The Oklahoma Sooners invested heavily in improving their offense this past offseason, and they needed it desperately. Quarterback John Mateer came over from Washington State, as did his offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle. The early returns on both have been extremely positive, and NFL scouts are already buzzing over the talented signal caller in particular. 

While the opener was just against FCS foe Illinois State, you could see the difference in confidence behind center. It wasn’t always perfect, just watch his lone interception, but Mateer was very much in command this past Saturday. It feels like Oklahoma has indeed found its answer at quarterback. 

Outside of figuring out the quarterback position, the Sooners were tasked with figuring out their offensive line issues up front. Once again, it’s only one game, but it’s hard to be positive about that front right now. Offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh has garnered a great reputation as a premier developer of talent over the years, but the returns recently have been pretty unsettling. 

During the 2024 season, a lot of excuses were given to the offensive line room. It’s true that the group dealt with a ton of injuries a year ago, but that doesn’t take away from a tragic flaw for the group, they just aren’t very talented. With Bedenbaugh’s track record, however, most fans decided to be patient and let a healthy offseason provide extra context. This past weekend’s performance did nothing to shrink the skepticism. 

In the team’s 35-3 victory over the Redbirds, the offensive line struggles mightily against an inferior opponent. The passing numbers were nice, seeing Mateer throw for 392 yards and three touchdowns, but those who watched understood that Mateer did make a lot of magic happen out of chaos. There was constant pressure, particularly from the interior. The Sooners only allowed one sack, but that’s a testament to the athleticism and command that Mateer was showcasing throughout the contest. 

The biggest deficiencies for the Sooners’ offensive line showed up most in the run game. As a team, they managed to rush for just 103 yards and two touchdowns on 32 carries, an average of 3.2 yards per carry. That raw average is even more troubling considering Illinois State only racked up four tackles for loss. That means without many negatives, the Sooners’ run game just wasn’t able to create much of a push. 

That may be even more troubling than giving up a few too many negatives. 

The offensive tackles, Jacob Sexton and Logan Howland, were solid but unspectacular. The interior, however, was where the bigger issues remained. That group left a lot to be desired, and even more left to hope for. 

Starting center Troy Everett had a really rough performance on Saturday, consistently getting blown back at the point of attack. He seemingly fell off more blocks than he actually made. Illinois State defensive tackle Jake Anderson gave him a really tough time. The same can be said for Eddy Pierre-Louis, another player who struggled at a high level.

Pierre-Louis was eventually replaced by true freshman Ryan Fodje inside. He also struggled, but it was his first-ever action, so there is some context to consider, and it doesn’t change the fact that there is a lot of football in front of him. Febechi Nwaiwu was probably the team’s best interior offensive lineman, but that is a low bar to clear. That interior needs to be a whole lot better moving forward, especially with the Michigan Wolverines coming to town this week.

At some point this season, Oklahoma is expected to turn to true freshman standout Michael Fasusi on a more full-time basis. Fasusi, along with Fodje, are two players that the staff is very excited about. Depending on freshmen isn’t always a bad thing, but it certainly can be on the offensive line. Unfortunately for Coach Bedenbaugh, he had a couple of years where his recruiting and development weren’t up to par. These are, unfortunately, the results of those blunders.

With head coach Brent Venables on the hot seat, the Sooners need to put together a big year. We know the defense is in a great place, which isn’t much of a surprise with Venables’ reputation. At the end of the day, this offense, and more specifically the offensive line, could make or break his tenure. It is uncertain if this Sooner staff can get the front turned around quickly enough, and what the next steps will be if they aren’t able to.

Oklahoma Sooners News

John Mateer obviously isn’t afraid to tell it how it is after playing his first game with the Oklahoma Sooners

John Mateer kept it real after the Oklahoma Sooners beat Illinois State.

Justin Churchill