A Top-25 battle between the Michigan Wolverines and the Oklahoma Sooners awaits as Sherrone Moore preps for a matchup against his alma mater. Both teams are coming off wins over cakewalk opponents as Michigan toppled New Mexico, 34-17, and Oklahoma beat Illinois State, 35-3.
Hopes are high for both programs this year, and they’ll face each other this weekend in what will be an opportunity for both teams to impress the College Football Playoff committee.
For the Wolverines to leave Norman victorious,
here are the guys they’ll have to slow down to be successful.
QB John Mateer
Mateer will undoubtedly be priority No. 1 for Wink Martindale. The Sooners showed last week if they can pass the ball successfully, they will for the entire game. Despite the game never being in doubt, Mateer threw 37 times compared to the team’s 32 rushes (seven of those carries also came from Mateer). The Oklahoma offense is unlike any other regular-season opponent Michigan will face in the run-heavy Big Ten this season.
Mateer has played really well in his last five regular season games dating back to last year. He’s completed 75 percent of his passes for 1,378 yards and 19 total touchdowns to just two interceptions. The caveat? Those five games were against Utah State, New Mexico, Oregon State, Wyoming and Illinois State.
Michigan’s defense will be by far the toughest and most physical team he has faced in his career, but Mateer is known for making things happen with his legs when things go awry.
If Michigan’s going to win this game, it starts with doing everything possible to throw Mateer off his game.
WR Keontez Lewis
A week ago, I would probably list Michigan native Deion Burks as the receiver to watch here. However, Keontez Lewis has seemingly positioned himself to be the WR1 on this team, and coaches have remarked throughout the offseason of the relationship he and Mateer have built.
Lewis had nine receptions on 11 targets for 119 yards and two touchdowns last weekend. He’s a redshirt senior who has had a heck of a journey — after starting his collegiate career at UCLA, Lewis transferred to Wisconsin, where he was a rotational receiver for two seasons. He then transferred to the Southern Illinois Salukis, where he led the team with 49 receptions for 790 yards before coming to Oklahoma for his final season.
Reports from fall camp were that Lewis and Mateer were working overtime to get their timing down and continue to formulate a connection. The 6-foot-2 receiver cemented himself as a key cog of this offense in the Week 1 win, and none of the Oklahoma coaches were surprised.
“He made some fantastic plays with really tight coverage. He’s got a consistency to him,” said Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables in the postgame presser. “He loves to compete, he loves to practice, he shows up every day with a grateful attitude. So it’s not real remarkable to see that kind of result.”
Many questions remain pertaining to Michigan’s secondary, and they’ll be tested by Mateer, Lewis and Burks in Norman. Jyaire Hill is one of the most important players for Michigan in this game — he’s been pinned as the top corner and they’ll need him to be just that.
Edge R Mason Thomas
The Sooners have a strong defense, and their leader is senior edge rusher R Mason Thomas. Although he didn’t earn a sack against Illinois State, he led the team in sacks (nine) last year and was an All-SEC second-teamer. He also had 12.5 tackles for loss and 11 quarterback hurries in his first season as a starter in 2024.
Again, there is a bit of a caveat here for the talent he performed well against. Three of his nine sacks came in one game against Tulane, and another two came against Auburn. Regardless of the competition, he was a game wrecker who put opposing quarterbacks in tough spots. Venables said this offseason that Thomas was offered a lot of NIL money to leave Norman — that doesn’t happen unless you are one of the best players at your position in the country.
Thomas plays with a lot of athleticism and speed, and that will be an adjustment for Bryce Underwood. Yes, Michigan’s quarterback looked great in Week 1, but can he replicate that in a hostile environment with an All-SEC defender breathing down his neck?
Evan Link’s role in this game will be as important as ever. He has to protect Underwood’s blindside and give him time to process what is happening on the field. Expect Max Bredeson and Marlin Klein to be lined up in-line and chip as a part of their routes to throw Thomas off balance and give Underwood an extra second or two.
