Game Primer: OU vs. Missouri

Saturday, November 22

Norman

11 a.m.

University of Oklahoma

Missouri

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#8 Oklahoma

#22 Missouri

Saturday, Nov. 22 / 11 a.m. CT / Owen Field

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OPENING KICK

• No. 8/8/8 Oklahoma (8-2, 4-2 SEC) plays its first of two straight home games to close the regular season when it hosts No. 22/23/21 Missouri (7-3, 3-3) on Saturday at 11 a.m. CT at Gaylord Family — Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman. The game will be televised by ABC with Sean McDonough, Greg McElroy and Molly McGrath announcing.

• Former longtime conference mates, Oklahoma and Missouri are meeting for the 98th time Saturday, with the Sooners holding a commanding 67-25-5 series lead. The programs first met in 1902 in Columbia, Mo., and played every year from 1919-1995.

• OU posted an 8-2 record against Missouri when both schools were members of the Big 12 Conference. Saturday's game will mark the first meeting between the programs in Norman since 2011, which was the Tigers' last year in the Big 12. The No. 1-ranked Sooners won that game 38-28 over unranked Mizzou.

• The Sooners have won eight of the last 10 meetings against the Tigers and 32 of the last 37.

• OU has won 18 straight home games against Missouri. MU's last victory in Norman came in 1966 (10-7; both teams were unranked).

• Oklahoma has won 46 of its last 49 November home games (.939). It is 43-3 (.935) since the start of the 2000 season, good for the nation's best such record (Boise State ranks second at .865; 45-7).

• The 2025 season marks the 131st in OU football history. The Sooners lead the nation with their 50 all-time conference titles, 27 11-plus-win seasons (tied), 33 AP top-five finishes and five No. 1 overall NFL Draft picks (tied). They rank second with their seven Heisman Trophy winners (tied), third with seven AP national championships, their 101 weeks as the AP's No. 1 team and 432 total weeks in the AP Top 5, fourth with their 419 NFL Draft picks and fifth with their 58 bowl appearances.

• Saturday's contest will mark the 1,362nd in OU history. The Sooners rank fifth nationally with their .723 all-time winning percentage (958-350-53 record), trailing Ohio State (.737), Alabama (.734), Michigan (.733) and Notre Dame (.732). Since the end of World War II (1946 season to present), OU leads all programs with 714 wins (28 more than Alabama, the program with the next most).

• This week's AP poll features a nation-leading nine SEC teams, including six of the top 12: No. 3 Texas A&M, No. 4 Georgia, No. 5 Ole Miss, No. 8 Oklahoma, No. 10 Alabama, No. 12 Vanderbilt, No. 17 Texas, No. 20 Tennessee and No. 23 Missouri. The Big Ten ranks second with five AP top-25 teams, while the Big 12 has four, the ACC three, the American two and Sun Belt one.

• At No. 23/21, Missouri will represent OU's seventh opponent this season (fourth straight and fifth in the last six games) ranked in either the AP or coaches poll at the time of competition.

NORMAN, OK - September 06, 2025 - Fans during the game between the Michigan Wolverines and the Oklahoma Sooners at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, OK. Photo By Asia Purnell/University of Oklahoma

FOR THE FANS

• Approximately two hours and 15 minutes before each home game (8:50 a.m. this Saturday), OU players and coaches will arrive at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium via team buses and walk to their stadium entrance while being cheered by fans. This year's "Walk of Champions" path again originates from the Jenkins Ave./Brooks St. intersection just northeast of the stadium (view map here). The team will be led by the Sooner Schooner and OU Spirit.

• New this fall, free, public tailgating is open on the historic North Oval. For the first time in university history, fans have the opportunity to set up their tailgates on one of the most recognizable places on campus, creating an electric atmosphere just steps away from Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Fans can claim spaces on the North Oval beginning at 6 p.m. on the Friday before a home game. More tailgating information, policies and a map, click here.

• Once again, "Party at the Palace, Presented by Allstate" will be held on the lawn immediately north of Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium for fans of all ages, this week running from 7 to 10:30 a.m. Highlights include food trucks, giveaways, music, interactive games, inflatables and more. Additionally, 107.7 The Franchise, the flagship station of the Sooner Sports Radio Network, originates the start of its pregame show live from Party at the Palace beginning three hours prior to kickoff.

