We Speak College Football

Mateer’s Best Day as a Sooner: Oklahoma Wins First-Ever Meeting With Mississippi State 23-15

Published

2 hours ago

October 25, 2026

Photo: Oklahoma Football / Instagram

The first meeting between Oklahoma and Mississippi State belonged to John Mateer. Mateer threw for 283 yards and two touchdowns without a turnover — perhaps his best game in a Sooners uniform — as Oklahoma went into Starkville and beat Mississippi State 23-15 on Saturday.

The Bulldogs’ afternoon unraveled at quarterback. Star sophomore Kamario Taylor started despite a foot injury that had kept him out the previous week, but he lasted one quarter — three scoreless drives, 2-of-5 passing for 10 yards — before reaggravating the injury and leaving for good. Backup Billy Puckett drove Mississippi State to the Oklahoma 6 late in the second quarter but fumbled the ball away, and the Sooners made him pay: a 96-yard, 14-play march capped by Mateer’s 36-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Sategna and a 10-0 halftime lead. Sategna finished with eight catches for a career-high 164 yards.

Mateer struck again on the third play of the second half, finding Rocky Beers up the middle for a 32-yard touchdown and a 17-0 lead. Mississippi State (4-3, 2-3 SEC) finally answered with back-to-back trick plays late in the third quarter, the second an 18-yard touchdown pass from tight end Sam West to Camden Capehart — the Bulldogs’ first touchdown in eight quarters. Running back Fluff Bothwell gave State a ground game with 111 rushing yards, but Oklahoma controlled the ball and the clock, converting 8 of 17 third- and fourth-down tries to the Bulldogs’ 3 of 16.

Tate Sandell endured a rough day for Oklahoma, missing three field goals, but his 38-yarder with 4:26 left stretched the lead to 23-7. Puckett, who finished 17-of-24 for 158 yards, gave the home crowd one last jolt with a 42-yard touchdown pass to Sanfrisco Magee and a two-point conversion to Magee with 2:10 remaining, but the Sooners (4-3, 2-2 SEC) recovered and closed it out.

Mississippi State has lost three straight after a 4-0 start, and Taylor’s health now looms over the rest of its season with a trip to Texas up next.

Photo: AP Photo

We Speak College Football

Six Straight: No. 12 Kentucky Erases Early Hole to Beat Vanderbilt 34-17

Published

2 hours ago

October 25, 2026

We Speak Media

Photo: Kentucky Football / Instagram

For the sixth straight week, Kentucky fell behind. For the sixth straight week, Kentucky won anyway. The No. 12 Wildcats spotted Vanderbilt a 10-0 lead, then scored on six consecutive possessions to win 34-17 on Saturday night at Kroger Field.

Vanderbilt (3-5, 0-5 SEC) authored the perfect start: a 45-yard punt return by Martel Hight set up a field goal, and a 16-play, 95-yard drive ended with Jared Curtis’ 3-yard touchdown pass to Jayvontay Conner. Curtis, the Commodores’ true freshman quarterback, completed 27 of 36 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns, and Junior Sherrill caught eight passes for 78 yards.

Kentucky’s answer came in waves. Kenny Minchey threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to DJ Miller, and tight end Willie Rodriguez lined up in the backfield, took a direct snap and scored from the 1 to give Kentucky a 14-10 halftime lead. A 75-yard drive out of the break ended in Brennen Ward’s rushing touchdown. Minchey finished 19-of-26 for 203 yards and also ran for a 1-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, while Rodriguez added six catches for 67 yards to go with his rushing score.

Curtis pulled Vanderbilt within 21-17 on a fourth-and-3 touchdown strike to Ja’Cory Thomas, but the finish belonged to Kentucky’s defense. Adam Zouagui kicked field goals of 47 and 32 yards — the second set up by a strip-sack of Curtis — and Ty Bryant’s fourth interception in three games set up Minchey’s late touchdown run. Kentucky outgained Vanderbilt 376-262 and closed the game on a 13-0 run.

At 7-1 overall and 5-1 in the SEC, Kentucky is off to its best league start since 1977 and has won five straight conference games for the first time since that season. Vanderbilt has lost five in a row and remains winless in SEC play.

Photo: Jordan Prather / Imagn Images