Rocky Beers caught six passes for 94 yards at Michigan; Isaiah Sategna III caught two for nine. John Mateer opened the second half with nine consecutive completions, then finished 17 of 33 as Oklahoma lost 17-10. The Sooners found a productive stretch through the air. They could not make it last.
With the game tied, Jyaire Hill intercepted Mateer and returned the ball to Oklahoma’s 6. Jordan Marshall scored two plays later. Oklahoma’s last three possessions ended with a punt, a turnover on downs and a final-play sack. The Michigan finish left Mateer with two connected demands for Saturday. Keep finding completions and keep the next scoring opportunity in Oklahoma’s hands.
New Mexico visits Saturday, September 19, at 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN2. Oklahoma has an 84.2% chance to win, so a home victory is a reasonable expectation. This is a Saturday to settle in with the Sooners; the outside slate offers no consequential help to chase.
Beers has earned another busy evening, and getting Sategna involved would give Mateer more places to turn. Trell Harris caught four passes for 43 yards at Michigan, but Field Level Media reported September 15 that he would miss an extended period following an internal injury and remained under evaluation. If Harris is unavailable, Oklahoma needs other receivers to supply those catches without asking Beers to carry every passing possession.
The backs can ease that burden before Mateer throws. Oklahoma’s non-quarterbacks combined for 55 rushing yards on 16 carries at Michigan, including Lloyd Avant’s 35 yards on nine attempts. Useful early-down handoffs would leave Mateer shorter throws to move the chains. Jake Maikkula returned at center, Noah Best moved to right guard and Ryan Fodje returned at left tackle against Michigan, but the line allowed three sacks and committed late penalties. Saturday’s blockers need to give Mateer time to find another receiver when his first option is covered, without losing the yards Oklahoma has already gained to flags.
New Mexico took the ball away six times against Mercyhurst and recorded five sacks and 13 tackles for loss. Three second-quarter takeaways became touchdowns. Those numbers came against Mercyhurst, but the route to trouble is familiar after Michigan. It involves pressure, a giveaway and an opponent suddenly close to scoring. Oklahoma can make the Lobos earn their possessions by protecting Mateer and taking the available gain instead of forcing a throw.
Oklahoma’s defense led the nation in sacks and tackles for loss per game in 2025. With R Mason Thomas gone after contributing 6.5 sacks, Taylor Wein and Reggie Powers III supplied both sacks at Michigan and combined for five tackles for loss. They are providing some of the disruption Oklahoma needs to replace. Finishing the rush without opening an escape route matters, too. Bryce Underwood ran for 87 yards and a touchdown against OU; New Mexico’s Toa Fa’avae and Luke Moga each ran for a touchdown against Mercyhurst. Make the quarterbacks beat coverage instead of running past it.
At linebacker, James Nesta replaced Kip Lewis after Lewis hurt his knee at Michigan and finished with three tackles. The September 15 report said Lewis had not been ruled out for New Mexico; his return remained undated. If Nesta is needed again, tackles that keep quarterback runs short of the sticks would help Oklahoma force punts without relying on sacks alone.
Oklahoma fell from No. 11 to No. 24 in the AP poll after Michigan. That setback leaves the Sooners rebuilding confidence, with playoff chances of 13.6% with a win Saturday versus 6.8% with a loss. The interactive guide has the season outlook, with the forecasts explained in the methodology.
Georgia awaits next week. After the open date, Oklahoma meets Texas on October 10, carrying the memory of last season’s 23-6 rivalry loss. Oklahoma needs to bring more than six points to Dallas this time. Mateer can build toward that Saturday by turning stretches of completions into sustained scoring drives.