The Brent Venables era in Norman entered a new chapter Saturday night as redshirt freshman quarterback John Mateer made his long-awaited debut, leading Oklahoma to a 35-3 win over Illinois State inside Owen Field.

The Sooners (1-0) overcame an early turnover and settled in behind their new signal-caller, who threw for 392 yards and three touchdowns in his first career start.

After a fumble ended OU’s second drive, Mateer helped the Sooners find their rhythm with a first-quarter touchdown run. In the second quarter, he connected with linebacker-turned-tight end Jaren Kanak for a key first down before finding Dion Burks across the middle for a 27-yard touchdown, putting OU ahead 14-0. Freshman running back Troy Blaylock capped the half with a score, sending the Sooners into the locker room

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