The Oklahoma Sooners defeated the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Saturday, winning by a final score of 23-15. In a season filled with adversity for the 2026 Sooners, both expected and unexpected, OU got even more heading into Starkville.
Illness had been running rampant through the locker room, and head coach Brent Venables missed his weekly press conference due to "flu-like symptoms". Fifth-year starting quarterback John Mateer said postgame that he did not feel well during the week. Many coaches and players were fighting illness before and during the game.
After the win, Venables expressed his thankfulness for the way his players performed, despite the less-than-ideal circumstances.
"We got on a bus, and drove for an hour," Venables said. "The
guys were taking pills for the flu, and getting IVs and all those things. I’m not looking for pity or throwing a pity party, but that’s what we’ve been living through. I’m incredibly thankful for our guys’ toughness and courage."
Oklahoma's offense put together probably its most well-rounded performance of the season, and should have scored much more than 23 points if not for three missed field goals and a dropped touchdown. The defense was up to its usual tricks, completely shutting down the State offense for almost the entire game.
Venables and his Sooners showed toughness against the Bulldogs, bouncing back after a tough loss against Kentucky. Now, the job is to win two straight, when South Carolina comes to town for homecoming next week.
"Our guys were heavily invested," Venables said. "We got a bunch of tough guys."
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Brent Venables describes how Sooners won 'flu game' on Saturday
