Game Primer: OU vs. New Mexico

Saturday, September 19

Norman

6:30 p.m. CT

University of Oklahoma

New Mexico

Tickets From $63 - $169

NORMAN, OK - September 04, 2026 - Oklahoma Defensive Lineman Taylor Wein (#44) during the game between the UTEP Miners and the Oklahoma Sooners at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, OK. Photo By Peyton Martin/University of Oklahoma

Photo by: Peyton Martin/University of Oklahoma

September 16, 2026 | Football

Game Day Guide Game Center Game Notes

#24 Oklahoma

New Mexico

Saturday, Sept. 19 / 6:30 p.m. CT / Owen Field

ESPN2 / Radio / Live Stats / Game Notes

KEY STORYLINES

• No. 24/21 Oklahoma (1-1) faces NR/RV New Mexico (2-0) for just the third time (first time in 91 years) when its hosts the Lobos on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. CT at Gaylord Family — Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman. The game will be televised by ESPN2 with Jay Alter, Tom Luginbill and Lauren Sisler announcing.

• Saturday's game will mark the third meeting between Oklahoma and New Mexico, with OU winning both contests in Norman in 1930 (47-0) and 1935 (25-0).

• New Mexico is 2-0 and has won eight of its last nine games going back to the middle of last season. The Lobos rank in the top 10 nationally in both scoring offense (54.0 ppg) and scoring defense (7.0 ppg), and are coming off a 70-7 win over FCS opponent Mercyhurst after handling Central Michigan 38-7 in the opener, both at home.

• The Lobos (four) are one of two Mountain West Conference teams receiving votes in the AFCA Coaches Poll, with North Dakota State (5) being the other. Five New Mexico players were first-team preseason All-Mountain West selections: wide receiver Troy Omeire, tight end Cade Keith, offensive lineman Malik Aliane, defensive lineman Brian Booker and linebacker Jaxton Eck.

• Since the start of the 2000 season, Oklahoma is 41-5 (.891) in regular season games following a regular season loss.

• Among tight ends, first-year Sooner and sixth-year player Rocky Beers ranks second in the SEC and sixth nationally with his 68.5 receiving yards per game. The Colorado State transfer caught two passes for 43 yards against UTEP (including a 40-yard TD) and hauled in six passes for a career-high-tying 94 yards at Michigan.

• A 2025 second-team All-SEC performer, defensive end Taylor Wein led OU with 15.0 tackles for loss and 7.0 sacks last year. The senior has picked up where he left off, ranking third in the SEC with his 4.5 TFLs this season (1.0 sack). His five tackles in the opener against UTEP marked a career high, only to be topped by his seven stops (3.0 for loss) Saturday at Michigan. He also forced a fumble against the Wolverines.

• All 11 of the Sooners' defensive starters the last two weeks began their college football careers at OU.

• In its 13 games last season, OU registered 11 touchdown passes of at least 20 yards. Through two games this season, the Sooners have already registered four such plays (48, 40, 34 and 22 yards).

• In their 27 wins since the start of the 2023 season, the Sooners have outscored opponents 226-49 off turnovers. In their 13 losses during the same span, they have been outscored 115-27 off turnovers.

• Fifty-one percent of the defensive players on OU's depth chart (18 of 35) are in at least their third year in the program. Conversely, 16% of the offensive players on the depth chart (five of 32) are in their third year or more. Fifteen offensive players on the depth chart are first-year Sooners and 12 are in their second seasons.

• Oklahoma's 2025 defense was its best under Brent Venables, who is now in his fifth season as head coach. The Sooners led the nation last year in sacks per game (3.5) and tackles for loss per contest (9.4), and paced the SEC in scoring defense (15.5 ppg), total defense (272.5 ypg), rushing defense (77.3 ypg), passing defense efficiency (115.8 rating) and first downs allowed (194). Through two games this season, OU is allowing just 8.5 points and 230.5 yards per outing. Opponents are completing just 54% of their passes for an average of 98.5 yards per game and 5.6 yards per attempt (no touchdowns).

