John Mateer threw for 271 yards and a touchdown and ran for another, and No. 11 Oklahoma set a program record with 10 sacks in a 24-17 victory over No. 22 Auburn on Saturday in Norman.
In the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams, The Sooners regained the lead late, then stopped the Tigers on a late drive before the defense took over.
Oklahoma tied the program record on Gracen Halton’s sack of Jackson Arnold on third down, and then on the next play, R Mason Thomas brought down Arnold in the end zone for a safety for a 24-17 Sooners lead with just over a minute remaining.
The Tigers’ onside kick didn’t go 10 yards, allowing the Sooners (4-0, 1-0 SEC) to kneel the clock out.
Auburn (3-1, 1-1) took its first lead at 17-16 with 7:08 remaining on Malcolm Simmons’ 4-yard touchdown run.
Simmons’ score capped a 14-play, 75-yard drive that took nearly eight minutes.
Auburn converted once on third down and twice on fourth downs on the drive, including a fourth-and-6 just before Simmons’ TD that came via a pass interference penalty on the Sooners.
Oklahoma immediately answered as Mateer led a quick touchdown drive, keyed by a 31-yard pass to Isaiah Sategna III that set up Mateer’s 9-yard scoring run on the next play.
Sategna’s catch was initially ruled incomplete before being overturned on review.
Mateer’s run extended his streak of scoring a rushing touchdown and throwing for a score to 10 consecutive games dating back to last season while playing for Washington State.
Sategna finished with nine catches for 127 yards.
Arnold, Oklahoma’s starting quarterback for much of last season before transferring, finished 21-of-32 passing for 220 yards and a touchdown.
The Sooners outgained the Tigers 303-287 and held Auburn to 67 rushing yards, though Oklahoma ran for only 32 itself.
After trading field goals in the first quarter, Oklahoma broke through to take the lead with a bit of trickery.
Sategna jogged along the line of scrimmage toward the Sooners’ bench, seemingly headed out of the game.
But he stopped short of the sideline and was wide open for a 24-yard touchdown catch.
The score, which came with 10:45 left in the first half, was set up by a botched Auburn punt that resulted in a 12-yard loss and gave Oklahoma the ball at the Tigers’ 12.
Auburn tied it on Cam Coleman’s 2-yard touchdown catch near the end of the half.
The Sooners took the lead on Tate Sandell’s third-quarter field goal and extended their lead to 16-10 on another Sandell field goal on the opening play of the fourth quarter.
–Field Level Media
