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Sooners survive Lobos 14-6, poor offensive show

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You knew when the OU twirler dropped her baton and then an errant firework scorched the turf during the pregame run on that things weren’t going to go well for the Sooners the rest of the evening.

Omens aside, the events during Oklahoma’s narrow 14-6 game which it didn’t win as much as it survived, and the post-game remarks about it, made for a disappointing and perhaps foreboding turn in the Sooners’ 2026 season.

Oklahoma’s fans turned on their quarterback, launching the first boos of the still fledgling season when QB John Mateer inexplicably completed his first pass to the wrong team — an interception to begin his first action since throwing a game-losing INT in Ann Arbor a week before.

Later in the second quarter the fans turned on offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, especially when he chose to run the ball in the waning minutes of the half to set up a field goal (that would miss), rather than have Mateer pass the ball for a hoped for touchdown.

This overshadowed a stellar performance by Oklahoma’s defense, making six sacks and 10 tackles for a loss. Their fourth down stop at the end of the game sealed a win.

The night vs day imbalance between Oklahoma’s offense and defense is a mirror image of a Lincoln Riley team — but in Riley’s case, the Sooners’ offense was so potent it didn’t matter as much.

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Dave: Offense the key question for ’26 Sooners

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The 2025 Oklahoma Football season ended in disappointment for Sooner fans to the tune of a 34-24 first round playoff loss to Alabama in Norman last December. 

What made it sting more was the 17-0 lead Oklahoma built to start the game.  However, looking back on the season as a whole, you would have to say it was a very successful campaign and shows the program Brent Venables is building moving in the right direction. 

A home college football playoff game is a big accomplishment.  And even though we have a monster of a schedule to contend with in 2026, there is reason to believe a bigger jump could be expected this year. 

The defense will continue to be the hallmark of Oklahoma football.  With David Stone and Taylor Wien manning the line and the Bowen brothers along with Kip Lewis patrolling the second level, this unit could be even better than before. 

And don’t forget returning Lou Groza award winner Tate Sandel.  Reports from pre-season practices are saying he is hitting from over 60 yards out.  A reliable place kicker is a huge weapon.

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Bad News: Hand injury sidelines Mateer

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The Sooner’s season dimmed Tuesday with the news that QB John Mateer will undergo right hand surgery Wednesday that will likely sideline him for the next month.

Head coach Brent Venables said he expects Mateer, who is No. 1 on most Heisman watch lists, to return to the field at some point in the season, but when is up in the air.

Mateer sustained the injury to his throwing hand early in Saturday’s exciting win over Auburn. The fact he finished with 271 yards passing and one touchdown through the air while also rushing for a score in the fourth quarter is remarkable, considering he was playing with a fractured thumb.

“After consulting with medical experts, it became clear that surgery is the best option for John and his short- and long-term future,” the Oklahoma coach told reporters. “He’s extremely disappointed he will miss some game action but is eager to correct the issue and move forward. As he is with everything, we know he will be aggressive with his rehabilitation and work to return to the field as quickly as possible.”

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