OU 35, Illinois State 3: Takeaways from the Sooners' win
NORMAN — The Sooners were expected to take care of business against Illinois State on Saturday.
They did, albeit in unexciting fashion.
The Sooners beat the Redbirds 28-3, opening the 2025 campaign with a win at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. It was a slow start for both teams before the Sooners eventually got going, leading 21-0 at halftime.
Here’s a few takeaways from the win:
John Mateer very solid in OU debut
The Sooners’ new quarterback showed all of the reasons why he was the top-ranked player in the transfer portal last winter.
On the third drive of the game, Mateer accounted for 84 yards as the Sooners marched down the field. He completed two passes of at least 20 yards, including a 27-yard strike to Jacob Jordan that set the Sooners up inside the five-yard line. He also showed elusiveness in the pocket, juking multiple defenders on a seven-yard scramble that picked up the first down.
Mateer capped off the drive with a seven-yard rushing touchdown, scoring both his first OU touchdown and the team’s first touchdown of the season. He found Deion Burks for a 27-yard touchdown in the second quarter.
Most importantly, Mateer flashed the ability to throw down the field. He completed 30/37 passes for 392 yards, averaging 13.1 yards per completion. The 392 passing yards were more than the Sooners finished with in any game last season, and the most by an OU quarterback in their debut since Baker Mayfield in 2015.
He completed seven passes of at least 20 yards, with five of those coming in the first half. He added 24 rushing yards on seven carries.
His lone mistake came on an interception in the third quarter, when he threw it behind Deion Burks and into the hands of a Illinois State defender. But he made up for it with two touchdowns, both in the fourth quarter.
Jaren Kanak, Keontez Lewis, Burks lead the way
Things weren’t good for Kanak earlier. He caught a 21-yard pass on the second drive of the game before taking a hit and fumbling.
But the linebacker-turned-tight end made up for it in a big way. He caught fives passes for 90 yards, marking the most receiving yards by an OU tight end since 2022 (Brayden Willis). His day included a 48-yard reception, the longest play from scrimmage for either team.
It was an encouraging start for Kanak in his tight end debut.
Burks also flourished in his new role as a perimeter receiver. He caught his first touchdown since last season’s opener on a 27-yard grab in the second quarter, finishing with seven receptions for 79 yards.
Notably, Lewis was the go-to receiver for Mateer. Lewis — who earned the start at the “X” receiver spot — led the team in targets (11), yards (119), receptions (9) and touchdowns (2). He scored his first OU touchdown on a 28-yard grab on the first play of the fourth before adding a 20-yard score later in the quarter.
Tory Blaylock shows potential
The true freshman was the only bright spot among the Sooners’ running backs. Blaylock saw his opportunities increase in the second quarter and capitalized, scoring from five yards out late in the half for his first collegiate touchdown.
Blaylock took eight carries for 44 yards (5.5 yards per carry) and two receptions for 18 yards. But he was injured early in the third quarter and didn’t return.
Otherwise, it was an odd day for OU’s running backs. Jovantae Barnes drew the start and finished with nine yards on seven carries. Xavier Robinson saw some action in the second half after Blaylock’s injury.
Most glaring — Jaydn Ott didn’t log an offensive snap until the 13:17-mark of the fourth quarter. He carried the ball once, losing three yards.
The Sooners finished with 103 yards on 32 carries, averaging under three yards per carry.
OU’s secondary shuts things down
The Redbirds tried to attack Courtland Guillory through the air. Guillory, who got the start at cornerback, wasn’t having it.
The true freshman was stellar in spearheading the Sooners’ secondary. Illinois State finished with just 34 passing yards on 10 completions, averaging 3.4 yards per completion.
The only issues came early in the game, when the Sooners allowed a pair of 20-yard rushes on defensive breakdowns. But the defense was mostly flawless as it held the Redbirds to just 151 total yards and 3.3 yards per play. The only score came after Mateer’s interception in OU territory, when the Sooners held them to a field goal.
Sammy Omosigho led the team with seven tackles, a tackle for loss and a sack. Taylor Wein added the team’s other sack.