Scoring by quarter
John Mateer threw touchdown passes on consecutive possessions either side of halftime, and Oklahoma held off a late Mississippi State rally in the first-ever meeting between the programs.
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma | 3 | 7 | 10 | 3 | 23 |
| Mississippi State | 0 | 0 | 7 | 8 | 15 |
Scoring detail: Q1 — Oklahoma: Tate Sandell 42-yd field goal. Q2 — Oklahoma: Mateer to Isaiah Sategna III, 36-yd TD (Sandell PAT), capping a 14-play, 96-yard drive. Q3 — Oklahoma: Mateer to Rocky Beers, 32-yd TD (Sandell PAT); Mississippi State: Sam West to Camden Capehart, 18-yd TD on a double pass (Kyle Ferrie PAT); Oklahoma: Sandell 30-yd field goal. Q4 — Oklahoma: Sandell 38-yd field goal; Mississippi State: Billy Puckett to Sanfrisco Magee, 42-yd TD, plus Puckett-to-Magee two-point conversion with 2:10 left.
Oklahoma 23, Mississippi State 15
Mississippi State lost starting quarterback Kamario Taylor late in the first quarter when he reaggravated his foot injury on a fourth-down run and did not return. Backup Billy Puckett drove the Bulldogs to the Oklahoma 6 late in the second quarter but fumbled, and the Sooners answered with the 96-yard touchdown drive for a 10–0 halftime lead. Sandell finished 3-for-6 on field goals — three misses kept the Bulldogs within reach — before Puckett’s late touchdown and two-point conversion made it a one-possession game. Mateer converted back-to-back third downs on the final drive to run out the clock.
Team stats
Oklahoma outgained Mississippi State 467–352, won third down 7-of-16 to 1-of-11, and held the ball for 33:16.
| Category | Oklahoma | Mississippi State |
|---|---|---|
| First downs (pass / rush / penalty) | 21 (10 / 8 / 3) | 17 (8 / 5 / 4) |
| Total plays | 70 | 63 |
| Total yards | 467 | 352 |
| Yards per play | 6.7 | 5.6 |
| Passing (comp / att) | 22 / 29 | 20 / 30 |
| Net passing yards | 283 | 186 |
| Rushing (att / yards) | 41 / 184 | 33 / 166 |
| Sacks by defense | 4 | 1 |
| Sacks allowed (count / yards) | 1 / 9 | 4 / 14 |
| Third-down conversions | 7 / 16 | 1 / 11 |
| Fourth-down conversions | 1 / 1 | 2 / 5 |
| Red-zone scores / chances | 2 / 4 | 1 / 2 |
| Turnovers (INT / fumbles lost) | 1 (0 / 1) | 2 (1 / 1) |
| Penalties (count / yards) | 9 / 75 | 8 / 90 |
| Time of possession | 33:16 | 26:44 |
| Punts | 2 | 4 |
Team stats via the Sportradar box score, cross-checked against the AP recap (SoonerSports): Oklahoma 467 total yards, 283 passing, 184 rushing; Mississippi State 352 total yards.
Player stats
Every quarterback who attempted a pass, every rusher, every receiver with a catch, and the defensive leaders on both sides.
Passing
Oklahoma
| Player | Comp/Att | Yds | TD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Mateer | 22/29 | 283 | 2 | 0 |
Mississippi State
| Player | Comp/Att | Yds | TD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billy Puckett | 17/24 | 158 | 1 | 1 |
| Sam West (TE) | 1/1 | 18 | 1 | 0 |
| Kamario Taylor | 2/5 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
Taylor started but left late in the first quarter after reaggravating his foot injury and did not return. West’s completion was the double-pass touchdown to Capehart.
Rushing
Oklahoma
| Player | Att | Yds | TD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tory Blaylock | 12 | 71 | 0 |
| Lloyd Avant | 13 | 55 | 0 |
| John Mateer | 9 | 37 | 0 |
| Isaiah Sategna III | 3 | 24 | 0 |
| Jonathan Hatton Jr. | 2 | -1 | 0 |
| Team | 2 | -2 | 0 |
Oklahoma’s 184 rushing yards were a season step forward for a team that entered averaging 92.5 per game.
Mississippi State
| Player | Att | Yds | TD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fluff Bothwell | 17 | 111 | 0 |
| Billy Puckett | 7 | 37 | 0 |
| Kolin Wilson | 5 | 16 | 0 |
| Camden Capehart | 1 | 14 | 0 |
| Kamario Taylor | 3 | -12 | 0 |
Bothwell’s 111 yards made him the first 100-yard rusher against Oklahoma in 17 games. Taylor’s -12 includes sack yardage.
Receiving
Oklahoma
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Isaiah Sategna III | 8 | 164 | 1 |
| Rocky Beers (TE) | 4 | 66 | 1 |
| Jonathan Hatton Jr. | 3 | 19 | 0 |
| Lloyd Avant | 1 | 9 | 0 |
| Jack Van Dorselaer (TE) | 2 | 8 | 0 |
| Jer’Michael Carter | 1 | 6 | 0 |
| Hayden Hansen (TE) | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| Manny Choice | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Jacob Jordan | 1 | 3 | 0 |
Mississippi State
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sanfrisco Magee | 3 | 65 | 1 |
| Anthony Evans III | 6 | 33 | 0 |
| Zion Ragins | 2 | 21 | 0 |
| Camden Capehart | 1 | 18 | 1 |
| Marquis Johnson | 2 | 15 | 0 |
| Kolin Wilson | 3 | 15 | 0 |
| Sam West (TE) | 1 | 11 | 0 |
| Fluff Bothwell | 1 | 8 | 0 |
| Joeseph Skipworth (TE) | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Defensive leaders
Oklahoma
| Player | Tackles | Sacks | TFL | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owen Heinecke (LB) | 10 | 1.0 | 2 | 1 forced fumble |
| Trystan Haynes (DB) | 8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Peyton Bowen (DB) | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 INT, 1 PBU |
| David Stone (DL) | 7 | 1.5 | — | — |
| Jayden Jackson (DL) | 6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Reggie Powers III (DB) | 6 | 0 | 1 | — |
| Taylor Wein (DL) | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 fumble recovery |
| Kip Lewis (LB) | 5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Adepoju Adebawore (DL) | 2 | 1.5 | — | — |
Team: 4 sacks, 1 interception (Bowen, on Puckett), 1 fumble recovery (Wein, on Puckett’s second-quarter fumble at the OU 6).
