A passing game rejuvenated by a stellar QB transfer and new wide receivers, along with a resilient defense, gave the No. 18 Oklahoma Sooners a 35-3 win in their first outing against Illinois State on Saturday night, but a struggling rushing game does not bode well for next week when a more formidable foe in the Michigan Wolverines comes to town.
One thing is certain: John Mateer lived up to his hype, completing 30 of 37 passes. His side-arm throws were launched with a quick release, and his targets were considerably better than last year’s wide receiver corps.
Transfer Keontez Lewis, who caught 9 of 11 passes his way for 119 yards and two touchdowns.
Deion Burkes caught seven passes for 88 yards and one touchdown.
Mateer, who completed 81 percent of his passes for 392 yards, set a school record for most yards passing in an Oklahoma debut, passing Baker Mayfield’s 388 yards against Akron in 2015.
Another highlight was former linebacker and now tight end Jaren Kanak, who had five catches for 90 yards, and appeared to be one of Mateer’s favorite targets.
The defense allowed just 151 total yards, including only 34 yards passing. This was head coach Brent Venables’ debut as the defensive play caller. He took over after his previous defensive coordinator, Zac Alley, left to be defensive coordinator at West Virginia.
Linebacker Sammy Omosigho lead Sooner defenders with eight tackles, including three solo tackles, and one sack.
Illinois State was an FCS playoff team last year. They didn’t make many mistakes, but were overpowered by Oklahoma.
Oklahoma’s rushing game was anemic. The Sooners rushed for only 103 yards on 32 carries. True freshman Tory Blaylock (a Humble, Texas recruit), had spirited runs totalling 44 yards on four carries. Blaylock was sidelined in the third quarter with a shoulder injury.
“Some guys practice for comfort, and some guys practice for execution… He has a unique maturity to him, and a hunger, and a humility to work and be coached,” Coach Brent Venables said of Blaylock.
The offensive line’s run blocking will have to be a point of emphasis this week if the Sooners are to win next week at home over visiting Michigan.
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