OU football team runs out of the tunnel at a packed Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium

FOR THE FANS

• Stadium gates will open at 4:30 p.m. this Saturday. The contest marks OU's 2026 "Stripe the Stadium" game, with fans in odd-numbered sections wearing white and fans in even-numbered sections (and OU students) wearing crimson. Additionally, the team's seniors will be honored on the field during a pregame ceremony beginning at 6:10 p.m.

• Approximately two hours and 15 minutes before each home game (4:20 p.m. this Saturday), OU players and coaches will arrive at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium via team buses and walk to their stadium entrance while being cheered by fans. This year's "Walk of Champions" path again originates from the Jenkins Ave./Brooks St. intersection just northeast of the stadium (view map here). The team will be led by the Sooner Schooner and OU Spirit.

• Once again, the Allstate Party at the Palace will be held on the lawn immediately north of Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium for fans of all ages, this week running from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Party at the Palace will offer and feature a variety of food and beverage trucks, family-friendly activities, The Franchise pregame radio show and an LED video screen showing games in progress. The one-of-a-kind Red Rocket Ford Model T will also be on display for photo opportunities. Additionally this Saturday, the OU women's basketball team will sign autographs from 4:30-5:15 p.m.

• Fans are encouraged to stay in their seats at halftime of the game as the 2026 national champion Oklahoma women's gymnastics team will be honored.

• This week only, Coca-Cola, in partnership with OU, is bringing Thirsty's Fan HQ to Party at the Palace. Thirsty's Fan HQ is a fresh take on the traditional diner. At Thirsty's, fans will be able to test their OU Football knowledge with onsite trivia, sample Coca-Cola and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar products, receive custom Coca-Cola x Oklahoma merchandise (including socks and bucket hats) and meet former OU wide receiver great Ryan Broyles from 3:30-5 p.m.

• The University of Oklahoma Athletics Department announced a series of fan experience enhancements ahead of the Sooners' season opener. The expansion of offerings and upgrades to services range from pregame festivities and tailgating to concessions and merchandise opportunities, in-game engagement, exclusive experiences, a digital concierge service and more.

• OU is building on the success of last season's North Oval tailgating experience by introducing a new turnkey tailgating option at Boyd Lawn this fall while keeping the North Oval free and open for public tailgating. The North Oval will once again serve as the centerpiece of OU game day, remaining free for all fans on a first-come, first-served basis. Fans are encouraged to continue bringing their own tents, chairs and tailgating equipment to one of the most iconic gathering places on campus. The new hassle-free Boyd Lawn tailgating packages are available through REVELXP. The premium experience offers fully furnished tailgating setups, allowing groups to simply arrive and enjoy gameday without the work of setup or teardown. For more detailed information on all campus tailgating options, click here.

• OU Athletics and Sooner Sports Properties are producing limited-edition collectible game programs in high-quality print for home football contests against Kentucky, South Carolina, Ole Miss and Texas A&M – OU's four 2026 SEC home opponents. Souvenir game programs are available for preorder for $20 each, and the 2026 OU Football Media Guide can be purchased for $40 (limited stock). Click here to order.

• New this season, OU Athletics is utilizing Bud, an AI-powered digital concierge available on SoonerSports.com and in the Oklahoma Sooners app. Bud provides immediate answers to common questions about tickets, parking, venue policies, accessibility, lost and found and more. During events, fans can also report incidents such as maintenance needs, spills or safety concerns, all of which will be routed in real time to the appropriate OU Athletics personnel. Fans can also "Share a Win" by recognizing exceptional service or highlighting a positive experience. Bud, powered by the fan engagement and incident management platform Relayed, will be accessible on SoonerSports.com via the chat widget pop-up in the bottom-right corner of the site. In the Oklahoma Sooners app, Bud is accessible on game days via the main navigation area at the bottom of the screen.

