Was Oklahoma’s Victory Over Michigan a Statement Win or a Fluke? The Surprising Report Card Revealed!

When the Oklahoma Sooners took the field on Saturday night in Norman, they weren’t just playing a game — they were sending a message. Packed stadium, prime-time lights, and a buzzing energy that only a top 25 clash can bring. John Mateer, the Sooners’ quarterback, didn’t just perform; he commanded respect with his assertive playmaking, while the defense held strong, refusing to give Michigan much room to breathe. From the get-go, Oklahoma was assertive, jumping out to an early lead, steering the game’s tempo with a confident offense and a tenacious defense that made timely stops when it counted most. Sure, there’s room to tighten up and sharpen as the season unfolds, but this victory over a formidable opponent showed promising signs of grit and growth. Ready for the deep dive? Here’s our rundown on how each unit fared in this crucial win. LEARN MORE

The Oklahoma Sooners earned a statement win over the Michigan Wolverines on Saturday night in Norman. In front of a capacity crowd and on primetime television, quarterback John Mateer announced his presence with authority, and the defense was stout all day long.

Oklahoma was in control of the game throughout, taking a 7-0 lead on the opening drive of the first quarter and then taking a 14-0 lead into the break after a nice two-minute drill for a touchdown just before halftime. Though they were outscored 13-10 in the second half, the defense made just enough stops, and the offense dominated time of possession to seal the top 25 win.

There are certainly some things to improve on as the season moves along, but Oklahoma graded well in its first big test of the season. Here’s a look at our report card for the win over Michigan.

Quarterback: A-

It probably would have been an A+ for John Mateer, but he had the interception and a stretch of attempts where his accuracy was off. Still, can’t be mad about a 344 total yard, three touchdown performance for the Sooners starting quarterback.

Beyond the stats, his leadership, toughness, and playmaking ability galvanized the Sooners’ offense on Saturday night. He’s everything Oklahoma hoped he’d be coming over from Washington State.

Running Back: B-

The Oklahoma Sooners’ running game struggled to find much space in the win against a really good Michigan defensive front. Oklahoma’s trio of runners Jaydn Ott, Tory Blaylock, and Jovantae Barnes combined for 19 carries for 57 yards. That’s just 2.82 yards per carry.

After an underwhelming performance last week, Barnes provided the best effort, carrying the ball six times for 24 yards and added a reception for 16 yards. Barnes was in the game during Oklahoma’s two-minute drill that led to a touchdown at the end of the first half and saw critical snaps late in the fourth quarter.

Transfer running back Jaydn Ott hasn’t really gotten going. He had four carries for nine yards in the game.

As a group, they looked solid in pass protection and were solid in short-yardage situations.

It’s been a mixed bag of production the first couple of weeks, but the offensive line is also still trying to find its groove. Oklahoma needs the run game to get going. Maybe they can find some consistency next week vs. Temple.

Wide Receiver: A-

Deion Burks led the way with seven receptions for 101 yards and a touchdown. It was his first 100-yard receiving day as a Sooner. He was targeted 13 times in the win, and there was the potential for even more plays, but Mateer and Burks had a hard time connecting on several throws. He’s a dynamic player in the passing game and it’s clear Mateer wants to get him the ball.

Keontez Lewis had a relatively quiet day after posting nine receptions for 119 yards and two touchdowns last week. But he was effective against Michigan with three receptions for 36 yards.

Isaiah Sategna overcame a drop early in the game with four receptions for 44 yards, including a big catch and run for 36 yards that helped set up an Oklahoma touchdown. We’ll talk more about Sategna’s special teams performance later.

They were the only wide receivers to see a target in the passing game. Overall, the group was effective but there was opportunity for more.

Tight End: A

Jaren Kanak is off to a great start to his career as a tight end. He had a huge week in the opener against Illinois State and followed that up with five catches for 69 yards to finish second on the team. His 31-yard catch on third down on the opening drive set the Sooners up for their first score.

On a number of Mateer runs, Kanak was the lead blocker. He also lined up as a fullback in short yardage and paved the way for Barnes to convert a critical late-game third down.

