Oklahoma defeated UTEP 51-0 on Saturday in Norman, Look Look inside to see a review of the game.
Oklahoma 51, UTEP 0
Oklahoma could hardly have asked for a more complete beginning to the season. The No. 10 Sooners dominated UTEP 51-0 in Norman, combining an efficient offense, explosive special teams and suffocating defense.
Quarterback John Mateer threw three first-half touchdown passes as Oklahoma seized control almost immediately. The Sooners scored on their first eight offensive possessions, eliminating any realistic possibility of an upset before UTEP could establish itself.
Special teams supplied one of the evening’s biggest plays when Isaiah Sategna III returned a punt 88 yards for a touchdown. Oklahoma led 21-0 after the first quarter and steadily expanded the margin from there.
The defense may have been even more impressive. UTEP was held to only 198 total yards and never scored. For a Sooners team that expects to contend for the SEC championship and College Football Playoff, recording a shutout was an encouraging beginning.
Mateer’s command of the offense was particularly important. Oklahoma entered the season expecting him to be the centerpiece of a potentially explosive attack, and his three touchdown passes demonstrated that the offense can create points through the air rather than relying entirely on the running game.
The competition becomes considerably tougher from here, so nobody in Norman will mistake UTEP for an SEC-caliber test. Still, Oklahoma did exactly what an elite team is supposed to do against an inferior opponent: establish control immediately, avoid allowing the opponent to gain confidence and put the game away early.
There were no late-game heroics required and no major opening-night scare.
Instead, Oklahoma emerged from Week 1 looking fast, disciplined and balanced, while the defense’s shutout provided perhaps the most encouraging development of all.
