No. 10 Oklahoma shut out UTEP 51-0 on Sept. 4 at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman.

Quarterback John Mateer completed 11 of 17 passes for 225 yards and three touchdowns before exiting late in the third quarter. Wide receiver Isaiah Sategna racked up 215 all-purpose yards, including an 88-yard punt return for a score that gave the Sooners a 14-0 lead in the first quarter.

The Sooners scored on their first eight possessions. UTEP never reached the end zone.

Colorado State transfer Lloyd Avant set the tone early, ripping off 32 yards on his first three carries. He finished with 79 yards on 15 carries and a 1-yard rushing touchdown on the game's opening drive. Head coach Brent Venables praised Avant at his Sept. 1 press conference: "How he competes is really loud. He doesn't miss anything. He's a model of consistency, low-maintenance dude …"

Sategna's 88-yard punt return was the seventh-longest in Sooners history and OU's first punt return touchdown since the 2023 season opener, according to The Oklahoman. Omarion Robinson flattened a UTEP defender at the 50-yard line to spring Sategna the rest of the way, per Sporting News.

Mateer connected with three different receivers for scores. Tight end Rocky Beers, a Colorado State transfer listed at 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds, hauled in a 40-yard touchdown on his first catch as a Sooner, hurdling a UTEP defender near the goal line. Beers is the brother of former OU women's basketball star Raegan Beers.

Virginia transfer Trell Harris added a 48-yard scoring grab in the third quarter to push the lead to 41-0.

True freshman Noah Best started at center after starter Jake Maikkula and backup Ryan Fodje both missed the game with knee injuries. Best became the first OU true freshman to start a season opener at center since J.R. Conrad in 1992. Maikkula participated in pregame warmups, and there is optimism he could return for the Michigan game.

The defense held UTEP to 198 yards of total offense, according to the AP. PJ Adebawore recorded the Sooners' first sack of the season and finished with two tackles. Safety Peyton Bowen forced a fumble recovered by Taylor Wein on UTEP's first possession of the third quarter, setting up Mateer's 34-yard touchdown pass to Sategna.

UTEP kicker Carlos Arreola missed a 41-yard field goal with 4:51 remaining, preserving the shutout. It was Oklahoma's first shutout since a 44-0 win over Kent State last season.

A crowd of 84,315 watched the rare Friday night home game.

Oklahoma (1-0) travels to Ann Arbor to face No. 16 Michigan on Sept. 12 at 11 a.m. CT on FOX. The Sooners beat the Wolverines 24-13 in Norman last season in the first game of the home-and-home series.