Sooners Blow Past Bears in Season Opener

NORMAN – Spencer Rattler passed for 290 yards and four touchdowns in his first start and No. 5 Oklahoma rolled past Missouri State 48-0 on Saturday night.

Rattler, the highly touted redshirt freshman from Phoenix, only played the first two quarters and helped the Sooners take a 41-0 lead.

Rattler took advantage of the opportunity and looked like a seasoned veteran. He completed 14 of 17 passes and had a 303.3 passer efficiency rating -- the third-best single-game mark in school history.

"I feel like I've earned a lot of trust from my guys on the team," he said. "Being the quarterback, you have to have that assertive leadership and bring certain qualities to you, and I feel like I'm still working on that, but doing a pretty good job with it."

Rattler left an impression on Missouri State coach Bobby Petrino, who coached Heisman winner Lamar Jackson at Louisville in 2016.

"I think his presence in the pocket, being able to find the open receiver -- he's got a great quick release and can make all the different throws," Petrino said.

The Sooners led 31-0 at the end of the first quarter and outgained the Bears 236 yards to 1. It was the first time since 2008 that Oklahoma scored at least 31 points in a first quarter and the sixth time in school history.

Rattler got plenty of help. Seth McGowan, a true freshman, caught a touchdown pass and ran for a score. Charleston Rambo had four catches for 80 yards and two scores, including a 53-yard touchdown catch from Rattler. Oklahoma gained 608 total yards, including 484 passing.

The Sooners held Missouri State to 135 yards and seven first downs in their first shutout since 2015.

Redshirt freshman Jaden Johnson completed 9 of 19 passes for 72 yards for the Bears.

It was a rough debut with the Bears for Petrino, best known for his success at Louisville and Arkansas. He took over a Missouri State program that went 1-10 last season.

"First and foremost, Oklahoma's a really good football team," Petrino said. "Obviously, one of the best teams in the country. We got a little overwhelmed up front on the offensive side of the ball."

THE TAKEAWAY

The Sooners' passing game looked crisp. Rattler's ability to complete the deep ball coupled with his mobility will give defensive coordinators fits. Oklahoma's defense was aggressive and tackled well to start its second year under coordinator Alex Grinch. The Sooners held the Bears without a first down for nearly 25 minutes to start the game.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

None. Oklahoma did what was expected and most of the teams ranked ahead of the Sooners did not play on Saturday.

UP NEXT

Oklahoma will host Kansas State on Saturday, Sept. 26.