After performing well against one of the better defenses in college football, the job is Kanak’s. He’s on pace for a huge season.

Offensive Line: B-

Much like last week, there was a lot of good from the offensive line in pass protection but there’s still a lot to be desired in the running game. Oklahoma only averaged 3.5 yards per carry, where most of the success came from John Mateer’s designed runs.

The Sooners started four new offensive linemen this week, including true freshman Michael Fasusi at left tackle. Heath Ozaeta got the start at left guard, Jake Maikkula at center, Febechi Nwaiwu at right guard, and Derek Simmons at right tackle.

It’s an evolving group that needs to find more consistency in the run game if Oklahoma wants to achieve its goals in 2025.

Defensive Line: A+

Against what many believe to be a really good Michigan Wolverines offensive line, the Sooners defensive front absolutely dominated. Though there was only one sack, Oklahoma’s defensive line had Bryce Underwood under duress for a lot of the night.

Against the run, they were stout. Aside from Justice Haynes’ 75-yard touchdown run, which is likely attributed to overpursuing linebackers or safeties, the Sooners’ defensive front allowed just 71 yards rushing on 31 carries. That’s just 2.29 yards per carry.

Defensive tackle Jayden Jackson combined with linebacker Sammy Omosigho for the game’s only sack. Damonic Williams had five total tackles. Gracen Halton played well up the middle as well, recording a quarterback hit. R Mason Thomas drew a holding penalty that set the Wolverines back on a drive. Marvin Jones, Jr. was active coming off the edge and making plays against the run.

If Oklahoma’s defensive success can continue, the Sooners will have a shot to win a lot of games this year.

Linebackers: A

The linebacker group of Kobie McKinzie, Kip Lewis, Sammy Omosigho and Owen Heinecke played a great game. The only blemish was Haynes’ 75-yard touchdown, where Michigan caught Oklahoma overpursuing and leaving the backside wide open. That could have been the linebackers’ responsibility or that of Robert Spears-Jennings and Peyton Bowen.

Regardless, the linebacker group played fast and physical and was attacking all game long. After Michigan popped the big run to start the second half, Oklahoma’s run defense settled back in and they also didn’t allow much in the way of success for Bryce Underwood in the middle of the field.

Owen Heinecke had a breakout performance, leading the team with seven tackles, a tackle for loss, and a pass breakup. Kendal Daniels was also great, finishing with 2.5 tackles for loss in the win. Lewis had six tackles and McKinzie had five and 0.5 tackles for loss.

The Sooners front seven is off to a great start to the season in 2025 and the linebacker room will be a big reason for their success this season.

Defensive Backs: A-

Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood didn’t often have a lot of places to go with the football. Credit the coverage on the back end. They gave up a few big plays in the passing attack, and Spears-Jennings and Bowen got caught peaking on Haynes’ cutback that led to the touchdown run.

Despite all that, Underwood finished 9 of 24 for 142 yards, completing just 38% of his passes throughout the game. Courtland Guillory and Gentry Williams received the start once again for the Sooners, and they played ultra-competitively on the outside, not allowing the Michigan receivers much space to run.

Special Teams: C-

This would likely be a “D” or worse if it weren’t for the punting prowess of Grayson Miller. Miller punted the ball five times and averaged 47.8 yards per punt. He had a punt travel 59 yards and had two punts downed inside the 20. He was the special teams player of the game for the Sooners.

Isaiah Sategna muffed a punt that gave Michigan great field position. Tate Sandell had an opportunity to make it a two-score game early in the fourth quarter, but pushed the ball wide. He made up for it with a field goal that gave the Sooners an 11-point lead.

Special teams have been too up and down through the first two games of the season. Doug Deakin needs to find some consistency.

Coaching: A+

The Oklahoma Sooners had a great game plan and managed the game well. The Sooners played with an edge on Saturday night and came into the game ready to play.

There were no glaring issues with game management from the coaching staff. Arbuckle showed a willingness to slow things down in the fourth quarter as Oklahoma’s offense took eight and a half minutes off the clock.

It was a huge win for Venables, Arbuckle, and the rest of the staff. Now they begin to turn their attention to the Temple Owls.

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