• For a full list of OU game day policies, procedures and additional fan information, click here.

OPENING KICK

• The 2026 season marks the 132nd in OU football history. The Sooners lead the nation with their 50 all-time conference championships and 33 AP top-five finishes. They rank second with their seven Heisman Trophy winners (tied), five No. 1 overall NFL Draft picks (tied) and 27 11-plus-win seasons, third with seven AP national championships, their 101 weeks as the AP's No. 1 team and 431 total weeks in the AP Top 5, fifth with 59 bowl appearances and sixth with 426 NFL Draft picks.

• Saturday's contest will mark the 1,367th in OU history. The Sooners rank fifth nationally with their .723 all-time winning percentage (961- 352-53 record), trailing Ohio State (.736), Alabama (.734), Notre Dame (.733) and Michigan (.733). Since the end of World War II (1946 season to present), OU leads all programs with 717 wins (26 more than Alabama, the program with the next most).

• The SEC leads the country with its nine teams ranked in this week's AP Top 25, and six of those squads are in the top 10. The Big Ten ranks second with seven top-25 teams and is followed by the ACC and Big 12 with four each. The other team is Notre Dame (independent).

• New Mexico is OU's second Mountain West opponent this season. The Sooners beat UTEP 51-0 in week 1 in Norman, outgaining the Miners 401 yards to 198. The Lobos rank seventh nationally in scoring offense (54.0 ppg) and ninth in scoring defense (7.0 ppg).

• Oklahoma is coming off a 10-3 season in which it went 6-2 in the SEC and earned the No. 8 seed in the College Football Playoff (lost 34-24 to No. 9 seed Alabama in Norman). New Mexico went 9-4 in its first season under head coach Jason Eck last year, winning its last six regular season games before falling 20-17 to Minnesota in overtime in the Rate Bowl.

OU-NEW MEXICO SERIES HISTORY

• Oklahoma is 2-0 all-time vs. New Mexico, beating the Lobos 47-0 in the 1930 opener under head coach Adrian Lindsey and posting a 25-0 victory in 1935 in the second game of the Lawrence "Biff" Jones era.

• The first game, played in steady rain, featured an OU defense that kept New Mexico from registering a first down. In the second meeting, the Sooners rushed for 301 yards and held UNM to 92 yards of total offense.

HOME IS WHERE THE "W" IS

• Oklahoma is 152-17 (.899) at Gaylord Family — Oklahoma Memorial Stadium since the start of the 1999 season (Bob Stoops' first year as head coach), giving it just three more home losses than conference titles during the period. It is the second-best home winning percentage in the country over the stretch (Boise State [.906] is first). OU has outscored its foes by an average of 42-18 in those games.

• Saturday's game is sold out, pushing OU's sellout streak of originally scheduled home contests to 169 games, dating back to the start of the 1999 campaign. Only Nebraska has a longer current streak.

• This marks the 102nd season of Gaylord Family — Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. The first game was played Oct. 17, 1925, a 7-0 victory over Drake.

• The first game played at the current stadium site, called Owen Field and named after former head coach and athletics director Bennie Owen (a charter member of the College Football Hall of Fame), took place in 1923, before stadium construction got underway.

• The Sooners own a sparkling 430-90-15 (.818) all-time record at the "Palace on the Prairie" and have faced 101 opponents there.

NORMAN, OK - September 04, 2026 - Oklahoma Kicker Tate Sandell (#29) during the game between the UTEP Miners and the Oklahoma Sooners at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, OK. Photo By Peyton Martin/University of Oklahoma

YEAR THREE IN THE SEC

• Oklahoma and Texas officially joined the Southeastern Conference on July 1, 2024, after 28 years in the Big 12 Conference. OU won half (14) of the Big 12's football championships in its 28 years in the league and posted a 187-61 (.754) record against conference competition (includes an 11-1 record in Big 12 championship games).

