OU Didn't Know?

Fayetteville, AR – The game was decided before Arkansas had time to breathe.

On the first offensive snap of the night, Taylor Tatum took a handoff, found daylight, and turned it into a 65-yard touchdown run. One play. No setup. No warning. Just Oklahoma announcing exactly how the evening was going to go.

That opening strike wasn’t a fluke — it was a thesis statement.

Oklahoma overwhelmed Arkansas from the opening quarter forward, rolling to a 49–13 win that felt inevitable long before halftime. The Sooners scored touchdowns on six of their first eight possessions, stretched the field vertically, and punished Arkansas in the run game with efficiency and patience rather than desperation.

Tatum set the tone early and never let it slip. The senior finished with 128 rushing yards on just 12 carries, averaging over ten yards per attempt and finding the end zone three times. His damage wasn’t limited to the ground either; Arkansas struggled to account for him in space, where he remained a matchup problem all night.

Braylen Russell complemented that performance with a bruising night of his own. Russell carried the ball 22 times for 128 yards and two touchdowns, consistently closing drives and wearing down a Razorback defense that had no answer once Oklahoma crossed midfield. He also found the end zone through the air, catching a short touchdown pass that highlighted how interchangeable Oklahoma’s weapons have become.

At quarterback, Jake Wakefield was steady and surgical. He completed 19 of 26 passes for 218 yards and two touchdowns, keeping the offense on schedule and avoiding the kind of mistakes that allow underdogs to linger. Wakefield didn’t need to force throws or chase big plays — Oklahoma’s balance created them naturally.

The Sooners reached halftime with a commanding 28–3 lead, punctuated by a one-yard touchdown pass to tight end Tramon Wheeler with one second left in the second quarter. It was the kind of moment that deflates an opponent completely — Arkansas had survived a long drive only to see Oklahoma squeeze in one more score anyway.

Defensively, Oklahoma was just as sharp.

Arkansas managed only 224 total yards and struggled to sustain drives against a front that consistently won first contact. The Razorbacks were held to 86 rushing yards on 17 attempts, never establishing any rhythm on the ground. Passing lanes were tight, throwing windows closed quickly, and Oklahoma’s secondary capitalized on mistakes, finishing with two interceptions.

James Nesta led the defense with four tackles, while multiple defenders contributed tackles for loss as Oklahoma repeatedly forced Arkansas into long-yardage situations. The pressure didn’t always show up as sacks, but it showed up in timing, hesitation, and stalled drives.

Coach Lovie Mahawg saw the night as validation of approach, not spectacle.

“We don’t script fireworks,” Mahawg said. “We script execution. When you execute early, things open up fast.”

On the opening play touchdown, Mahawg didn’t sugarcoat it.

“That’s what happens when everyone does their job,” he said. “It’s not magic. It’s discipline.”

Mahawg was particularly pleased with the way the offense stayed balanced even with a large lead.

“No freelancing,” he said. “No panic throws. No shortcuts. That’s how teams beat themselves late in the year.”

The fourth quarter was academic, but Oklahoma didn’t treat it that way. Russell added two short touchdown runs to put the game completely out of reach, while the defense continued to play with urgency until the final whistle.

By the end of the night, Oklahoma had piled up 478 yards of offense, averaged nearly eight yards per play, and controlled the game’s tempo from start to finish. More importantly, they looked like a team fully aware of who they are — and unwilling to let anyone else dictate terms.

“This group’s learning how to start,” Mahawg said. “And when you start right, finishing gets a whole lot easier.”

Arkansas never recovered from that first snap.

Oklahoma never let them try.