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Oklahoma set a school record for sacks against Auburn on Saturday. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
Brian Bahr via Getty Images
Oklahoma’s defense sacked former Sooners QB Jackson Arnold 10 times in a 24-17 win over No. 22 Auburn.
The No. 11 Sooners’ swarmed Auburn’s offense all day. And that was never more apparent than on the Tigers’ final drive of the game. Auburn had a chance for a go-ahead score, but after a holding call and a false start moved the Tigers back 15 yards, their drive ended with a one-yard run by Arnold and back-to-back sacks.
The 10th sack — a school record — was a safety, as Arnold got tackled in the end zone by R Mason Thomas. The Sooners’ star edge rusher was only able to play the second half of Saturday’s game after he was ejected for targeting in Week 3 against Temple.
The sack was a big deal for bettors too. Oklahoma was a 6.5-point favorite at kickoff.
Oklahoma QB John Mateer scored the go-ahead TD with 4:54 to go on a nine-yard run. His score capped a six-play, 75-yard drive after Malcolm Simmons’ TD run had given Auburn its first (and only) lead of the game.
Mateer transferred to Oklahoma after the 2024 season as Arnold entered the transfer portal. Arnold opened the 2024 season as the Sooners’ starter, but was benched midway through the season for Michael Hawkins.
Mateer came to Norman after his offensive coordinator at Washington State, Ben Arbuckle, was hired to run Oklahoma’s offense. After scoring 44 total touchdowns a season ago, Mateer is now an early-season Heisman favorite with his play so far in 2025.
On Saturday, Mateer was 24-of-36 passing for 271 yards and a TD while also rushing 10 times for 29 yards. His ability to escape the pocket was critical for an Oklahoma offense that struggled to get anything going on the ground. The Sooners rushed 26 times for just 32 yards.
Arnold was 21-of-32 passing for 220 yards and a TD. That score went to Cam Coleman late in the second quarter to tie the game, and the two nearly connected on a long TD in the second half on a slightly overthrown ball that glanced off the outstretched Coleman’s hands.
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