Oklahoma-Kent State Stock Report: Who's Up, Who's Down Heading into Red River Rivalry?

And now, the Red River Rivalry.

No. 5-ranked Oklahoma took care of 44-0 victory over Kent State, setting up the annual showdown next week with Texas.

OU faces the No. 9-ranked Longhorns at the Cotton Bowl, although UT won’t be a top-10 team next week. They opened Southeastern Conference play Saturday by visiting 1-3 Florida, and they struggled in a 29-21 loss to the Gators. OU comes in at 5-0.

So this year’s OU-Texas game features a two-loss Longhorn squad led by struggling quarterback Arch Manning and a surging OU side led by backup QB Michael Hawkins.

Unless, that is, Sooners starter John Mateer makes a miraculous return from last week’s surgery to fix a broken thumb suffered two weeks ago against Auburn. Mateer suited up and stood on the sideline for the Kent State game, but — with a big, black brace on his right thumb — did not see any action.

OU will face a much greater challenge next week in Dallas, but has been playing well all season while Texas has frequently struggled.

Overall, the Oklahoma defense finished with five sacks, 13 tackles for loss and gave up just 135 yards, including a mere 17 on the ground as fourth-string QB Jett Niu finished the game for the offense with a 17-yard run.

“Yeah, it was good,” Brent Venables told sideline reporter Chris Plank on the field during the OU postgame show. “You know, first half that we had five possessions offensively. We scored five times. We got across midfield and hit three field goals. Great job by (Tate) Sandell. He really nailed, I think, a 55-yard (and) a 49. … There's some good things to coach and teach from there.

"Kent State came in here and fought hard. They've, that's what they've done on tape, you know, they they go, keep swinging. But really proud of our guys again. Just think there's plenty to teach and coach from that. You can say, hey, yeah, we got better. You can quantify that."

Here’s the Sooners On SI Stock Report from OU’s win over Kent State:

UP: QB Michael Hawkins

Understandably, Hawkins opened the game with maybe a little too much adrenaline, sailing a handful of throws too high. That’s to be expected for a quarterback making his first start of the season.

Soon enough, Hawkins settled in nicely, producing big plays with both his arm and his legs. But late on two drives late in the third quarter, his accuracy diminished the more he moved around.

Hawkins sat out the fourth quarter and finished 14-opf-24 through the air for 162 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions, while rushing nine times for 33 yards, including a long of 27.

UP: RB Jaydn Ott

Ott had four touches and gained 32 yards on a second-quarter possession. That included a 4-yard loss on a pass reception on which his knee was on the grass when he caught it. He ran with confidence, power and elusiveness. That’s big going into next week. Ott finished with 11 carries for 49 yards.

UP: DT David Stone

Stone drew his first start, and then delivered a quarterback sack on the second snap and a couple plays later dropped a Kent State runner for a loss. He finished the first half with three total tackles and was disruptive throughout. Stone finished with a team-high six tackles and two TFLs.

UP: WR Isaiah Sategna

Again, there was a lot to like about Sategna on punt returns. He popped a 43-yarder, then would have busted a 39-yarder but that was wiped out by a questionable holding call. He then added a 14-yard runback in the second quarter. Sategna also scored the Sooners’ first touchdown of the day, getting behind the Kent State defense for a 30-yard score. Late in the second quarter, Sategna added catches of 16 and 20 yards. Sategna’s day concluded with 75 yards and two TDs on four catches and 97 yards on five punt returns.

UP: DT Gracen Halton

It was R Mason Thomas who forced the fumble with a huge hit on Devin Kargman inside the OU 10-yard line, but it was the Sooners’ big-play defensive tackle who scooped up the football — Oklahoma’s first defensive takeaway of the season — and turned it into a 4-yard fumble return for a touchdown. OU was the only FBS team in the nation without a takeaway, but finally got off the skids.

R Mason Thomas

Another dominating performane by Thomas, who finished with a team-high six tackles, two TFLs, one sack and the forced fumble.

UP: CB Jaydan Hardy

Two possessions after Halton’s TD, Hardy stepped in front of a quick slant and intercepted Kargman for the Sooners’ second takeaway of the season. The throw was hurried by another good pass rush from David Stone.

UP: TE Kaden Helms

Helms caught his first pass of the season and his second touchdown as a Sooner on a short play-action throw from Hawkins in the second quarter. His first college TD came last year against Maine. Helms has endured injuries his entire career, but he seems to be finally healthy.

UP: K Tate Sandell

Sandell delivered two big field goals in the first half when the Sooner offense bogged down, first a 49-yard field goal with the wind at his back in the first quarter, then a 39-yarder into the wind in the second quarter. With under a minute to go until halftime, Sandell hammered a career-long 55-yard bomb to put the Sooners — a 45.5-point favorite — up 23-0 at intermission. Sandell has now made 9-of-10 field goals in five games this season, including nine in a row after missing his first try.

DOWN: WR Keontez Lewis

Lewis was trying to catch up to an overthrown ball by Michael Hawkins on the Sooners’ first possession but he couldn’t slow himself down and ended up going shoulder/head-first into the retaining wall past the north end zone. Lewis, a transfer wide receiver from Southern Illinois, was tended to by OU medical personnel (as well as some from Kent State) for several minutes before they strapped him to a backboard and then loaded him onto a medical cart and drove him to the ambulance stationed under the south tunnel. Lewis came into the game with 17 catches (fourth on the team) for 210 yards (fourth) and two touchdowns (tied for first).

In the third quarter, OU released this statement on Lewis: “An initial evaluation of Keontez Lewis by OU’s sports medicine staff proved promising. Out of an abundance of caution, he is being sent offsite for additional testing.”

DOWN: OT Jake Taylor

The senior offensive tackle opened the game as the only player on the two-deep who was unable to dress out in uniform.