SEC Office Didn’t Like Oklahoma’s 'Hideout' TD or How the Refs Handled it, But Sooners Say They Didn't Break Rules

The Sooners were too fast for Auburn on a second quarter touchdown, but the SEC said the officials made a mistake on Saturday.

Oklahoma receiver Isaiah Sategna makes a touchdown grab against Auburn. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

NORMAN — Oklahoma pulled a fast one to get into the end zone for the first time against Auburn. 

Following a poor snap on a Tigers punt that set OU up on the 12-yard line, the Sooners faced a first-and-20 following a holding call. 

Ben Arbuckle called a run for true freshman Tory Blaylock. Receiver Isaiah Sategna drifted toward the sideline, but the Sooners hurried to the line of scrimmage and snapped the ball. 

Sategna was wide open, and he hauled in the easiest 24-yard touchdown catch of his life in OU’s 24-17 win over the Tigers. 

A little trickery from the Sooners 👀

Isaiah Sategna pretended to head to the sideline before bursting free for the touchdown.

Watch Auburn-Oklahoma on ABC and the ESPN App 🍿 pic.twitter.com/tqvstbi5Ym

— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) September 20, 2025

Auburn coach Hugh Freeze was incensed, as the Tigers felt Sategna violated the rule in place to use a potential substitution as an advantage. 

“We were instructed all offseason about deception plays,” Freeze said after the game. 

Oklahoma didn’t view things quite the same way as Freeze. 

“(Sategna) got lined up,” OU offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle said. “He pointed to the official. He was never out of bounds or anything like that. They didn't cover him, so it was good awareness by John (Mateer) to see him.

“… I don't know how much toeing the line there was. It was a tempo play and he pointed to the ref and the ref nodded his head and said he was in there right there. So I don't know how much deception went on there. It was just a ball play that we executed on.”

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Sategna echoed the explanation given by his coach. 

“Tempo, we work it every single day,” Sategna said. “None of the defenses can stop it. We love the tempo. You saw how much it works.”

Per the NCAA rulebook, using a substitution process to deceive an opponent is a 15-yard penalty. 

The Southeastern Conference issued a statement on the play on Saturday night.

"The officiating crew did not properly interpret the action as a hideout tactic," the statement said. "If properly officiated, the second down play should have resulted in a team unsportsmanlike conduct penalty of 15 yards assessed from the previous spot.

"Appropriate accountability will be applied without additional comment."

Statement on @AuburnFootball/@OU_Football game: pic.twitter.com/PCn8AwLkeb

— SEC Officiating (@SECOfficiating) September 21, 2025

Regardless of whether the Sooners believed they were flying too close to the sun or not, receiver Deion Burks undoubtedly knew his role on the play was to distract the cornerback closest to Sategna in hopes of springing his teammate free. 

“I'm a good actor,” Burks said. “I told him, ‘Come up close.’ Man, I was talking a little trash. Some words I probably won't say right now. But it was a funny thing, man. I just put my hands up and I knew it was a touchdown.”

Auburn will cite that moment as one of a few hard-to-take moments in Saturday’s loss. 

But after controversial trips to Eugene, OR, and Lubbock, TX, in the early 2000s, Oklahoma fans won’t lose much sleep over the officials’ decision on Saturday.