand
Oklahoma hit the ground running after halftime, as Peyton Bowen forced a Tavorus Jones fumble that was recovered by Taylor Wein at the UTEP 34 on the first drive of the third quarter. A pair of missed field goals in the first half kept UTEP off the board.
UTEP had another chance to score late in the fourth when the Sooners turned the ball over at their own 18-yard line. But Carlos Arreola missed his third field goal of the night. Miners backup quarterback Raymond Moore III ran for a team-high 49 yards, while starter EJ Colson Jr. threw for 52 yards and ran for 25. Ultimately, the No. 10-ranked Sooners opened the 2026 season successfully with a 51-0 victory over the Miners. Oklahoma outgained the Miners 401-198.
OU Game Today: Postgame Reactions and UTEP Football Adjustments
“I thought we competed hard, but I give a ton of credit to OU,” UTEP coach Scotty Walden said. “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. Kudos to coach Venables, a ton of respect for that football team.”
The Miners didn’t play like an offense with 11 new faces, driving 50 and 43 yards on successive possessions in the first half.Both drives ended with missed field goals.Meanwhile, the Sooners rushed 39 times for 170 yards, about 52 yards more than they averaged last season.
Looking Ahead at the Oklahoma Football Schedule
Now, the real fun of Brent Venables’ fifth season begins. Next Saturday, in an 11 a.m. (CT) kickoff, Oklahoma visits No. 16 Michigan at Michigan Stadium — The Big House, appropriately, which will be filled with more than 107,000 Wolverine faithful. UTEP hosts Texas Southern next Saturday.
Sources: Associated Press (via theScore, Katumbi Chapwe, Newsday), Field Level Media, and Sports Illustrated (Sooners on SI).
Leo Falsafi is a digital marketing veteran and senior journalist at Virlan.co, where he covers the intersection of digital marketing, gaming, and breaking US trending news. With nearly two decades of hands-on experience in SEO and digital strategy, Leo has consulted for and scaled hundreds of companies. His deep industry roots allow him to deliver sharp, fact-checked insights and analysis on the trends shaping today’s digital landscape.
