Five Questions Oklahoma Must Answer Ahead of Tough October Slate

Oklahoma's bye week came at the right time, as the Sooners will enter the hardest part of their schedule in October.

Oklahoma quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. warms up alongside John Mateer. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oklahoma’s bye week hardly flew under the radar. 

Tuesday, the program announced John Mateer would undergo a procedure on his throwing hand. 

The OU quarterback will miss next week’s battle with Kent State, and the status of the early Heisman frontrunner is in doubt for contests against No. 10 Texas, South Carolina and No. 13 Ole Miss in October. 

No. 7 Oklahoma rolled through No. 19 Michigan and Auburn in the first month of the season, but improvements are necessary to continue the Sooners’ unbeaten run through October. 

How Much has Michael Hawkins Jr. Developed Under Ben Arbuckle?

Oklahoma quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. warms up before OU's contest with Auburn. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Michael Hawkins Jr., who will slide into Mateer’s place at quarterback, gained valuable experience last year. 

He started an SEC road game against Auburn and experienced the caldron of emotion that is the Cotton Bowl in the Red River Rivalry. 

Those are the experiences he’ll want to remember, as he’s already experienced what it’s like to start in racuous atmospheres. 

Hawkins will want to forget just about everything else from his freshman season, however. 

He was forced into action behind a banged-up offensive line with few healthy weapons at receiver, and he did all of that with no real quarterback coach and a terrible offensive coordinator. 

Now, Hawkins has an entire team dedicated to putting him in the best possible position. Offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle has enjoyed a strong start to his tenure in Norman, and he brought with him trusted quarterbacks coach John Kuceyeski over from Washington State. 

The first real opportunity to see the work by Arbuckle and Kuceyeski to infuse Hawkins with confidence will come against Kent State, as Hawkins was limited to a handful of snaps in the Sooners’ Week 3 romp over Temple. 

Can Oklahoma Run the Football?

Oklahoma running back Tory Blaylock speeds down the sideline against Temple. | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

The weight of the offense won’t have to be placed fully on Hawkins’ shoulders if Oklahoma could find some sort of running game. 

Mateer has rushed for 190 of OU’s 501 rushing yards this year, and he’s responsible for five of the team’s nine rushing scores. 

The Sooners struggled to move the ball against Auburn on the ground, but center Jake Maikkula and right guard Febechi Nwaiwu were both limited as they played through lower-body injuries. 

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Read More Oklahoma Football

• Why Brent Venables has 'Faith' Oklahoma Can Rally After John Mateer's Injury
• With Michael Hawkins' Status as QB1, Oklahoma Doesn't Expect to 'Miss a Beat'
• Oklahoma DB Eli Bowen Expected to Get 'Right Back at It' After Injury

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Getting the offensive line fully healthy will be a crucial step for Oklahoma, but the Sooners must get one of their running backs into rhythm ahead of the clash with Texas. 

True freshman Tory Blaylock is the only other runner who has logged more than 20 carries, as he’s totaled 179 yards on 42 carries. 

High-profile Cal transfer Jaydn Ott has been a non-factor, rushing the ball nine times for 17 yards, and Oklahoma has yet to be able to try Taylor Tatum in 2025, as he’s had a cast on his hand for each of the Sooners’ first four contests of the year. 

Will Michael Fasusi be Ready to Roll for Texas?

Oklahoma offensive tackle Michael Fasusi (56) communicates with tight end Will Huggins (81) before a snap against Michigan. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Oklahoma’s true freshman offensive tackle enjoyed a dream start to his career.

Michael Fasusi started his first collegiate game against Michigan, and he was fantastic. 

Unfortunately, he got rolled up on during the Sooners’ long, game-clenching drive. Fasusi was unable to feature against Temple, and he played a few drives against Auburn before exiting the game and letting Logan Howland finish out the contest. 

Kent State is one of the worst teams in the FBS. If Fasusi’s ankle is still feeling tender, there’s no need to risk him against the Golden Flashes. 

The Sooners need Fasusi against the Longhorns’ talented defensive line to give Hawkins or Mateer the most time possible to operate in the Red River Shootout. 

When Will Oklahoma Finally Force a Turnover?

Peyton Bowen celebrates a big play with his teammates. | SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

One of the weirdest quirks of the 2025 season has been the dominance displayed by Oklahoma’s defense without forcing a turnover.

The Sooners are the only team in the FBS who have yet to force a single turnover. 

And they’ve had their chances. Both Peyton Bowen and Kendal Daniels dropped interceptions against Auburn. 

But considering the success the defense has enjoyed so far, Bowen isn’t hitting the panic button over the lack of turnovers. 

“We're not forcing anything,” Bowen said. “… I feel like teams have been very conservative against us in the way they're playing. So we just can't force nothing. We're playing great defense. The turnovers will come and whenever we need them, we'll get them. 

“… We just think we're playing a great brand of football and that we've just got to keep going and don't play hero ball. Don't get out of our way to try and go create these turnovers. Just play within the scheme and they'll come.”

Kent State has committed five turnovers through the first four games of the season. The Golden Flashes have lost three fumbles and thrown two interceptions, so the Sooners will have a great chance to get on the board on Saturday.

How Quickly Can Eli Bowen Get Back Up to Speed?

Oklahoma defensive back Eli Bowen knocks the ball away from Alabama wide receiver Emmanuel Henderson Jr. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Sophomore defensive back Eli Bowen is on track to make his first appearance of the year against Kent State. 

He missed a majority of spring football, and he’s been sidelined throughout the summer and in fall camp. 

Bowen was the Sooners’ best corner once he cracked the lineup a year ago, and he’ll bolster an OU rotation that already features Gentry Williams, Kendel Dolby, Courtland Guillory and Jacobe Johnson. 

The contest against the Golden Flashes feels like the perfect chance to throw Bowen out for a large chunk of snaps to knock any rust off and get as close to 100 percent on the conditioning front before Texas, but there are a lot of mouths for cornerbacks coach Jay Valai to feed as he’s developed a deep room.