Halftime Huddle: Sooners with big lead over Illinois State

NORMAN — It took some time for Oklahoma to get going on Saturday. There might’ve even been some panic after the offense went scoreless in the first two possessions, which included a turnover.

Eventually, the Sooners found their footing. The Sooners lead Illinois State 21-0 at halftime and are en route to a win in their season opener.

Here’s a look at some of the key notes in the first half:

THE NUMBER TO KNOW

5.

That’s the number of completions Mateer has of 20 yards or more. That includes a 48-yard connection to Jaren Kanak.

The Sooners had 20 completions of 20-plus yards a season ago. That ranked 131st nationally.

THE BIG HIGHLIGHTS

The first touchdown of the season? John Mateer on a seven-yard rush.

Welcome back, Deion Burks. 27-yard touchdown after a 48-yard reception from Jaren Kanak.

Another great grab from Burks here in the first quarter.

KEY PLAYER, OFFENSE

Mateer — 227 passing yards, 15/18 completions, 1 touchdown, 4 carries, 14 rushing yards, 1 touchdown

Kanak — 4 receptions, 84 yards (1 fumble)

Burks — 4 receptions, 64 yards, 1 touchdown

Tory Blaylock — 6 carries, 29 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 receptions, 18 yards

KEY PLAYER, DEFENSE

Kip Lewis — 4 tackles, 1 pass break-up

Courtland Guillory — 1 tackle, 1 pass break-up

THE POSITIVES

— Despite a slow start, the offense finished with 292 total yards. Mateer is averaging over 15 yards per completion.

— The early fumble wasn’t ideal, but Kanak has showed real explosiveness and involvement in the Sooners’ offense.

— Illinois State finished the first half with just 95 total yards and is averaging 2.4 yards per completion.

THE NEGATIVES:

— The running game has been a bit slow. Jovantae Barnes got the start at running back and hasn’t gotten anything going. Fortunately, Blaylock has picked up the slack.

Notably, Jaydn Ott didn’t log a snap on offense in the first half.

— The defense has been mostly solid, but they’ve allowed a couple of broken plays. Illinois State has two rushes of at least 20 yards and is averaging nearly seven yards per carry.

— Jacob Sexton went to the injury tent early in the game and hasn’t returned.

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