What X-Factors Could Shape No. 10 Oklahoma's Opener Against UTEP?

Beat Michigan

No doubt Oklahoma’s attention all offseason and throughout training camp was focused on the Michigan Wolverines next week (and probably Georgia). This will be a nice dress rehearsal, though. The game shouldn’t be competitive, but the Sooners are trying to get to the meat of their schedule completely healthy. That’s the real priority on Friday night. UTEP isn’t good. Their offensive line will be overmatched by the OU defensive front. But the OU offense, integrating so many new faces, will have its challenges in an occasionally sloppy opener. John Mateer’s focus needs to be strictly on playing clean and getting to the sideline in the early third quarter with all his parts intact.

— John Hoover

Build Confidence

UTEP will pose no match for Oklahoma; that’s known. Lighting up the scoreboard against the Miners won’t mean much in the grand scheme of things, but it represents an opportunity for players stepping into larger roles to build some in-game confidence before next week’s tough road trip. Elijah Thomas, who starred on special teams a year ago, caught just one pass as a freshman. His classmate, Manny Choice, caught no passes. Neither sophomore needs to haul in 100 yards or anything crazy, but production against UTEP will mean much more to the younger pieces of the roster than to veterans like Isaiah Sategna or Trell Harris.

— Ryan Chapman

Take the Football

As strong as OU’s defense was in 2025, the Sooners weren’t elite at forcing turnovers. Oklahoma didn’t cause a takeaway until Week 5 last year, when the Sooners beat Kent State 44-0. After that, the turnovers were more plentiful, as they notched multiple in their wins against Tennessee, Alabama (during the regular season) and Missouri. Still, OU finished the year with a minus-three turnover margin. Some of the defense’s biggest returning stars — like David Stone, Peyton Bowen and Courtland Guillory — have said during fall camp that they’ve focused on creating more plays that lead to turnovers. The outcome of Friday’s game won’t come down to whether or not the Sooners force a takeaway, as they are 41.5-point favorites. But with Michigan, Georgia and Texas on the schedule in the weeks to come, OU can’t afford another slow start in that department.

— Carson Field

Get Explosive

Yes, the Sooners need to run the ball better — much better. But they've also got to create many more explosive plays than they did a year ago. Oklahoma had just 11 rushes of 20 or more yards and didn't have any of those in their opener against Illinois State a year ago. The Sooners had just 17 passing plays of 30 or more yards a year ago, with seven of those coming on Isaiah Sategna receptions. A strong start at creating explosive plays would be a big indicator of growth in Ben Arbuckle's offense, especially if those big plays are spread around to more players.

— Ryan Aber

Oklahoma Sooners, Jonathan Hatton Jr. — Oklahoma freshman Jonathan Hatton Jr. rushes during the Sooners' 2026 Spring Game. | Carson Field / Sooners On SI

Average at Least 4.5 Yards Per Carry

Attached to Avant is the rushing attack as a whole. UTEP is a bad football team. While Illinois State last season wasn't "bad," they were certainly worse than what Oklahoma brings to the table. Yet, ISU held OU to a meager 3.2 yards per attempt in Oklahoma's 35-3 win last year. Getting off on the right foot will be crucial for the Sooners as they turn their full attention north to Ann Arbor for their week 2 matchup against Michigan. Getting at least 4.5 yards per carry will make quick work of the Miners and instill confidence that OU can go on the road with a much-improved rushing attack.

— Brady Trantham

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