The Moments That Shaped Oklahoma's Win Over UTEP

NORMAN — The Sooners didn’t leave any doubt in their 2026 opener.

No. 10 OU took down UTEP 51-0 on Friday evening. The Sooners made key plays in all three phases of the game to completely dismantle the visiting Miners and improve to 1-0.

Throughout the 2026 season, Carson Field of Sooners On SI will chronicle the big moments of each Oklahoma game through the lens.

Here are over a dozen photos from Friday’s game that tell the story:

Oklahoma Sooners, Michael Fasusi, E'Marion Harris, Lloyd Avant — Oklahoma offensive linemen Michael Fasusi and E'Marion Harris and running back Lloyd Avant push the pile against UTEP. | Carson Field / Sooners On SI

Oklahoma’s first drive of 2026 was methodical, as the Sooners went 76 yards down the field on 12 plays. Finally, transfer running back Lloyd Avant capped off the drive with a one-yard touchdown run to give his team the early lead. Avant led the Sooners in rushing on Friday, ending his OU debut with 79 yards.

Oklahoma Sooners, Owen Heinecke, Courtland Guillory — Oklahoma linebacker Owen Heinecke celebrates with defensive back Courtland Guillory after his pass breakup against UTEP. | Carson Field / Sooners On SI

The Sooners’ defense carried them to the College Football Playoff in 2025, and the unit’s first series of 2026 went well. UTEP quarterback EJ Colson rushed for positive gains on the Miners’ first two plays, but a pass breakup from cornerback Courtland Guillory on third down forced them to punt.

Oklahoma Sooners, Isaiah Sategna — Oklahoma wide receiver Isaiah Sategna returns a punt against UTEP. | Carson Field / Sooners On SI

Isaiah Sategna, who led OU in receiving yards last year, immediately made the Miners pay for their three-and-out. Sategna returned a punt 88 yards for a touchdown to give the Sooners a 14-0 advantage with 7:27 left in the first quarter. Sategna had a handful of strong returns in 2025, but his Friday return touchdown marked his first as a Sooner.

UTEP Miners, Carlos Arreola — UTEP kicker Carlos Arreola prepares for a field goal against Oklahoma. | Carson Field / Sooners On SI

UTEP’s offense found more success on its second drive and eventually made it to OU’s 15-yard line. But Miners kicker Carlos Arreola missed a 33-yard field goal to keep them scoreless. That marked the first of three missed field goals from Arreola in the game.

Oklahoma Sooners, Rocky Beers — Oklahoma tight end Rocky Beers catches a pass against UTEP. | Carson Field / Sooners On SI

Shortly after the UTEP miss, OU quarterback John Mateer threw his first touchdown pass of the year, finding tight end Rocky Beers wide open down the field for 40 yards. Beers leapfrogged a UTEP defender on his way into the end zone to make it 21-0 with 1:01 left in the first quarter.

Oklahoma Sooners, Tate Sandell — Oklahoma kicker Tate Sandell prepares for a field goal attempt against UTEP. | Carson Field / Sooners On SI

OU’s defense again saw the Miners miss a field goal on their next drive. The Sooners responded with another strong drive, but UTEP forced a stop on third down. Tate Sandell — who won the 2025 Lou Groza Award — made his first field goal of 2026 from 33 yards out with five minutes left in the second quarter.

Oklahoma Sooners, Reggie Powers III — Oklahoma defensive back Reggie Powers III celebrates after making a tackle for loss against UTEP. | Carson Field / Sooners On SI

Junior defensive back Reggie Powers III notched his first tackle for loss of 2026 on UTEP’s ensuing drive. His play, which set the Miners back five yards, made it third-and-long, and UTEP was forced to punt. Oklahoma answered with a field goal before halftime.

Oklahoma Sooners, Peyton Bowen — Oklahoma defensive back Peyton Bowen forces a fumble against UTEP. | Carson Field / Sooners On SI

Oklahoma Sooners, Taylor Wein — Oklahoma defensive end Taylor Wein recovers a fumble against UTEP. | Carson Field / Sooners On SI

It didn’t take long for the Sooners to create havoc in the second half. Peyton Bowen forced UTEP’s Tavorus Jones to fumble, and Taylor Wein was right there to scoop it up for the first takeaway of the season. Last year, OU didn’t force a turnover until Week 5.

On the second play after the takeaway, Mateer found Sategna wide open for 34 yards and a touchdown. Sategna finished the day with 76 yards and a touchdown on four catches in addition to his punt return score.

Oklahoma Sooners, Trell Harris — Oklahoma wide receiver Trell Harris celebrates after scoring a touchdown against UTEP. | Carson Field / Sooners On SI

Transfer wide receiver Trell Harris also flashed what he brings to the offense, as he caught a 48-yard touchdown pass from Mateer with 8:22 left in the third quarter. Harris caught two passes for 61 yards and a touchdown against the Miners.

Sategna came close to another return touchdown in the final minutes of the third quarter. He made a couple of Miners miss and made it 27 yards before UTEP finally wrapped him up. The wide receiver logged 115 punt return yards on the day.

Oklahoma Sooners, Dane Bathurst — Oklahoma linebacker Dane Bathurst tackles UTEP's Raymond Moore III. | Carson Field / Sooners On SI

The Miners eventually waved the white flag and replaced Colson with backup quarterback Raymond Moore III. That didn’t help UTEP’s offense, though, as the Sooners forced a turnover on downs on Moore’s first drive.

Oklahoma Sooners, Whitt Newbauer — Oklahoma quarterback Whitt Newbauer rushes for a touchdown against UTEP. | Carson Field / Sooners On SI

With a short field, OU drove down the field quickly and got into the red zone. OU backup quarterback Whitt Newbauer finished off the Sooners’ 32-yard drive and scored a three-yard rushing touchdown — his first score as a Sooner — to make it 51-0 with 12:11 left in the game.

Oklahoma Sooners, James Nesta, Markel Ford — Oklahoma linebacker James Nesta recovers a fumble as safety Markel Ford celebrates against UTEP. | Carson Field / Sooners On SI

OU’s defense had a rare lapse on UTEP’s ensuing drive, as Moore rushed for 51 yards to get the Miners into Sooner territory. But on the next play, the dual-threat quarterback fumbled, and OU linebacker James Nesta was there to recover the ball.

Oklahoma Sooners, Jake Kreul — Oklahoma defensive end Jake Kreul celebrates after a sack against UTEP. | Carson Field / Sooners On SI

Oklahoma punted for the first time after the recovery, and the Sooners’ defense once again answered the call. True freshman defensive linemen Jake Kreul and James Carrington combined for a sack to force a fourth-and-long and another UTEP punt.

Oklahoma Sooners, Markel Ford, Jacob Henry, Lebron Bauer, Trystan Haynes — Oklahoma safety Markel Ford celebrates with Jacob Henry, Lebron Bauer and Trystan Haynes after making a tackle against UTEP. | Carson Field / Sooners On SI

Oklahoma and UTEP exchanged stalled drives in the game’s final minutes, allowing the Sooners to seal their 51-0 victory. The win was a resounding one after the Sooners went 10-3 and made the College Football Playoff in 2025. Next, OU will travel to Ann Arbor to battle No. 16 Michigan on Saturday.

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