GAMEDAY – Oklahoma vs. Illinois State
The 18th ranked Sooners kick off their 2025 campaign today at 5 pm in a non-conference match against the Illinois State Redbirds in Norman. The game will be televised on SEC Network+ and ESPN+.
The opponent isn’t the focus for most fans looking for a cleansing of the palette after a dismisal 6-7 season last year, concluded by an unrecognizable OU team that lost to Navy in the Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth last December.
The focus will be on glimpses that this Sooners bunch is different than that. And there is reason to think they are.
Obviously the heralded Washington State transfer John Mateer at quarterback brings a seasoned leader to an offense that struggled in the last season. But it doesn’t stop there. Transfer wide receiver Isaiah Sategna III from Arkansas and running back Jadyn Ott hope to infuse energy in an offense that struggled, in part due to injuries and inexperience.