Oklahoma kicked off the 2025 season with a 35-3 win over Illinois State.
1-0 ☑️ pic.twitter.com/yUgBoEYEQx
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) August 31, 2025
Get ready for an EPIC Saturday Night in Norman as BIG BLUE, Michigan, makes a trek into town to play Oklahoma!
Prime time at the Palace 🔜 pic.twitter.com/3re7UZ4B8z
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) September 1, 2025
WWLS The Sports Animal delivers Total Coverage of every Oklahoma Sooners football game at home in our Dobson Fiber Mobile Studio trailer delivered by Seth Wadley Ford AND on the road with pre and post-game coverage anchored in-studio by Matt Meyer and on-site with Jim Traber, Al Eschbach and more of The Animals. Catch the latest College Football Scoreboard updates powered by Twin Peaks.
Stream all the coverage on TheSportsAnimal.com or The Sports Animal App, iHeartRadio, Audacy App, TuneIn or on Alexa or Google. All postgame shows are also available on-demand on the College Football Coverage podcast page after the games.
SAT 09/06/25 WWLS – Gameday Schedule
11a-12:30p: Unsportsmanlike Conduct with The Morning Animals LIVE sponsored by the Grand Casino Hotel and Resort in Shawnee.
12:30p-2:30p: Oklahoma State vs. Oregon – Countdown to Kickoff Pre-Game Show
2:30p-3:30p: Sports Animal LIVE
3:30p-6:30p: Countdown to Kickoff/McBride Orthopedic Hospital GameTime inside the Dobson Fiber Mobile Studio from Historic Campus Corner in Norman driven by Eskridge Lexus of Oklahoma City. Jim Traber and Al Eschbach preview the game with special guests and more and take you all the way up to kickoff.
6p-8p: Oklahoma State vs. Oregon – Football Feedback Post-Game show
KICKOFF – 6:30p: #14 Michigan Wolverines (1-0 | BIG10 Conference) vs. #18 Oklahoma Sooners (1-0 | SEC Conference) | Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium Norman, OK | TV: ABC
Approx 10p-MID: Football Feedback is LIVE right after the game inside the Dobson Fiber Mobile Studio across from Historic Campus Corner in Norman driven by Eskridge Lexus of Oklahoma City. Jim & Al deliver instant reaction to the game plus take your calls on the Lucky Star Lines at 405-900-9957 (WWLS) or texts on the Johnnie’s Kitchen and Bar Text Nation line, same number, 405-900-9957.
Approx MID-1a: College Locker Room show with Matt Meyer featuring all the days top headlines, scores and stories PLUS postgame audio, quotes and more from the coaches and players.
Game Previews
Matt Meyer – Methodical, but not a dominating win for the Sooners to begin 2025 as Oklahoma beat Illinois State 35-3. QB John Mateer set a record for passing yards in a Sooner debut, throwing for 392 yards and 3 scores. WR Keontez Lewis had a fantastic debut as well with 119 receiving yards and 2 TD’s. TE Jaren Kanak had 5 catches for 90 yards in his first game playing offense, and WR Deion Burks had 88 yards and a TD. Oklahoma’s offensive line struggled to consistently move the Redbirds off of the line of scrimmage as the Sooners were held to 103 yards on the ground and just over 3 yards a carry. Freshman RB Tory Blaylock showed a good burst of speed and finished carries physically, as he touched the ball 10 times for 62 yards and a TD. Oklahoma’s defense had the performance that you’d expect, holding Illinois State to 151 yards and only 34 through the air.
Sooners will face a much tougher test this Saturday night at 6:30 when Michigan comes to town. The storied programs have only met once before, in the Orange Bowl on January 1, 1976. Sooners won that night 14-6 to claim their fifth national championship. The Wolverines opened up their season with a 34-17 win over New Mexico. Highly touted freshman QB Bryce Underwood threw for 251 yards and a TD. RB Justice Haynes had a fantastic game in week 1, running for 159 yards and 3 scores. Three different Wolverines had an interception and the defense held the Lobos to only 51 yards on the ground. Running the ball looks to be a tall order so Mateer will have to be on his game if the Sooners are going to move the ball and score points. That could be a reoccurring theme all season long. Have to believe that Brent Venables will throw all kinds of looks at Underwood. I’ll take the Sooners because they have the more experienced QB, but I expect it to be a tight fit. Sooners 20 Wolverines 17.
Matt Ravis – College football, in its purest form, is about watching the best helmet combinations possible. So when the yellow-winged helmets of Michigan clash against the interlocking ‘O’ and ‘U,’ the world will be watching.
In Oklahoma’s debut versus Illinois State, John Mateer dazzled. Not that he was perfect — there is still room to improve. But his command of Ben Arbuckle’s offense was apparent, his decision-making sound, and his arm talent on full display, landing crisp pass after crisp pass to nine different Sooners pass-catchers. Southern Illinois transfer Keontez Lewis impressed with his athleticism, hands, and steadiness. Deion Burks, Isaiah Sategna, and even newly-converted Jaren Kanak flashed playmaking ability.
The offensive line, which is somewhat patchwork due to injuries, underwhelmed. Outside of newcomer Tory Blaylock, the running back room failed to gain much traction while the offensive line mired against the Red Birds.
Defensively, the only concern for me was the big plays allowed on the ground — ISU rushers had big plays of 24, 23, 13, and 13 yards. But, that is merely a nitpick. The sheer amount of players rotating in – 29 defenders, according to PFF — displays a lot of depth and comfortability with different players.
Michigan will bring to town a highly touted young quarterback in Bryce Underwood, who is coming off a nice debut against New Mexico (251 yards and a score). Underwood did not demonstrate his running ability, which I imagine will come into play in Norman. Running back Justice Haynes dazzled with 159 yards at almost 10 a carry, adding three scores himself.
The Wolverines’ defense produced, sacking the QB three times, producing nine tackles for loss, and turning the Lobos over three times. One of their stalwart, linebacker Jaishawn Barham, will miss the first half in Norman after being ejected in the second half for targeting. The Sooners are six-point favorites in this blue blood matchup. Given Bryce Underwood’s youth and the location of the game, Oklahoma should have the advantage. We will learn a lot about this team this Saturday.