• OU Athletics and Sooner Sports Properties are producing limited-edition collectible game programs in high-quality print for home football contests against Auburn, Ole Miss, Missouri and LSU – OU's four 2025 SEC home opponents – plus Big Ten foe Michigan. Souvenir 96-page game programs are available for preorder for $20 each, and the 220-page 2025 OU Football Media Guide can be purchased for $40 (limited stock). Click here for details.

• The University of Oklahoma and the Southeastern Conference have zero-tolerance policies regarding fan field intrusions and throwing debris on the field. Starting in 2025, the SEC will issue member schools a $500,000 fine for violating the field-intrusion policy (paid to the opposing school for conference games) and a $250,000 fine for throwing debris on the field. Violations of these policies could also result in prosecution.

• A reminder that umbrellas are not permitted inside Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. For a full list of OU game day policies, procedures and additional fan information, click here.

KEY STORYLINES

• Oklahoma is coming off back-to-back road wins over No. 14 Tennessee and No. 4 Alabama. It marked the program's first occasion to beat top-15 opponents in consecutive road outings since 2015. The last program to win at Tennessee and Alabama in the same season was LSU in 2011 (no other program since at least 1980 did it in back-to-back games).

• Oklahoma is one of just two teams this season (Alabama is the other) with at least four wins against opponents ranked in the AP Top 25 at the time of competition. A victory over Missouri would mark the Sooners' fifth such win. The last time OU won five regular season games against AP-ranked teams was 2015.

• Saturday's game will pit a Missouri team that ranks sixth nationally in rushing offense (241.7 yards per game) against an Oklahoma squad that ranks fourth in rushing defense (82.2 yards per contest). MU averages 5.6 yards per carry (ranks 12th nationally) while the Sooners allow just 2.5 (second fewest). Mizzou running back Ahmad Hardy, who ran for 300 yards Saturday vs. Mississippi State, leads the nation with his 134.6 rushing yards per game.

• The Sooners have held six opponents, including four of six in SEC play, to 80 or fewer rushing yards.

• OU has registered defensive touchdowns of longer than 70 yards in each of the last two games (a 71-yard fumble return by R Mason Thomas at Tennessee and an 87-yard interception return by Eli Bowen at Alabama). It is the only team to record a 70-plus-yard defensive TD in consecutive SEC road games since at least 1995.

• Statistically, Oklahoma's defensive unit is one of the best in the country. The Sooners rank ninth in scoring defense (14.8 ppg), 11th in total defense (278.4 ypg), fourth in rushing defense (82.2 ypg) and 37th in passing defense (196.2 ypg). OU also ranks first nationally in tackles for loss per game (10.2; next most is 8.5 by Indiana), No. 3 in sacks per game (3.7) and touchdowns allowed (15), No. 6 in opponent yards per play (4.3), No. 7 in rushing TDs allowed (6), No. 9 in passing TDs allowed (8) and 13th in opponent third-down conversion percentage (31.1).

• OU is one of two teams that has produced points on all of its red-zone trips this year (the other is Eastern Michigan). It is 31 for 31, with 22 touchdowns and nine field goals. Missouri ranks 64th nationally by allowing opponents to score on 84% of its red-zone trips.

• Forty-one percent of OU's opponents' offensive plays this season (271 of 657) have gone for zero or negative yards. An additional 37 plays have resulted in a one-yard gain, meaning 47% of opponent plays have yielded one or fewer yards.

• The Sooners had no takeaways over their first four games but have 10 over the last six (six over the last two outings).

• Since the start of the 2023 season, OU is 17-0 when it wins the turnover battle (4-0 this year) and 6-10 when it loses it (4-2).

• Despite starting just five of OU's 10 games, redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Taylor Wein ranks fifth in the SEC with his 12.0 tackles for loss. Five Sooners rank in the top 21 of the 16-team SEC in TFLs. Joining Wein are senior lineman R Mason Thomas (9th; 9.5), redshirt senior linebacker Kendal Daniels (12th; 9.0), redshirt junior linebacker Owen Heinecke (16th; 8.0) and sophomore lineman David Stone (21st; 7.0).

