Oklahoma survives upset scare vs. LSU, appears on track for CFP bid
By David Wasson
Published:
The 8th-ranked Oklahoma Sooners strengthened their case for a College Football Playoff berth Saturday by earning a gritty 17-13 victory over LSU to complete a 10-2 regular season and a 6-2 SEC slate.
Sooners quarterback John Mateer went 23-of-38 for 318 passing yards and 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Oklahoma piled up 393 yards of total offense, and the Sooners defense allowed LSU just 198 yards of total offense.
Oklahoma wide receiver Isaiah Sategna III reeled in 9 catches for 121 yards and a TD. The Sooners took the lead for good when Sategna hauled in a 58-yard touchdown reception with 4:16 remaining.
LSU (7-5, 3-5) had a chance to take a lead in the closing minutes, but Tigers quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr. was pressured into an incompletion on a 4th-and-2 at the Sooners 29 with 1:16 to play.
Oklahoma is now on the verge of its first CFP berth in coach Brent Venables – who also finished his second 10-win season in 4 years in Norman. The 2023 Sooners went 10-3.
The Sooners only lost games to unranked Texas – 23-6 in the Red River Rivalry on Oct. 11 in Dallas – and to then-No. 8 Ole Miss – 34-26 on Oct. 25 in Norman.
The next CFP rankings will be revealed on Tuesday evening.
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. He also hosts Gulfshore Sports with David Wasson, weekdays from 3-5 pm across Southwest Florida and on FoxSportsFM.com. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
