NORMAN \u2014\u00a0A pivotal OU football<\/a> season opens Saturday when the Sooners<\/a> host FCS Illinois State<\/a> at Gaylord Household \u2014\u00a0Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.
The sport would be the debut for John Mateer<\/a> at quarterback for the Sooners, in addition to Ben Arbuckle<\/a>‘s first recreation as OU’s offensive coordinator.
For the Sooners’ protection, the opener will function Brent Venables<\/a>‘ return to calling the performs.
Comply with alongside for stay updates from the Sooners-Redbirds<\/a> recreation under:
Freshman cornerback Courtland Guillory has been seeing loads of motion early.
Whereas the returns are nonetheless blended, Guillory made an enormous open-field sort out on third right down to power the Redbirds into one other punt.
The sort out got here shortly after Guillory was a shade early at making a play on Daniel Sobwowicz\u2019s catch on third-and-6, resulting in a defensive holding penalty.
However then Guillory made up for his mistake, timing up the hit on third down excellent to cease Illinois State<\/a> nicely wanting the marker.
The Sooners will begin at their very own 23 after the punt.
\u2014Ryan Aber, Employees author<\/em>
After the primary quarter, OU is outgaining Illinois State 129-58.
The Sooners held the Redbirds to simply 9 passing yards within the opening body regardless of Tommy Rittenhouse finishing 4 of 6 passes.
Deion Burks has two catches for 32 yards whereas tight finish Jaren Kanak has two catches for twenty-four yards \u2014\u00a0though he misplaced a fumble on the second of these catches.
\u2014Ryan Aber, Employees author<\/em>
John Mateer ran a lot at Washington State final season.
And on the Sooners\u2019 third drive of the sport, Mateer confirmed off these legs.
Mateer had a pair of runs for 11 yards complete earlier within the drive earlier than his 7-yard landing run put OU on the board.
Mateer accomplished a 28-yard move to Deion Burks down the sideline on the primary play of the drive, transferring the Sooners out of the shadow of their very own finish zone.
He instantly adopted with a 14-yard move to Keontez Lewis.
Jacob Jordan\u2019s 27-yard catch over the center gave the Sooners the ball on the Illinois State 2, however Lewis was known as for a false begin to push the ball again to the 7.
Mateer is 8 of 9 for 99 yards by means of the air up to now.
\u2014Ryan Aber, Employees author<\/em>
OU left sort out Jacob Sexton headed to the harm tent with an obvious left knee harm late within the first quarter.
Sexton was changed by Stanford switch Luke Baklenko.
These two, plus freshman Michael Fasusi, have been all listed as choices to start out at left sort out within the preliminary depth chart.
Fasusi is dressed out however in accordance with OU\u2019s radio broadcast just isn’t accessible as a result of harm.
Sexton, a senior, has struggled with accidents all through his Sooners\u2019 profession.
\u2014Ryan Aber, Employees author<\/em>
Whereas OU\u2019s protection has been lower than inspiring by means of two drives, the Sooners\u2019 protection has been strong \u2014\u00a0even when they as soon as once more allowed an enormous play.
After a fumble gave the Redbirds the ball, Illinois State quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse broke off a 23-yard acquire to place the Redbirds into OU territory.
However the Sooners buckled down from there, with Gentry Williams and Courtland Guillory making solo tackles on second and third right down to power a punt.
OU will begin its third drive at its personal 6.
\u2014Ryan Aber, Employees author<\/em>
Jaren Kanak made his second catch of the sport, and it was an enormous one, a 20-yard acquire on third-and-8.\u00a0
However Kanak couldn\u2019t hold onto it.
The transformed linebacker fumbled on the finish of the play after a bit from Jack Dwyer, and Tye Niekamp was there to get well it on the Illinois State 41.
\u2014Ryan Aber, Employees author<\/em>
Illinois State\u2019s first drive was a bit longer than OU\u2019s, however not by a lot.
The Redbirds transformed a third-and-13 on a 24-yard run by Wenkers Wright, however then the Sooners\u2019 protection buckled down.
Peyton Bowen had the large play on the drive, hitting Illinois State quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse within the backfield on second right down to power an incomplete move, resulting in an extended third-down strive that resulted in an incompletion.
Isaiah Sategna returned the following punt 21 yards to the OU 37.
\u2014Ryan Aber, Employees author<\/em>
John Mateer\u2019s first OU drive was a fast one \u2014\u00a0and never in a great way.
Mateer hit Deion Burks for a four-yard acquire on the sport\u2019s first play, however then the drive stalled.
Jovantae Barnes was stopped for no acquire earlier than tight finish Jaren Kanak was stopped three yards quick.
Jacob Ulrich then booted a 54-yard punt to pin Illinois State contained in the 15.
\u2014Ryan Aber, Employees author<\/em>
The entire gamers on OU\u2019s depth chart are dressed out for Saturday\u2019s season opener vs. Illinois State (5 p.m., SEC Community Plus).
It doesn\u2019t seem as if junior cornerback Jacobe Johnson will play, although.
Johnson is dressed out however instantly went to the aspect to face with a number of different Sooners gamers who’re out with harm.
If Johnson is out, freshman Courtland Guillory figures to be the starter reverse Gentry Williams within the secondary.
It seems as if Logan Howland (RT), Febechi Nwaiwu (RG), Troy Everett (C), Eddy Pierre-Louis (LG) and Jacob Sexton (LT) would be the starters on the offensive line at the very least based mostly on early pregame warmups.
Huge receiver Javonnie Gibson, who suffered an harm within the spring and has missed most of camp, is dressed out however it\u2019s unclear whether or not he\u2019ll play within the recreation.
Operating again Taylor Tatum, who just isn’t on the depth chart, can also be dressed out and went by means of warmups. Sooners coach Brent Venables mentioned earlier within the week that Tatum could be unavailable as a result of harm.
OU’s radio broadcast mentioned the Sooners could be with no trio of offensive linemen for the sport \u2014\u00a0Heath Ozaeta, Michael Fasusi and Derek Simmons.
\u2014Ryan Aber, Employees author<\/em>
Kickoff is about an hour away.
As was previously reported Friday<\/a>, ESPN’s “School GameDay” will go to Norman subsequent Saturday.
Cannot go flawed with this look.
Oklahoma vs Illinois State shall be streamed on SEC Community Plus in Week 1 of the 2025 faculty soccer season. Richard Cross (play-by-play) and Tyoka Jackson (analyst) will name the sport from the sales space at Gaylord Household \u2014\u00a0Oklahoma Memorial Stadium whereas Madison Hock would be the sideline reporter.
The Oklahoma vs Illinois recreation begins at 5 p.m. from Gaylord Household \u2014\u00a0Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.
Odds courtesy of BetMGM<\/a> as of Saturday morning:<\/em>
OU 54, Illinois State 7:<\/strong>\u00a0With John Mateer being well-versed in Ben Arbuckle’s offense, and a a lot deeper cache of weapons at huge receiver, the Sooners should not have a lot downside placing up factors in opposition to an FCS opponent. The Sooners’ defensive entrance exhibits off its depth in addition to OU runs away pretty early and turns its attentions to subsequent week’s matchup with Michigan. See the remainder of our employees predictions here<\/a>.
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