• After totaling six catches for 60 yards over OU's first two games, redshirt junior wide receiver Isaiah Sategna III has amassed 47 receptions for 658 yards and five TDs over the last eight contests. His career highs entering the season were 37 catches and 491 yards last year at Arkansas, but has 49 grabs for 692 yards for the Sooners in 2025. He was added to the Biletnikoff Award Watch List on Nov. 5.

• Redshirt junior kicker and Lou Groza Award semifinalist Tate Sandell, who is in his first year with the Sooners after transferring from UTSA, leads the SEC and ranks fourth nationally by converting 96% of his field goal attempts (21 for 22). The lefty missed his first field goal try of the season but has been perfect since. His streak of 21 conversions is the longest in program history and second-longest in SEC history. Fourteen of his makes have been from at least 40 yards, breaking the previous OU single-season record of nine such conversions. His seven makes from 50-plus yards (all in the last six games; he is 7 for 7) are the most in an OU career and the most nationally this season (next most is four). He has booted four from 55 yards, also the most in school history for a career and tied for the most nationally in a season over the last 30 years. And his average-make distance of 41.8 yards leads the nation among kickers with at least 18 conversions (next highest is 38.2 by LSU's Damian Ramos).

RECAPPING THE WIN AT ALABAMA

• No. 11/11/10 Oklahoma registered three takeaways for the second straight game and did not turn the ball over in a 23-21 win at No. 4/4/4 Alabama on Saturday. It was OU's highest-ranked road victory since 2017 and ended the Crimson Tide's 17-game home winning streak (was the longest active FBS streak).

• The Sooners registered a defensive touchdown for the second straight contest when sophomore cornerback Eli Bowen intercepted a pass and returned it 87 yards for a 10-0 first-quarter lead. It was Bowen's second career interception (the other came in last year's home win over Alabama) and represented the eighth-longest interception return in school history. Bowen added a season-high five tackles on the day en route to SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors.

• OU's other takeaways were fumble recoveries on a second-quarter Alabama punt return (forced by Jaydan Hardy and recovered by Sammy Omosigho) and on a third-quarter strip sack by Taylor Wein (recovered by Kendal Daniels). The Crimson Tide entered the game with only six giveaways all season.

• Quarterback John Mateer completed 15 of 23 passes for 138 yards and rushed 10 times for 23 yards, including a 20-yard TD that gave OU a 17-7 lead with 8:49 left in the second quarter.

• OU's only deficit was 21-20 after Alabama ran for a 1-yard touchdown with 7:27 left in the third quarter, its only score of the second half. The Sooners retook the lead on Tate Sandell's 24-yard field goal with 13:41 remaining in the fourth quarter. The make came after Wein's strip sack. Sandell also connected from 25 yards on OU's first possession and from 52 yards in the third quarter for a 20-14 lead. He was named SEC Special Teams Player of the Week for the second straight game and third time this season.

• Redshirt junior linebacker Kip Lewis logged a game-high seven tackles (all solo), including a career-high 2.0 sacks (for 18 yards). He also registered a QB hurry on Bowen's interception and was named Bednarik Award Player of the Week.

• Wein, who was named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week, added a blocked field goal as time expired in the first half, preserving a 17-14 lead. It was OU's first blocked field goal since 2020.

• OU's 212 yards of offense were its fewest in victory since totaling 206 in a 14-3 win over Texas in 2001.

• The crowd of 100,077 was the fourth largest to witness an OU game and the second straight over 100,000. The Sooners improved to 4-0 all-time in front of six-figure crowds

• OU improved to 5-2-1 all-time against Alabama (4-0 in the regular season) and to 2-0 in Tuscaloosa. It became the first program to beat the Tide in consecutive regular seasons since Ole Miss in 2014 and '15.

OU VS. MIZZOU: RIVALRY RENEWED

• Saturday's game will mark the 98th between Oklahoma and Missouri, but just the second since 2011. The only opponents OU has played more often than Mizzou are Texas (121 games), Oklahoma State (118), Kansas (114) and Kansas State (103).

