UTEP Miners at Oklahoma Sooners

Friday night in Norman opens a new season for Oklahoma and a new Mountain West chapter for UTEP. The Sooners begin at No. 10, with the Miners arriving for their first game since an extensive roster reconstruction. Oklahoma’s strongest route to covering starts with its defense overwhelming UTEP’s new offensive line. The Sooners recorded 45 sacks and allowed 77.3 rushing yards per game in 2025. If that pressure repeatedly ends possessions before Colson can establish anything, Oklahoma can accumulate scoring opportunities. UTEP’s defense allowed 30.4 points per game last season, so the threat of Oklahoma separating throughout the second half is substantial. I’m taking the points because Oklahoma’s offensive record gives me less reason to expect that separation to keep growing. The Sooners averaged 26.2 points per game and 3.54 yards per carry in 2025. Their offseason emphasis on improving the running game addresses a documented weakness. John Mateer and Isaiah Sategna III provide an established passing connection, but Mateer’s damaging interceptions against LSU and Alabama also show how execution can interrupt productive stretches. Those opponents presented different challenges; the relevant counter tonight is a UTEP defense that recorded 28 sacks last season and retains experienced contributors in Jayden Wilson, Xavier Smith and Justin Content. EJ Colson Jr. also gives UTEP a credible mechanism for extending possessions. He completed 70.9% of his passes with 16 touchdowns and four interceptions at Incarnate Word in 2025, and the supplied game accounts document his ability to escape and extend plays. Oklahoma represents a different defensive test. Still, that combination of accuracy and mobility supports expecting some productive possessions from the new offense. UTEP’s turnover-heavy finish last season should carry less weight when evaluating a replacement quarterback and an entirely replaced starting offense. My read is that Oklahoma’s defensive control will be more consistent than its offensive execution. UTEP’s cover depends on combining useful possessions with enough disruptive defensive plays to interrupt Oklahoma’s scoring through the fourth quarter. Its quarterback’s prior efficiency and its defense’s demonstrated ability to create negative plays are the concrete reasons I expect enough resistance at this number.