• Oklahoma's 14 Big 12 titles were 10 more than the program with the next most (Texas won four). From 2010 through 2023, OU won eight Big 12 titles and was followed by Baylor (three), Kansas State (two) and Oklahoma State, TCU and Texas (one each).

ANOTHER SCHEDULE GAUNTLET

• For the third straight season, Oklahoma's schedule is among the nation's most challenging. Entering the year, the Sooners' strength of schedule was ranked as the country's second toughest in ESPN's FPI. OU's 2025 schedule was rated as the most difficult in the nation entering that campaign.

• OU's schedule features four preseason AP top-10 teams and six top-25 squads: No. 3 Georgia (away), No. 5 Texas (neutral site), No. 8 Texas A&M (home), No. 9 Ole Miss (home), No. 16 Michigan (away) and No. 25 Missouri (away). Oklahoma will also face Florida (away), South Carolina (home) and New Mexico (home), all of which received votes in the preseason AP poll.

AYE AYE

• For the second straight season, the Sooners have season-long team captains (OU named weekly captains each of Brent Venables' first three years). This season's nine captains are senior defensive back Peyton Bowen, sophomore offensive lineman Michael Fasusi, sixth-year linebacker Owen Heinecke, fifth-year linebacker Kip Lewis, fifth-year offensive lineman Jake Maikkula, fifth-year quarterback John Mateer, junior offensive lineman Eddy Pierre-Louis, junior defensive lineman David Stone and senior defensive lineman Taylor Wein. Lewis and Mateer were captains last season.

NORMAN, OK - September 04, 2026 - Oklahoma Wide Receiver Isaiah Sategna III (#1) during the game between the UTEP Miners and the Oklahoma Sooners at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, OK. Photo By Brendall Vargas/University of Oklahoma

NOTING THE OFFENSE

• After converting nearly all of its red zone opportunities into points last season (34 of 35; 25 touchdowns), Oklahoma has scored on each of its six trips into the red zone through the first two games of this season. The Sooners have scored two red zone touchdowns and made four field goals.

• Oklahoma returned 19 letterwinners on offense, including eight players who started at least six games last season, and welcomed 13 newcomers on that side of the ball for the 2026 season. The most returning experience is on the offensive line. Five 2026 Sooners started at least six games last season and have combined for 69 career starts: fifth-year senior Jake Maikkula (has 27 career starts, 11 at OU), senior Heath Ozaeta (16 career starts), junior Eddy Pierre-Louis (eight career starts, including each of the last seven games) and sophomores Michael Fasusi (has started 11 games at left tackle) and Ryan Fodje (started each of the final six contests at right tackle or right guard last season and made his first career at left tackle at Michigan last week).

• Three offensive line transfers have combined for 43 career starts: fifth-year senior E'Marion Harris (Arkansas) has made 26 career starts (two this season at OU), senior Caleb Nitta (Western Kentucky) has 10 and junior Fred Hinton (Eastern Kentucky) has seven. The Sooners also signed two freshman offensive linemen in top-35 inside offensive line prospects Noah Best and Deacon Schmitt. Best has started each of the first two games this season (center vs. UTEP and right guard at Michigan).

• Fifth-year quarterback John Mateer returned for his second season as OU's starter after accounting for 3,316 total offensive yards and 22 touchdowns in his 12 games last season (missed the Kent State game due to a right thumb injury that required surgery). Through two games this season, he has completed 28 of 50 passes for 414 yards and four touchdowns (one interception) and has rushed for 52 yards on 16 carries. Junior Whitt Newbauer saw action in three games in his first season at OU last year after starting seven games at Mercer in 2024, and played in the 2026 season opener vs. UTEP, completing his only pass attempt for six yards and scoring on a three-yard touchdown rush. Jett Niu (played one game as a freshman last year) also returned, while freshman Bowe Bentley was a consensus four-star and top-eight QB prospect nationally.