Mississippi State
| Player | Tackles | Sacks | TFL | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fatt Forrest (LB) | 10 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Tyler Lockhart (LB) | 10 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Amaree Williams (DE) | 9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Jardin Gilbert (SAF) | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 forced fumble, 1 PBU |
| Jaray Bledsoe (DL) | 6 | 1.0 | 1 | — |
| Jett Jefferson (CB) | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 PBU |
| Dre Riley (SAF) | 5 | 0 | 1 | — |
| Kendel Dolby (SAF) | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 fumble recovery |
| Zakari Tillman (LB) | 4 | 0 | 0 | — |
Team: 1 sack (Bledsoe), no interceptions; Gilbert forced the Rocky Beers fumble that Dolby recovered for Mississippi State’s lone takeaway.
Kicking: Oklahoma — Tate Sandell 3/6 field goals (42, 30, 38 yards), 2/2 PATs. Mississippi State — Kyle Ferrie 1/1 PAT, no field-goal attempts; the Bulldogs’ second touchdown used a two-point conversion.
Key takeaways
What decided the first meeting between these programs.
- Mateer played his cleanest game of the season. The Oklahoma quarterback went 22-of-29 for 283 yards and two touchdowns with no turnovers, hit Sategna eight times for 164 yards, and converted the two third downs that closed the game out in the final two minutes.
- Taylor’s exit changed everything. Mississippi State’s star quarterback reaggravated his foot injury late in the first quarter and never returned; Puckett’s fumble at the Oklahoma 6 killed the Bulldogs’ best first-half drive and set up the 96-yard touchdown march the other way.
- Third down was the gap. Oklahoma converted 7-of-16 third downs (8-of-17 counting fourth down) while its defense held Mississippi State to 1-of-11 — the Sooners sacked Bulldog quarterbacks four times and allowed just one red-zone score in two trips.
- Sandell’s misses kept it close. Three missed field goals and a Beers fumble left points on the field, turning a game Oklahoma controlled 467–352 in yardage into a one-possession finish after Puckett’s 42-yard strike to Magee with 2:10 left.
Against the call
How the result stacked up against the preview projection.
Correct pick: the preview projected Oklahoma 24, Mississippi State 21 — Oklahoma won 23–15, the right winner by a wider margin, with both teams finishing just under their projected totals.
Sources & caveats
Final score verified against at least two independent sources on October 25, 2026. Statistics are presented only where verified; anything unverified is omitted, never guessed.
- Sportradar box score: Mississippi State vs Oklahoma, Oct. 24, 2026Quarter scoring, full team comparison, complete player stat lines, scoring plays, and reported game conditions (Sunny, 78°F, wind ESE 7 mph).
- SoonerSports (AP): Sooners Prevail in First-Ever Meeting Against Mississippi State23–15 final; Mateer 22/29 for 283 yards and 2 TDs; 96-yard drive; Taylor injury; postgame records (OU 4–3, 2–2 SEC; MSU 4–3, 2–3 SEC).
- SoonersWire: Oklahoma vs. Mississippi State live updates / Rapid ReactionQuarter-by-quarter score confirmation (3–0, 10–0, 20–7, 23–15); team totals 467–352; third-down splits.
- The Oklahoman: Mateer nearly flawless in leading OU past Mississippi StateAttendance 49,224 at Davis Wade Stadium; Sategna 8 catches for 164 yards; Blaylock 12 carries for 71 yards.
- Clarion Ledger: Kamario Taylor injured againTaylor’s first-quarter exit and reaggravated injury; Puckett as replacement; Taylor’s 2-for-5, 10-yard line.
- ScoresAndStats: Oklahoma vs Mississippi State final scoreIndependent confirmation of the 23–15 final and quarter splits, attributed to ESPN scoring.
Caveats
- Weather: the gamebar uses the reported game conditions (Sunny, 78°F, wind 7 mph). The Open-Meteo archive for Davis Wade Stadium (33.4555, -88.7933, America/Chicago) showed clear skies (weather code 0), 75.0°F and 6.4 mph wind at the 2:00 PM CT kickoff hour — consistent with the reported figure, so the reported figure stands.
- Backup quarterback name: most sources (AP/SoonerSports, Clarion Ledger, Sportradar) list Mississippi State’s backup as Billy Puckett; a few recaps wrote “Parker Puckett.” Billy Puckett, as listed in the box score, is used.
- One live blog briefly posted “Mississippi State 13” in a final-score headline before the late two-point conversion was accounted for; every box score and recap confirms 15.
- Ranks: neither team was ranked in the AP Top 25 at game time, so no rank prefix is shown; the hero lines show postgame records.
- Sack/TFL splits for Stone and Adebawore are listed as in the box score (1.5 sacks each); their TFL columns were not cleanly separable in the source and are marked “—” rather than estimated.