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Mateer throws 3 TD passes as Oklahoma rolls past UTEP 51-0 in warmup for Michigan
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- Mateer throws 3 TD passes as Oklahoma rolls past UTEP 51-0 in warmup for Michigan
Mateer throws 3 TD passes as Oklahoma rolls past UTEP 51-0 in warmup for Michigan originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
NORMAN, Okla. -- John Mateer threw three touchdown passes, Isaiah Sategna scored twice and Oklahoma rolled past UTEP 51-0 on Friday night in a successful warmup for a showdown at Michigan on Sept. 12.
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Sategna had 215 all-purpose yards. He had 115 on punt returns, including an 88-yard touchdown, and 76 receiving, including a 34-yard score. He also had 24 kickoff return yards.
Mateer completed 11 of 17 passes for 225 yards.
Lloyd Avant had 79 yards on 15 carries for the Sooners (1-0), who outgained the Miners 401 yards to 198.
Avant set the tone with three carries for 32 yards on the Sooners' first three offensive plays. Oklahoma drove 76 yards in 12 plays, and Avant's 1-yard touchdown run opened the scoring with 9:16 left in the first quarter.
Later in the quarter, Sategna had his big runback. He caught the ball near the left sideline, then made his way across to the opposite sideline. As he turned upfield, Omarion Robinson flattened a UTEP defender at the 50-yard line to spring Sategna the rest of the way.
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Oklahoma's third touchdown was impressive, too. Tight end Rocky Beers -- all 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds of him -- hurdled a defender near the goal line before completing a 40-yard touchdown reception that put the Sooners up 21-0 in the first quarter. It was quite the highlight for the position group in ex-Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten's first game as Oklahoma's tight ends coach.
The Sooners led 27-0 at halftime. Mateer completed 9 of 13 passes for 143 yards and a score before the break and Avant had nine carries for 51 yards and a touchdown. Still, Oklahoma's offense slowed down considerably in the second quarter, leaving questions for the second half.
MORE: Oklahoma Sooners football printable 2026 schedule with dates, times and TV lineup
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Before the Sooner offense delivered answers, the defense got into the highlights. Peyton Bowen forced a fumble and Taylor Wein recovered at the UTEP 34. That led to the 34-yard touchdown pass Mateer to Sategna that pushed Oklahoma's lead to 34-0.
Mateer's 48-yard touchdown pass to Virginia transfer Trell Harris minutes later pushed Oklahoma's lead to 41-0 with 8:22 left in the third.
Oklahoma's shutout was preserved in the fourth quarter when UTEP's Carlos Arreola missed a 41-yard field goal with 4:51 remaining.
