No. 10 OU (1-0) defeated UTEP (0-1) 51-0 at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium Friday.
The Sooners scored their most points in a game since they put up 59 against Maine in 2024.
Here are takeaways:
Isaiah Sategna remains a weapon
Isaiah Sategna has not cooled off in 2026.
The fifth-year wide receiver was hot out of the gate against UTEP with a touchdown on a punt return in the first quarter. His punt return marked the Sooners' first score on a punt return since former OU wide receiver Gavin Freeman in 2023. He followed the punt return with another touchdown after a deep pass from Mateer in the third quarter.
Sategna was on fire all season in 2025 as quarterback John Mateer’s No. 1 weapon, surpassing 900 receiving yards.
Sategna finished with 215 all-purpose yards, 76 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Beers on the house
Sixth-year tight end Rocky Beers is already appearing as a red zone threat for the Sooners.
Beers completed a highlight play in the first half, hurdling over a defender before stepping into the end zone. The tight end showed off his vertical to finish a 40-yard receiving touchdown.
Mateer and Beers are developing a connection in the red zone early in 2026 after the tight end had seven touchdowns at Colorado State in 2025. He finished with 43 receiving yards and one touchdown against UTEP.
Beers’ sister, Raegan, was in attendance. Raegan Beers watched her brother waste no time contributing to OU football after she was a leader for the women’s basketball team throughout her college career.
Beers said in the spring that his sister’s connection to OU was merely a bonus when he committed.
“She had some influence in the process, for sure, but I wouldn't say she was the determining factor,” Beers said in March. “I was looking to go to a bigger school in the SEC or the Big 10, where I could go against the best of the best, and that was here with a wide-open tight end room. I didn't want to have too much competition on the back end of my career at 24, just trying to come in to make an immediate impact.”
Dominant defense but not without few lapses
The Sooners dealt with some lapses on defense in the first half but dominated overall.
Despite not giving up a touchdown against UTEP, they still dealt with some sloppy defensive plays in the opening half, including UTEP junior running back Tavorus Jones’ 23-yard rush in the first quarter. Junior defensive back Michael Boganowski had a personal foul near the end of the first half, receiving an earful from head coach Brent Venables after the play.
However, the Sooners tightened up in the second half to complete a shutout and, at the end of the day, had a solid day on defense after ranking top 10 in 2025.
Live updates
Whitt Newbauer rushes into end zone, 51-0
Junior quarterback Whitt Newbauer completes a three-yard rushing touchdown.
Liam Evans for 44-0
Junior kicker Liam Evans completes a 34-yard field goal.
Trell Harris takes it into end zone, 41-0
Fifth-year wide receiver Trell Harris scores his first touchdown as a Sooner.
Read how Harris's background:
As OU’s 2025 season ended against Alabama in the first round of the College Football Playoff…
Sategna makes score 34-0
Fifth-year wide receiver Isaiah Sategna scores his second touchdown of the game after a deep pass from fifth-year quarterback John Mateer.
Peyton Bowen forces fumble
Senior defensive back Peyton Bowen forces a fumble, which senior defensive lineman Taylor Wein recovers.
Halftime leaders
• Mateer has 143 passing yards through the first half on a 69% completion rate. He had a 69% completion rate or better in only two games last year, against Illinois State and South Carolina.
• Sategna leads with 154 all-purpose yards, including 42 receiving yards.
• Sixth-year tight end Rocky Beers leads with 43 receiving yards.
• Junior running back Lloyd Avant leads with 51 rushing yards.
Tate Sandell adds to score, 27-0
Fifth-year kicker Tate Sandell adds three more to the board.
Tate Sandell converts field goal, 24-0
Sandell completes a 33-yard field goal.
Rocky Beers hurdles for touchdown, 21-0
Beers took a pass 40 yards for a touchdown, hurdling into the end zone.
Kip Lewis goes down with leg injury
Fifth-year linebacker Kip Lewis went down with an apparent leg injury. Lewis was immediately aided on the field by the training staff.
Isaiah Sategna returns for touchdown, 14-0
Sategna took the ball all the way to the end zone on a punt return.
Sategna's return speed comes after he was a star track athlete in high school.
Fifth-year wide receiver Isaiah Sategna returned a punt 88 yards for OU's second touchdown a…
Lloyd Avant scores 1st touchdown, 7-0
Avant rushed into the end zone for a one-yard touchdown.
OU leans into run game to start
The Sooners are emphasizing their ground attack early in the game. They started the game with three run plays, resulting in Avant having 32 rushing yards out the gate. OU used its tight ends on the second run, moving right to left to set it up.
Walk of Champions
Sooners walked their first Walk of Champions to their season opening game against UTEP.
Read the Daily's pregame feature stories:
Most law students were not interested in leading athletics operations 20 years ago, but now,…
John Mateer, under the Friday night lights, in front of 83,550 fans at Gaylord Family-Oklaho…
Just months after a breakout 2025 campaign, Owen Heinecke faced the possibility that his OU …
As OU’s 2025 season ended against Alabama in the first round of the College Football Playoff…
