John Mateer, No. 18 Oklahoma upend No. 15 Michigan

Field Level Media|published: Sat 6th September, 23:42 2025

Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer (10) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during a college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the University of Michigan Wolverines at Gaylord Family Ð Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025.

John Mateer threw for 270 yards and a touchdown and ran for 74 yards and two more scores as No. 18 Oklahoma beat No. 15 Michigan 24-13 on Saturday in Norman, Okla.

The Sooners (2-0) outgained the Wolverines 408-288, making life difficult for Michigan freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood (9-of-24 passing, 142 yards) in his first road start.

Mateer played like a quarterback with plenty of experience, finishing 21-of-34 passing with one interception.

The Sooners ground out much of the fourth quarter after getting the ball back at their own 19 with 10 minutes remaining.

Oklahoma converted a trio of third downs on the drive, which didn't end until Tate Sandell's 21-yard field goal with 1:44 remaining that virtually put the game away.

The meeting was just the teams' second and the first in nearly 50 years. The Sooners have won both.

The Sooners struck quickly, scoring on the game's first drive on Mateer's 9-yard shovel pass to Deion Burks.

Burks, a Michigan product who wasn't recruited by the Wolverines, finished with seven catches for 101 yards.

The only other first-half score came on Mateer's 2-yard run with 22 seconds remaining before the break to put the Sooners up 14-0.

The Wolverines hadn't been held scoreless in the first half since late in the 2020 season against Wisconsin.

It didn't take long in the second half for Michigan to get on the scoreboard.

On the first drive of the third quarter, Justice Haynes broke off a 75-yard touchdown run to cut the deficit in half.

The Wolverines' only two other scores came on third-quarter field goals, the first of which came after Oklahoma turned the ball over on Isaiah Sategna's muffed punt.

Haynes finished with 125 yards on 19 carries.

Donaven McCulley led the Wolverines (1-1) with three catches for 91 yards.

Oklahoma held Michigan to just 3-of-14 third-down conversions.

Michigan linebacker Jaishawn Barham, who missed the first half due to a targeting ejection last week, had six tackles in the second half.

--Field Level Media