• The Sooners own a 67-25-5 all-time record against the Tigers and have won eight of the last 10 meetings, 20 of the last 23, 32 of the last 37 and 51 of the last 61.

• OU is 32-8-5 against MU in Norman and has won 18 straight there (16 of the 18 by double digits). Going back to 1938, the Sooners are 28-2-3 against the Tigers on Owen Field.

• The Sooners have posted 20 shutouts against the Tigers, OU's third most against any opponent (32 vs. Oklahoma State and 24 vs. Kansas State). The most lopsided score in series history came in 1986 when Barry Switzer's Sooners won 77-0 in Norman.

• In the teams' last meeting in Norman on Sept. 24, 2011, Bob Stoops' No. 1-ranked OU squad came back from an 11-point deficit (14-3) to post a 38-28 victory. The Sooners racked up 592 yards of offense, including 448 passing yards from Landry Jones on 35-of-48 (.729) throwing. All three of Jones' touchdowns were to wide receiver Ryan Broyles, who caught 13 passes for 154 yards. OU held Mizzou QB James Franklin to a .485 completion percentage (16 for 33). He threw for 291 yards and one score. Running back Henry Josey (133) and Franklin (103) each rushed for over 100 yards.

HOME IS WHERE THE 'W' IS

• Oklahoma is 149-16 (.903) at Gaylord Family — Oklahoma Memorial Stadium since the start of the 1999 season (Bob Stoops' first year as head coach), giving it just two more home losses than conference titles during the period. It is the second-best home winning percentage in the country over the stretch (Boise State [.905] is first and Ohio State [.898] third). OU has outscored its foes by an average of 42-18 in those games.

• Including this week's game, OU has sold out 165 straight originally scheduled home contests dating back to the start of the 1999 season. Next week's regular season finale against LSU is also sold out. Only Nebraska has a longer current streak.

• Gaylord Family — Oklahoma Memorial Stadium celebrated its 100th season in 2024. The 100th anniversary of the first game played in the stadium was Oct. 17. On that day in 1925, the first contest was played in front of the new 16,000-seat west stands, a 7-0 victory over Drake.

• The first game played at the current stadium site, called Owen Field and named after former head coach and athletics director Bennie Owen (a charter member of the College Football Hall of Fame), took place in 1923, before stadium construction got underway.

• OU owns a sparkling 427-89-15 (.818) all-time record at the "Palace on the Prairie" and has faced 100 opponents there (LSU next week will take that number to 101).

TUSCALOOSA, AL - November 15, 2025 - Oklahoma Defensive Lineman Taylor Wein (#44) during the game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Oklahoma Sooners at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, AL. Photo By Morgan Givens/University of Oklahoma

SECOND-STRING STANDOUTS

• Four of OU's top eight tacklers, as well as its tackles-for-loss leader, have largely played in non-starter roles. Redshirt junior linebacker Owen Heinecke (two starts) ranks second on the team in tackles (50), junior linebacker Sammy Omosigho (no starts) ranks fourth (39), sophomore defensive lineman David Stone (two starts) ranks sixth (34) and redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Taylor Wein (five starts) ranks eighth (31). Wein paces the team and ranks fifth in the SEC with his 12.0 TFLs.

MORE ON THE OFFENSE

• Redshirt junior quarterback John Mateer, who transferred from Washington State in January, has completed 184 of 288 pass attempts (64%) for 2,087 yards (231.9 average) and eight touchdowns through his nine games (he missed the Kent State contest following to right hand surgery). He is also OU's third-leading rusher with 329 yards and has a team-high seven TDs on the ground.

• Sophomore running back Xavier Robinson rushed for over 100 yards in two of the last three games (career highs of 109 vs. Ole Miss and 115 at Tennessee). Over the last four outings, Robinson has carried 47 times for 316 yards (6.7 per rush) and four TDs. Prior to the stretch, he had 16 carries for 50 yards (3.1 average) on the year.

