Oklahoma receiver Deion Burks scored a second-quarter touchdown in Saturday’s 35-3 win against Illinois State. (Photo by SoonerSports.com)
By Dan Verdun
While quarterback John Mateer sizzled in his Oklahoma debut, Illinois State survived a scare with its signal caller.
The Redbirds (0-1) saw senior quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse leave during the third quarter with a right arm injury in a 35-3 loss to the 18th-ranked Sooners (1-0).
TV replays showed Rittenhouse landing heavily on his throwing elbow as he was hit by Oklahoma defensive lineman Taylor Wein.
However, Illinois State head coach Brock Spack was optimistic after the game.
“I don’t think we have any major injuries. I think there will be a couple of guys sore tomorrow, but I think we’ll be all set to go for the rest of the year,” Spack said. “I think the injuries that we have are minor, and that they’ll be fine.”
An ISU spokesperson said late Saturday that Rittenhouse could have come back into the game but was withheld as a precautionary measure and was only dealing with soreness.
Rittenhouse completed 6 of 13 passes for 22 yards prior to leaving the game. Redshirt freshman Beckham Pellant replaced Rittenhouse and was 4-for-7 passing for 12 yards for Illinois State, which was ranked No. 6 in preseason FCS polls.
Oklahoma rolled up 495 yards of offense against an Illinois State team mixing in seven new defensive starters. Mateer passed for 392 yards and three touchdowns. The Washington State transfer also rushed for a TD.
“We lost that game in the passing game on both sides of the ball,” Spack said.
Former Southern Illinois receiver Keontez Lewis caught two of Mateer’s scoring passes. Lewis had nine receptions for 119 yards.
“There’s going to be a lot of things to correct from the first game, but if we correct those things we have a chance to be really good on defense,” ISU linebacker Tye Niekamp said.
Game changers
11:50, 2nd quarter: Mateer threw the first of his three touchdown passes. This one gave Oklahoma a 14-0 lead.
13:30, 3rd quarter: Rittenhouse sustained a game-ending injury after landing on his right arm.
14:52, 4th quarter: Mateer connected with Lewis for a 28-yard touchdown, upping the Oklahoma lead to 28-3. The pair later hooked up for a 20-yard TD.
Best ‘Birds
Prairie State Pigskin chooses the top three Illinois State players in the game:
Wenkers Wright, RB: The senior led ISU with 50 rushing yards on seven carries.
Tye Niekamp, LB: The junior registered a team-high 10 tackles, two of which were solo. He also recorded half a tackle for loss.
Shadwel Nkuba II, CB: The Louisiana transfer was credited with six tackles, five of which were solo. He grabbed an interception and recorded half a tackle for loss.
What it means
Illinois State begins its season with a loss at an FBS opponent for the second straight year. The Redbirds lost, 40-0, to Iowa last fall.
What’s next
Illinois State returns to Hancock Stadium in Normal for its Sept. 6 home opener against Morehead State. The Eagles defeated the D-II Allen Yellow Jackets, 38-31, Saturday.
Dan Verdun is a co-founder of Prairie State Pigskin. He has written four books: NIU Huskies Football, EIU Panthers Football, ISU Redbirds Football and SIU Salukis Football.
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