Oklahoma Sooners Knock Off Missouri In Top 25 SEC Showdown

If you like offensive fireworks, precision passing, and games that look like track meets, you probably wanted to turn your TV off during the first quarter in Norman. But if you’re an Oklahoma fan who just wants to see a “W” in the win column, Saturday was, eventually, a beautiful thing.

The No. 8 Sooners took care of business against No. 22 Missouri, grinding out a 17-6 victory that moved them to 9-2 on the season. Was it pretty? Absolutely not. In fact, for long stretches, the offense looked like it was operating with the grace of a shopping cart with a wobbly wheel. But as Head Coach Brent Venables keeps reminding us: in the SEC, you don’t apologize for winning ugly.

Here is how the Sooners survived the Tigers and kept their College Football Playoff dreams alive.

Oklahoma Defense Bails Out a Stagnant Offense

The Oklahoma offense owes the defense a steak dinner. Maybe two. The first quarter was about as exciting as a tax audit. The Sooners managed negative seven yards of offense in the opening frame. You read that right. Missouri controlled the clock, marched down the field, and looked poised to play spoiler. But the Sooner defense, as they have done all year, refused to break.

They held Missouri to a field goal on a marathon opening drive, and then proceeded to make life miserable for Tigers Quarterback Beau Pribula. The unit racked up four sacks and eight tackles for loss, turning the second half into an absolute slog for Mizzou. The only blemish on the day? Defensive Back Reggie Powers got flagged for targeting, meaning he’ll be watching the first half of the massive LSU game from the locker room.

One Big Play Flips the Momentum For Oklahoma

Just when the “boo birds” were clearing their throats at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, Isaiah Sategna decided he’d seen enough. With the offense stuck in the mud, Quarterback John Mateer found Sategna, who turned on the jets for an electrifying 87-yard touchdown. It was the spark that lit the fire. Suddenly, the stadium woke up. The sideline woke up. Even the offense seemed to wipe the sleep from its eyes.

Minutes later, after the defense forced a bad punt, Mateer found Javonnie Gibson for an 8-yard score. Just like that, a 3-0 deficit turned into a 14-3 lead. In a game where yards were harder to find than a parking spot on campus, those two drives were all Oklahoma needed.

Oklahoma Playoff Hopes Hinge on Finale

So, where does this leave the Sooners? In the driver’s seat, albeit driving a car that needs a tune-up. At 9-2, Oklahoma is on the doorstep of its first playoff berth since 2019. The path is simple: beat LSU, and punch your ticket. A win might even secure a first-round home game in Norman, which would be a chaotic, wonderful scene.

However, if they want to make noise in the postseason, the offense has to figure something out. Mateer and Co. have been uneven since his return from injury, and relying on the defense to hold opponents to single digits is a risky strategy against the nation’s elite. But for now, they survive and advance.