A drive-by-drive recap of No. 18 Oklahoma's win over Illinois State
(by James D. Jackson) NORMAN – The No. 18 Oklahoma Sooners and Illinois State Redbirds are set to battle it out on Saturday evening for the season-opener. Oklahoma is looking to bounce back from a poor 2024 season, and it starts in Norman, Oklahoma, against an opponent that's ranked No. 6 in the nation in the FCS. Oklahoma...read more from Sooners Illustrated
OU-Illinois State quick-hitters: Sooners get the win, Mateer shines, questions loom
(by Bob Przybylo) OK, now we have our starting point for OU football for the 2025 season. A little slow to start, but things got rolling soon enough. Paced by quarterback John Mateer, the Sooners took care of visiting Illinois State on Saturday evening. Mateer cool, calm, collected If you could count on one thing for OU, it was that...read more from the SoonerScoop
Oklahoma-Illinois State: OU Stock Report
(by John E. Hoover) It’s hard to get too excited about Oklahoma’s 35-3 win over Illinois State on Saturday night in Norman. The Sooners beat up on an FCS opponent. OU was favored by 35 ½, per FanDuel sports book, but still had most of their starters and frontline players on the field for the entire game. The Redbirds showed up, got their...read more from Oklahoma Sooners on SI
OU 35, Illinois State 3: Takeaways from the Sooners' win
(by Jesse Crittenden) NORMAN — The Sooners were expected to take care of business against Illinois State on Saturday. They did, albeit in unexciting fashion. The Sooners beat the Redbirds 28-3, opening the 2025 campaign with a win at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. It was a slow start for both teams before the Sooners...read more from the OUInsider
Oklahoma legend Brian Bosworth gives Sooners season-opening advice
(by Eric W. Bolin) Brian Bosworth has a wishlist for what he wants to see from the Oklahoma Sooners on Saturday. The Sooners open the 2025 season against FCS Illinois State in Week 1 in what is sure to be an easy game. But the former Sooners linebacker doesn't want OU to treat it that way. They have a much bigger fish in Week 2 when...read more from the Sooners Wire
How to watch and listen to No. 18 Oklahoma vs Illinois State
(by Josh Callaway) Folks, we have finally made it. Game day. Kicking off the highly-anticipated 2025 season, No. 18 Oklahoma hosts Illinois State out of the FCS on Saturday night at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. The tilt opens up the fourth year of the Brent Venables era and the Sooners' second campaign in the SEC...read more from Sooners Illustrated
Matchups to Watch in Oklahoma's Season Opener
(by Ryan Chapman) The longest offseason in sports is nearly over in Norman. No. 18 Oklahoma kicks off its massive 2025 season with the Illinois State Redbirds on Saturday at 5 p.m. The Redbirds are excellent FCS competition; they enter the season ranked No. 6 in the FCS Coaches Poll. But for OU, the contest will serve as a dress rehearsal...read more from Oklahoma Sooners on SI
Report: Brent Venables to take $1 million pay cut for 2025 season
(by Nick Schultz) Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables is taking a $1 million pay cut for the 2025 season, according to documents obtained by USA Today’s Steve Berkowitz. His salary will be $7.55 million this year. Speaking with USA Today, an Oklahoma spokesperson said the decision – which Venables “initiated” – is a one-time contribution...read more from On3.com
Oklahoma HC Brent Venables Calls Week 1 Opponent 'Great Challenge'
(by Carson Field) NORMAN — When addressing the media ahead of his team’s season opener, OU coach Brent Venables spent more time talking about Illinois State than he did on any other topic. Venables, entering his fourth year as the Sooners’ coach, fielded questions about his team’s identity, last year’s disappointing finish and new...read more from Oklahoma Sooners on SI
Sooners set to unveil new-look offense in season opener against Illinois State
(by Chip Rouse) The talking season is now at an end, and it's time for the actual games to begin. For Oklahoma, that means a season-opening matchup with the Illinois State Redbirds on Saturday night at a sold-out Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Sooner fans will get their first look at the retooled Oklahoma offense and a...read more from Stormin' in Norman
Sooners Illustrated Staff Picks: No. 18 Oklahoma vs Illinois State
(by Josh Callaway) The time has finally arrived as Oklahoma gets set to host Illinois State on Saturday night in the 2025 season opener. On Thursday's edition of the Sooners Illustrated Podcast and in Friday's Sooners Illustrated Game Preview, the Sooners Illustrated staff locked in their final score predictions for the Week 1 matchup...read more from Sooners Illustrated
Kirk Herbstreit reveals ESPN College GameDay will be at Oklahoma vs. Michigan in Week 2
(by Sam Gillenwater) All eyes will be on ‘College GameDay’ tomorrow for the finale of Lee Corso in Columbus ahead of No. 1 Texas vs. No. 3 Ohio State. However, once it leaves ‘The Shoe,’ the show will apparently be headed southwest in week two for another matchup between the SEC and the Big Ten. Per Kirk Herbstreit on Friday...read more from On3.com
John Mateer gets the offense rolling early: Sooners Wire Staff Predictions for Week 1
(by John Williams) Week 1 of the 2025 college football season is upon us, and the Oklahoma Sooners open the season against one of the better FCS teams in the nation, the Illinois State Redbirds. Oklahoma is coming into the game looking to get off to a fast start as they welcome several new pieces on the offensive side of the ball. There are...read more from the Sooners Wire
OUInsider Roundtable: How much pressure do the Sooners face this season?
(by Jesse Crittenden) After a very long offseason, Oklahoma’s football season is here. The Sooners open the 2025 campaign at 5 p.m. Saturday against Illinois State. After a rough season a year ago, the Sooners are in prime position to begin on a high note before a tougher matchup with Michigan next week. As the Sooners prepare to take...read more from the OUInsider
Oklahoma's Defensive Turnaround Can Serve as Blueprint for Ben Arbuckle's Offense
(by Ryan Chapman) NORMAN — Oklahoma’s defense has been rebuilt in Brent Venables’ vision. Despite a terrible 2024 season for the program, the defense returned to a unit that could help the Sooners win, rather than merely hoping OU wouldn’t lose because of the defense. As the No. 18-ranked Sooners prepare to kick off 2025 on Saturday...read more from Oklahoma Sooners on SI
Oklahoma isn't getting your average FCS cupcake with Illinois State in season opener
(by Dekota Gregory) Over 35 minutes into Oklahoma's first weekly press conference of the season after media was warned it got just two more questions to ask OU head coach Brent Venables, 247Sports' James D. Jackson finally asked the first question not about the Sooners' roster or coaches, but actually about their first opponent, Illinois State...read more from Stormin' in Norman
Fierce Competition Sharpened Oklahoma LBs Kobie McKinzie and Sammy Omosigho This Fall
(by Ryan Chapman) NORMAN — Every coach wants strong competition within their team. Brent Venables is no different, and his No. 18-ranked Oklahoma Sooners needed guys to develop further at linebacker after losing star Danny Stutsman to the NFL Draft. Kobie McKinzie served as Stutsman’s understudy last year. He totaled a career-high...read more from Oklahoma Sooners on SI
Billy Bowman Jr. proves doubters wrong with Atlanta Falcons starting nod
(by Dekota Gregory) Scouts and analysts claimed former Oklahoma star safety Billy Bowman Jr. was too small to succeed in the NFL, but just a few months after slipping in the 2025 NFL Draft because of his size, Bowman is already a Week 1 starter for the Atlanta Falcons as a rookie. After Bowman got first-team reps throughout training...read more from Stormin' in Norman