• Junior transfer running back Lloyd Avant (Colorado State) leads OU in rushing through two games with his 114 yards and one touchdown on 24 carries. Junior Xavier Robinson (421 rushing yards and four touchdowns last season; 36 yards on 10 carries this season) and sophomore Tory Blaylock (team-high 480 rushing yards and four TDs as a freshman) are OU's top returning running backs. The Sooners brought in a pair of transfers in Avant and Ben McCreary (Incarnate Word), while freshmen Jonathan Hatton Jr. (No. 5 running back prospect in the country) and DeZephen Walker were both four-star recruits in the class.

• Oklahoma added plenty of size to the tight end room in the transfer portal, bringing in 6-5, 240-pound sixth-year senior Rocky Beers (Colorado State), 6-8, 270-pound fifth-year senior Hayden Hansen (Florida) and 6-4, 250-pound sophomore Jack Van Dorselaer (Tennessee) to go with returning fifth-year senior John Locke Jr., senior Kade McIntyre and sophomore Trynae Washington. Beers leads the Sooners with eight receptions and 137 yards (one touchdown) so far this season.

• Fifth-year senior Isaiah Sategna III headlines the returning group of wide receivers. OU's only returning wide receiver with at least 10 catches last season, Sategna has six receptions for 85 yards and two touchdowns through the first two games, and has at least two catches in each of his 15 games as a Sooner. Fifth-year transfer Trell Harris (Virginia) has made six receptions for 104 yards and a TD, and junior Mackenzie Alleyne (Washington State), who made his first catch at OU with a 22-yard touchdown reception at Michigan, and Parker Livingstone (Texas) has two catches for 14 yards so far this season. Harris caught 59 passes for 847 yards and five touchdowns last season, while Livingstone registered 516 yards and two scores in 2025. Those four receivers combine with returning senior Jer'Michael Carter, juniors Ivan Carreon and Jacob Jordan, sophomores Manny Choice and Elijah Thomas and incoming freshmen Daniel Odom, Xavier Okwufulueze, Jayden Petit and Jahsiear Rogers to provide a deep and talented receiving corps.

NOTING THE DEFENSE

• Oklahoma boasted one of the best defensive units in the country last season and is off to a strong 2026 start. Through two games, OU ranks third nationally in passing defense (98.5 ypg; leads SEC), 13th in scoring defense (8.5 ppg), 14th in tackles for loss (8.0 per game) and 20th in total defense (230.5 ypg).

• The Sooners have been especially strong on third downs since head coach Brent Venables took over defensive play calling duties prior to the 2025 season, ranking second nationally by limiting opponents to a 27% percent conversion rate (only Texas A&M at 22% has allowed a lower conversion rate in that span). Since Venables arrived ahead of the 2022 campaign, Oklahoma has only permitted teams to convert 34% of third downs, which ranks 12th nationally over the last five seasons.

• Defensive success begins up front, and the line once again appears to be one of the team's strongest units. The returning group of primary contributors in seniors Taylor Wein and Adepoju Adebawore and juniors Jayden Jackson, Danny Okoye and David Stone have totaled 51.5 career tackles for loss and 23.5 career sacks. Returning junior Wyatt Gilmore and sophomore Trent Wilson have joined the rotation this season, along with fifth-year senior Bishop Thomas (transfer from Georgia State), junior Kenny Ozowalu (UTSA) and freshman Jake Kreul. Gilmore (1.5 TFLs) and Thomas (0.5 sack) each have made four tackles this season.

• The Sooners' linebacker corps returned fifth-year senior Kip Lewis, who has made 32 career starts and totaled 212 career tackles (19.0 for loss). Sixth-year senior Owen Heinecke was extremely productive in his breakout 2025 season and has now started each of the last seven contests. He ranked second on the team with 74 tackles (12.0 for loss) last year and leads the squad with 16 tackles this season. OU also returns junior James Nesta, who made four tackles in 13 games in a special teams and reserve linebacker role last season, and brought in highly regard transfer Cole Sullivan, who registered 44 tackles in 11 games and three starts at Michigan last year. Nesta has made seven tackles in two games this season.