• True freshman running back Tory Blaylock leads the team with 402 rushing yards on the season and has registered two 100-yard performances (100 and two TDs at Temple; 101 and one TD at South Carolina). Against Temple, he became the first OU freshman (true or redshirt) running back to register a 100-yard rushing effort in at least one of his first three games since current running backs coach DeMarco Murray did the same in 2007 (100 in third game).

• Redshirt junior receiver Isaiah Sategna III leads OU with 53 receptions while redshirt senior Deion Burks ranks second with 44. Sategna III, a first-year Sooner who transferred from Arkansas, paces the squad with 718 receiving yards (71.8 per game; ranks sixth in SEC), and over the past eight contests has racked up 47 catches for 658 yards and five TDs.

• Burks, who spent three years at Purdue and is in his second at Oklahoma, caught seven passes and one TD in each of the first two games this season and has 454 receiving yards. His 88 yards vs. Illinois State and 101 vs. Michigan represent his two highest totals at OU.

• Senior tight end Jaren Kanak played linebacker his first three years (started nine games in 2023 and one last season) before converting to tight end in the spring. The former high school receiver and quarterback has 32 catches for 433 yards (13.5 yards per reception) through 10 games. The 433 yards are just 22 yards shy of the combined receiving yards amassed by OU tight ends last season.

• Redshirt senior receiver Keontez Lewis has 19 receptions for 226 yards on the season and caught two TD passes in the opener against Illinois State. His nine catches vs. the Redbirds were a career high (he finished with 119 receiving yards). He missed three straight games due to injury before returning to action this past Saturday at Alabama.

• Oklahoma has started true freshman left and right tackles (Michael Fasusi at left and Ryan Fodje at right) in each of the last three games. Prior to the Oct. 25 Ole Miss contest, no true freshman offensive tackle duo had started in a game in OU history. Fasusi has started seven games this season and Fodje three. In a win over No. 15 Michigan, Fasusi became the first OU freshman to start at left tackle in his first career game.

• The last two games against Tennessee and Alabama, the Sooners also started redshirt freshman Eddy Pierre-Louis at left guard (second and third career starts). Prior to those contests, the last time OU started three freshman offensive linemen was in 1997 in a 35-14 win vs. Louisville: Scott Kempenich (LT), Adam Carpenter (LG) and Jason Bronson (RG). All three were redshirt freshmen.

• Redshirt senior and Burlsworth Trophy finalist Febechi Nwaiwu is the only OU offensive lineman to start all 10 games this season. He has started all 10 contests at right guard (also started all 13 games there last year).

MORE ON THE DEFENSE

• Oklahoma has allowed just 154 points and 15 touchdowns this season, its fewest through 10 games since 2009 (121 points and 14 touchdowns).

• In its eight wins, Oklahoma has held opponents to a 24.5% third-down conversion rate (27 for 110). In OU's two losses, opponents have combined for a 50.0% rate (19 for 38). Texas was 10 for 17 (58.8%) and Ole Miss was 9 for 21 (42.9%).

• Of OU's opponents' 113 possessions this season, 42 of them (37%) have resulted in a 3-and-out (no points).

• The strength of the Sooners' defense very well could be its line, with 113 career starts between its tackles and ends (72 by the tackles [47 by Damonic Williams, 16 by Jayden Jackson, seven by Gracen Halton and two by David Stone]) and 41 by the ends [19 by R Mason Thomas, 17 by Marvin Jones Jr. and five by Taylor Wein]). Including junior end Adepoju Adebawore, the eight players have combined for 48.5 tackles for loss and 21.5 sacks this season. Phil Steele ranked OU's defensive line as the best in the country this summer, and ESPN/SEC Network analyst Cole Cubelic said in May the Sooners have the league's best defensive line, "... and it ain't even close."

• Stone has blossomed this season, earning first-team midseason All-America honors from CBS Sports and second-team acclaim from the Associated Press. Most of his production has come in non-starts (he has only started vs. Kent State and at South Carolina). The former consensus five-star recruit, who was ranked as the nation's top defensive tackle by ESPN and Rivals, ranks sixth on the team (first among tackles) with 34 tackles. He also leads OU's tackles with 7.0 tackles for loss. As a freshman last year, Stone played in all 13 games but logged just six tackles (2.0 for loss).

