John Mateer threw for 392 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another as No. 18 Oklahoma opened the season with a 35-3 win over Illinois State on Saturday in Norman, Okla.
Mateer’s passing yardage was the most by a Sooners quarterback in an opener, topping Baker Mayfield’s 388-yard performance to open the 2015 season.
Much of the offseason attention surrounding Oklahoma was centered on the offensive rebuild led by Mateer and offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, who both came over from Washington State.
Mateer finished 30 of 37 through the air as the Sooners outgained the Redbirds 495-151.
The Sooners took the lead late in the first quarter on a 94-yard drive that ended with Mateer’s 7-yard touchdown run.
Oklahoma wasted little time getting out of the shadow of the end zone as Mateer hit Deion Burks for a 28-yard gain on the first play.
The drive went 10 plays and lasted more than five minutes before Mateer put the Sooners ahead.
On Oklahoma’s next drive, Mateer hit Burks for a 27-yard touchdown to stretch the lead to 14-0. Then the Sooners used more than seven minutes on an 81-yard drive that ended with freshman Tory Blaylock’s 5-yard touchdown run to put the Sooners up 21-0 in the final minute before halftime.
Illinois State quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse (6 of 13, 22 yards) left the game early in the third after taking a hard hit from defensive end Taylor Wein. The FCS Redbirds finished with just 34 passing yards.
Wenkers Wright rushed for 50 yards on seven carries to lead Illinois State.
The Redbirds’ lone score came in the third quarter on Matt Maldonado’s 33-yard field goal following Shadwel Nkuba II’s interception of a Mateer pass that gave Illinois State the ball at the Oklahoma 22.
The Sooners responded with another long drive that ended on a 28-yard touchdown pass from Mateer to Keontez Lewis.
Lewis, who had a big game against Illinois State last season while playing at Southern Illinois, led the Sooners in receiving in his OU debut. He finished with nine catches for 119 yards and two touchdowns.
Both of Lewis’ touchdowns came in the fourth quarter.
