NORMAN — Oklahoma is off and running.
Brent Venables’ No. 10 Sooners easily dispatched UTEP 51-0 Friday night to get the 2026 season underway in style.
Isaiah Sategna’s first-quarter punt return for a touchdown set the tone as OU overwhelmed the visitors.
The Sooners won the special teams battle, debuted new wrinkles on offense and took advantage of a trio of missed field goals to shut out the Miners. It was OU’s first shutout since 2023, when Venables’ second squad shut out Arkansas State 73-0.
Attention will quickly turn to Michigan with a trip to The Big House up next, but here are three quick takeaways from the victory.
Adepoju Adebawore is ready for a big year
Adepoju Adebawore’s night may not stand out after a quick scan of the box score, but the senior defensive end was one of the most disruptive players on the field.
He was constantly in UTEP quarterback EJ Colson Jr.’s lap, forcing him to make quick reads at the mesh point to avoid Adebawore swallowing up rushing plays in the backfield, or worse, knocking the ball out before the play had a chance to even begin.
With Danny Okoye missing the opener, Adebawore got plenty of opportunity to show off his growth across from Taylor Wein, and Wein had a big embrace for his teammate when Adebawore finally got his sack right before halftime.
Adebawore finished the night with two total tackles, and he will carry plenty of confidence into next week’s matchup with the Wolverines.
Lloyd Avant carries the backfield
Colorado State transfer Lloyd Avant got the start Friday night, and he quickly proved he’s not going to be brushed aside as a fun camp story.
The junior looked decisive, and he had multiple rushes where he pushed the pile at the end — a trait that new running backs coach Deland McCullough will have loved to see.
Avant also chipped into the passing game with a 6-yard reception to pair with his 15 rushes for 79 yards and a touchdown.
Xavier Robinson will certainly get his fair share of carries next week, and freshman Jonathan Hatton Jr. came a yard short of his first collegiate touchdown, but there’s no reason to expect Avant to suddenly take a back seat in Oklahoma’s massive Michigan tilt.
Offensive line papers over absences
With Jake Maikkula and Ryan Fodje both out, freshman Noah Best ended up getting the nod to start at center.
He looked composed in his first collegiate contest, though he swapped spots with Western Kentucky transfer Caleb Nitta to start the second quarter.
Both pieces looked serviceable for Bill Bedenbaugh’s unit, and while things weren’t perfect, it did look like an improved group from last year’s opener — especially with two missing pieces.
But Oklahoma will want to get Maikkula and Fodje back as soon as possible, especially with massive contests looming on the horizon.
Georgia Tech transfer Peyton Joseph also got into the mix early in the third quarter with the rest of the starting group to build some additional depth behind Michael Fasusi, E’Marion Harris and Fodje, and he flashed his athleticism when he was able to get moving downfield to help finish off runs.
Still, the unit needs to stay healthy if the Sooners want to find success against Michigan’s defense next week.
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