Why Eddy Pierre-Louis Believes Oklahoma’s O-Line is Going to ‘Get it Right’

NORMAN — Oklahoma’s offensive line entered 2026 with high expectations, and the unit didn’t live up to those in Week 2.

In the Sooners’ 17-10 loss to Michigan in Ann Arbor, quarterback John Mateer got sacked three times. OU finished the game with only 100 team rushing yards and averaged just 3.4 yards per carry.

According to junior offensive guard Eddy Pierre-Louis, he and his teammates on the offensive line simply need to be more in tune with the details.

“We lost the key details like fundamentals, hands, eyes and feet,” Pierre-Louis said. “Now we gotta do what we gotta do.”

Center Jake Maikkula and guard Noah Best put together respectable showings, as they logged Pro Football Focus (PFF) offensive grades of 63.6 and 54.7, respectively.

OU’s other three starters — Pierre-Louis, Ryan Fodje and E’Marion Harris — logged rather forgettable showings, as they each finished with PFF offensive grades of lower than 42.

Fodje and Harris allowed a combined eight quarterback hurries against the Wolverines. Harris’ 18.9 pass-blocking grade was the worst of any OU offensive linemen, while Fodje’s 21.7 grade was only slightly better.

Pierre-Louis, on the other hand, was serviceable in pass-blocking situations, but he struggled to open up lanes for the running backs. His 35.3 run-blocking grade was the worst on the entire offensive line.

Even after the line’s struggles were so widespread on Saturday, Pierre-Louis hasn’t lost any confidence in the unit’s potential.

“We're on our way,” Pierre-Louis said. “We're going to get it right.”

It wasn’t only the offensive line that struggled against Michigan; the offensive woes plagued the entire team.

Notably, Mateer played one of the worst games of his college career. He completed just 17 of his 33 pass attempts for 189 yards and a touchdown, and he also threw a back-breaking interception into the hands of Michigan defensive back Jyaire Hill in the fourth quarter.

Across the board, OU’s offensive flaws reared their ugly head in Week 2. Several of the things that held the Sooners back in 2025 — like inconsistent quarterback play, inefficient rushing and poor blocking — showed up against the Wolverines.

Pierre-Louis, who admitted that he must play at a much higher level going forward, believes that he and his offensive teammates must use Saturday’s gut-punch as something that brings them closer.

“We all gotta stay locked in, stay key to what we are,” Pierre-Louis said. “We just got to keep doing the little things, focus on the little things and keep it going.”

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