The Oklahoma Sooners did what they needed to do in their 44-0 win over the Kent State Golden Flashes. Did they put up as many yards or points as some of us (points finger at self) were expecting? No, but Oklahoma isn’t concerned with my score prediction.
The Sooners dominated a lesser opponent once again, coming away with a comfortable win to move to 5-0 on the season. Even though it was a strong performance, there are areas for the coaching staff to hone in on heading into Texas week.
All in all, it was a solid performance, and here are five takeaways from the game.
1. Isaiah Sategna Stand Up
Over the last several games, wide receiver Isaiah Sategna has taken over as the favorite target for Oklahoma Sooners quarterbacks. One of the most consistent players during fall camp has carried that over to the season and now leads the Sooners with 26 receptions for 357 yards and three touchdowns.
On Saturday against Kent State, he caught four passes on five targets for 75 yards and two touchdowns.
An underrated addition in the transfer portal, Sategna has been awesome in the offense and has added a return element. His 97 punt return yards were the most in a game since 2012.
He’s been one of the MVPs of the offense through the first five games of the season, and the more success he has will begin opening things up for other guys in the passing game.
2. No Days Off for the Defense
When you’re playing an overmatched opponent, it’s easy to let your guard down and take them lightly. The offense might have done that but the defense certainly didn’t. They show up every Saturday with the same focus, intensity, and determination regardless of the opponent.
Brent Venables talks all the time about the nameless, faceless opponent and the defense takes that to heart. They were as fast, physical, and aggressive against Kent State as they were against Michigan and Auburn. And that’s while playing in front of a crowd that wasn’t necessarily bringing the same energy and intensity as they might for bigger games.
But that’s great news for the Sooners. Because they know they can rely on the defense to play with a consistent mindset every single week. Whether they’re at home playing in front of a raucous crowd or whether they’re on the road.
Statistically, this was a dominant performance once again. Oklahoma allowed just 0.5 yards per carry and 2.6 yards per play. Oklahoma allowed just 135 yards of total offense, recorded six sacks, and 13 tackles for loss. It was the fewest rushing yards allowed all season, and that was without starting defensive tackles Jayden Jackson and Damonic Williams, who got the day off.
It didn’t matter because David Stone and Gracen Halton are two of the best defensive tackles in football. And they showed it again. Halton has built upon his breakout season in 2024, and Stone is experiencing his breakout season before our very eyes. Stone tied for the team lead with six total tackles and had a half of a sack and two tackles for loss.
The Sooners allowed just seven first downs in the game, tied with the game against Temple for the fewest first downs allowed.
This season, Oklahoma’s defense has forced 44 punts and allowed just 36 points in five games. That’s how dominant they’ve been.
Oh, and they broke the ice on their turnover situation on R Mason Thomas’ strip sack, which led to Gracen Halton’s fumble return for a touchdown, and safety Jaydan Hardy recorded his second career interception. There was no way Oklahoma was going to go all season without a turnover and now that they’ve recorded a couple, look for more to follow.
3. Positive Developments from the Run Game
In the first four games of the season, the Oklahoma Sooners generated 15 runs of 10 yards or more. Against Kent State, OU put together eight runs of 10 yards or more. Tory Blaylock had three, Jaydn Ott and Michael Hawkins each had two, and Gabe Sawchuk closed it out with a run of 10 yards or more.
Blaylock continues to be steady for the Sooners in the running game. He just gets positive yards. Blaylock had six runs for first downs and averaged 2.53 yards after contact for the Sooners. He’ll continue to be a featured part of the Oklahoma Sooners offense even with Ott beginning to emerge.
Ott was easily the best he’s been since joining the Oklahoma Sooners. He displayed good patience, toughness, and elusiveness while carrying the football.
Is the run game fixed? Not by a long shot. But this was a positive step in the right direction.
4. Offensive Line Had an Up and Down Day
From the broadcast perspective, it looked like the offensive line didn’t really have a great day. But it was the lowest pressure rate allowed since Week 1 against Illinois State. Hawkins was under pressure on 22% of his dropbacks, according to Pro Football Focus. For reference, John Mateer was under pressure on 32.4% of his dropbacks against Temple in Week 3.
The Sooners’ run game averaged 4.5 yards per carry, and it was the second-most rushing yards in a game this season, behind only the win at Temple. However, the 185 yards rushing and the yards per carry numbers look a lot better because of Gabe Sawchuk’s 17-yard run at the end of the game.
The offensive line has been a work in progress all season. It’s been good for the most part, but hasn’t quite hit its stride. Here’s hoping they find their game with the Red River Showdown coming next week.
5. Michael Hawkins Jr. solid in start
Michael Hawkins Jr. showed a lot of good things in his first start since the Armed Forces Bowl at the end of 2024. He looked in command of the offense and made some really nice throws. He displayed his athleticism and speed on several nice runs. The toughness and ability to extend plays that he put on display last season showed up on that first touchdown pass to Sategna early in the game.
Then there were times Hawkins let his fundamentals and his mechanics get away from him. There were times that Hawkins didn’t get his feet set well enough to make some throws or became reliant on sidearming the football, and his accuracy waned. But all of that is teach tape for offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle and assistant quarterbacks coach John Kuceyeski. Especially if he’s to play against Texas next week. The Longhorns may not be the national title favorite they were projected to be, but they’re certainly better, especially on defense, than Kent State.
All in all, though, it was a turnover-free day, and he made some big-time throws like the deep over strike to Sategna that put the Sooners in scoring position. Oklahoma scored on all five drives in the first half. Even though they had to kick three field goals, Hawkins helped get the offense into scoring position.
The Sooners were 7 of 13 on third downs, and they were 3 for 3 in the Red Zone. That’s a nice day at the office for your quarterback, making just his fifth start.
This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Isaiah Sategna leads 5 takeaways from Oklahoma’s win over Kent State
