How Oklahoma WRs Deion Burks, Isaiah Sategna Lifted Sooners’ Offense vs. LSU

NORMAN — With Oklahoma’s offense lagging, the Sooners’ top two receivers came in clutch.

Wideouts Deion Burks and Isaiah Sategna scored OU’s only touchdowns of the night in the Sooners’ 17-13 win over LSU.

“I feel like it was huge,” Burks said. “We always talk about punching first, punching back, punching last. I definitely feel like we punched last. Definitely big plays, huge plays.”

Burks, playing in his second season at OU after transferring in from Purdue, had been in a drought. His last touchdown came in the Sooners’ Week 2 win against Michigan and had only eclipsed 60 yards once since then.

But in the third quarter against the Tigers, Burks used his speed to his advantage. The senior wideout caught a screen pass two yards behind the line of scrimmage, followed his blockers and took it to the end zone for a 45-yard touchdown reception.

That was one of four catches that Burks made in the win, and he finished the game with 61 yards.

After going 10 games without a score, Burks felt weight lift off his shoulders when he crossed into the end zone.

“I would be lying if I didn't say it was a struggle for me,” Burks said. “Kind of forgot what the end zone felt like. Came at the right time though. I definitely needed that.”

READ MORE OKLAHOMA 17, LSU 13

Burks’ touchdown made it a 10-10 game, but the Tigers responded shortly after to give themselves a three-point advantage with eight minutes left in the game.

The No. 8 Sooners were less than a quarter away from losing a pivotal game that likely would have kept them out of the College Football Playoff. Aside from Burks’ lengthy touchdown reception, the Sooners hadn’t shown many signs of offensive life.

And in a must-have situation, the Sooners once again relied on speed.

With 4:16 left in the game and OU holding possession at its own 42-yard line, LSU ran cover zero, meaning there was no deep-safety help if a receiver broke open down the field. Sategna — once the No. 5 track and field prospect in the United States — took advantage of the deep gaps.

OU quarterback John Mateer hit Sategna in stride on a go route, and he took it to the end zone for a 58-yard touchdown reception. The speedy wideout had more than 10 yards of space from the closest defender by the time he crossed the goal line.

“I was just waving my hands, ‘John, John!’” Sategna said. “I was yelling it, too.”

Unlike Burks, Sategna has consistently put up flashy numbers.

The transfer receiver has led OU in receiving in five of its last six games, including Saturday’s game, which he finished with 121 yards. He finished the regular season with 948 yards and seven touchdowns on 65 catches.

“(A) long road brought me here,” Sategna said. “A lot of hard work and stuff, extra work in the facility. It’s all showing. I thank God every day for that.”

Aside from those two plays, OU compiled only 290 offensive yards The Sooners went 4-of-15 on third-down attempts and failed on their lone fourth-down try. Mateer also threw three interceptions.

In Oklahoma’s eight SEC games, the Sooners exceeded 30 points only once (Nov. 1 against Tennessee).

Still, the Sooners are headed to the CFP. Regardless of seeding or what happens on championship weekend, Oklahoma’s current position at No. 8 will be good enough for its first playoff trip since 2019.

And while Oklahoma’s offense still doesn’t have an identity, the Sooners’ grit and big-play ability can help them in December.

“They just stayed persistent; they never lost faith,” OU offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle said. “They kept believing. You'll see it there, there were a lot of times, the play's almost there… The guys never lost faith. They never quit believing and ultimately found a way to win there at the end, so incredibly proud of them.”