• Four linebackers rank in the top five on the team in tackles. Redshirt junior Kip Lewis leads OU with 60 stops, redshirt junior Owen Heinecke is second (50), junior Sammy Omosigho ranks fourth (39) and redshirt senior Kendal Daniels is fifth (35). They have combined for 28.0 tackles for loss and 11 pass breakups.

• Against Illinois State, Courtland Guillory became only the second OU true freshman to start at cornerback in a season opener (the other was P.J. Mbanasor in 2015). Guillory has 31 tackles, a team-high six pass breakups and a QB hurry in his 10 games (started first five games and each of the last three).

A LOOK AT SPECIAL TEAMS

• Redshirt junior and two-time SEC Special Teams Player of the Week Tate Sandell has handled placekicking and kickoff duties the first 10 games. The first-year Sooner leads the SEC with his 96% field-goal conversion rate (21 for 22; made his last 21), which includes a make from 51 yards, two from 52 yards and four from 55 yards. He is 9 for 9 on attempts from 45-plus yards and has made all 28 of his PAT tries. OU's long snapper is redshirt junior and Patrick Mannelly Award semifinalist Ben Anderson (a third-team 2024 All-SEC performer) and its holder is redshirt sophomore Jacob Ulrich (first-team All-Conference USA as a punter last season at Kennesaw State).

• Oklahoma ranks 12th nationally with its 46.9 yards per punt. Redshirt junior Grayson Miller, who has punted the last nine games, was a Sports Illustrated second-team midseason All-American and the Oct. 28 Ray Guy Award Punter of the Week. The transfer from NCAA Division II Central Oklahoma ranks eighth nationally with his 47.1-yard average and has booted 16 of his 38 punts over 50 yards (long of 66), with 18 downed inside the 20 and only three touchbacks. He was named SEC Special Teams Player of the Week after averaging 54.4 yards on five punts against Auburn (third-best average in school history; min. five punts).

• The Sooners rank 15th nationally by allowing just 16.4 yards per kickoff return.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL'S BEST

• During the modern era of college football (since the end of World War II), the Sooners are the nation's No. 1 team with more wins (714) than any other program (next most is 686 by Alabama).

• Oklahoma has finished in the top 5 of the AP poll a nation-leading 33 times (Ohio State is second with 31).

• OU leads all FBS programs with 50 all-time conference championships. The rest of the top five includes Nebraska (46), Michigan (45), Ohio State (39) and USC (37). The Sooners' 14 league titles since 2000 are the most among Power Five programs (Ohio State ranks second with 11).

• No program has more all-time 11-win seasons than Oklahoma's 27 (Alabama also has 27).

• Since the start of the 2000 season, OU ranks second with 18 seasons of at least 10 wins and ranks second with 269 victories.

• Since former head coach Bob Stoops arrived in Norman in 1999, OU leads the country with its 13,373 points scored. Boise State (12,985) is second and Oregon (12,768) third.

• Oklahoma's 81 consensus All-Americans since 1950 lead the nation (Alabama and Ohio State rank second; 77). Since 2000, OU has produced 31 consensus All-Americans, tied with Ohio State behind only Alabama.

EXTRA POINTS

• Oklahoma is 30-5-2 all-time as the No. 8-ranked team in the AP poll (10-1 at home). The Sooners were last ranked eighth in the AP poll in 2020 for their 55-20 Cotton Bowl victory over No. 10 Florida. OU's last home game as the AP's eighth-ranked team was in 2019 (28-24 win over TCU). Its only home loss when ranked No. 8 in the AP poll was in 2012 (30-13 to No. 5 Notre Dame).

• The Sooners have won their last 87 games when holding opponents to under 21 points. Their last loss under the circumstance came at Nebraska in 2009 (10-3).

• Oklahoma leads all SEC programs with its 918 all-time AP poll appearances. Alabama ranks second (903) and Texas third (802).

• OU is 4-0 in true road games this season, downing Temple 42-3, South Carolina 26-7, No. 14 Tennessee 33-27 and No. 4 Alabama 23-21. In those contests, the Sooners held opponents to an average of 297.5 yards (4.3 per play) and 55.8 rushing yards (1.7 per carry).