• The defensive backfield looks to be stout again with six returners who have now combined for 61 career starts. Senior Peyton Bowen (22 starts), logged career highs of 47 tackles, two interceptions and seven PBUs last season and has totaled 10 stops (one for loss) and two PBUs this season. Junior Eli Bowen has made 19 career starts at cornerback (two this season), including nine last season when he recorded 24 tackles, two interceptions (including an 87-yarder for a TD in a win at No. 4 Alabama) and four pass breakups. Sophomore Courtland Guillory has made 13 career starts (two this season) at cornerback. Junior Reggie Powers III has started each of the first two games this season at the "Cheetah" position and ranks third on the team with 11 tackles and 3.0 tackles for loss (one sack). Including junior Michael Boganowski, who has 45 tackles in 28 career games (three career starts; two this season) and senior Jacobe Johnson, who has three career interceptions in 38 games (two starts), six defensive backs have seen action in a total of 172 career games.

A LOOK AT SPECIAL TEAMS

• Oklahoma's special teams have drastically improved since the arrival of coordinator Doug Deakin. After finishing No. 127 in ESPN's special teams efficiency ratings in 2023 (the year before Deakin's arrival), the Sooners jumped to No. 41 in 2024, to No. 10 in 2025 and are No. 5 in 2026.

• Oklahoma returned all four major players in the kicking game from last season, including reigning Lou Groza Award winner Tate Sandell and first-team All-SEC punter Grayson Miller. Three-year standout long snapper Ben Anderson and holder Jacob Ulrich are also back this season. Ulrich started last season as OU's punter before giving way to Miller due to an injury. Anderson is OU's long snapper for the fourth straight year.

• Sandell, who transferred to OU from UTSA last year, is 3 for 3 on field goal attempts this season and 27 for 30 in his year-plus at OU, and has made 78 of his 79 career PAT attempts (41 for 41 at OU). Miller is averaging 47.8 yards on six punts this season, including three of longer than 50 yards (long of 62). He set an OU record for punts longer than 50 yards last season (24).

• Isaiah Sategna III ranks eighth nationally this season by averaging 26.4 yards on his five punt returns, and took his first punt return of the year 88 yards for a touchdown. He averaged 13.3 yards on 24 returns last year.

• The Sooners also returned kicker Liam Evans, a junior from Moore, Okla., who made a 34-yard field goal vs. UTEP in week 1, and sophomore Preston Tarpley, who is in his second season in Norman. OU brought in kicker Trace Rudd, a five-star prospect by Kohl's Kicking, as part of the 2026 signing class.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL'S BEST

• During the modern era of college football (since the end of World War II), the Sooners are the nation's No. 1 team with more wins (717) than any other program (next most is 691 by Alabama).

• Oklahoma has finished in the top 5 of the AP poll a nation-leading 33 times (Ohio State is second with 32).

• OU leads all FBS programs with 50 all-time conference championships. The rest of the top five includes Nebraska (46), Michigan (44), Ohio State (39) and USC (37). The Sooners' 14 league titles since 2000 are the most among Power Five programs (Ohio State ranks second with 11).

• Since the start of the 2000 season, OU ranks second with 19 seasons of at least 10 wins and is tied for third with 272 victories.

• Since former head coach Bob Stoops arrived in Norman in 1999, OU leads the country with its 13,492 points scored. Boise State (13,172) is second and Oregon (12,997) third.

EXTRA POINT

• The Sooners are 2-1 all-time as the No. 24-ranked AP team (all road games). Oklahoma last played as the 24th-ranked AP squad in 2020 when it won 62-28 at Texas Tech. OU also won 35-13 at No. 25 Kansas in 2009. OU's lone loss as the AP's No. 24 team was in 1999 (38-24 at Colorado)