5 reasons Oklahoma will beat New Mexico on Saturday

5 reasons Oklahoma will beat New Mexico on Saturday

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

5 reasons Oklahoma will beat New Mexico on Saturday

The Oklahoma Sooners are coming off their first loss of the 2026 college football season, falling 17-10 to the Michigan Wolverines. Now, the Sooners welcome a pesky New Mexico Lobos team that brings one of the nation's top defenses to Norman.

Here are the five reasons why the Sooners will knock off New Mexico on Saturday:

Run game bounces back

Oklahoma's John Mateer (10) hands the ball off to Lloyd Avant (9) in the second half of the college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners and the UTEP Miners at the Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Sept. 4, 2026.

Much has been made about Oklahoma's rushing attack this season. The Sooners have struggled to consistently run the ball in the first two games, averaging just 135 yards on the ground. To beat New Mexico, Oklahoma will need a strong ground game, as the Lobos allow just 68.5 yards per game on the ground.

Efficient John Mateer

Sep 4, 2026; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer (10) throws a pass during the first quarter against the Texas El Paso Miners at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The Sooners' gun slinger needs a bounce-back game after an inconsistent performance against Michigan. Mateer completed just 51.5 passes for 189 yards, one touchdown and one interception. His efficiency rating dropped to 103.6 after he posted the most efficient game of his Oklahoma career against the University of Texas at El Paso Miners with 234.1. Mateer needs to return to his Week 1 performance against a defense that ranks No. 2 in passing yards allowed at just 83.5 yards per game.

Offensive line cohesion

Sep 4, 2026; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners running back Lloyd Avant (9) rushes during the second quarter against the Texas El Paso Miners at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

This one ties in with the first two points. New Mexico has one of the more underrated defensive lines in college football. The Lobos have 17 tackles for loss and eight sacks this season, led by defensive end Brett Karhu's three sacks. On top of that, they run a lot of stunts and twists to confuse the offensive line and make up for their size disadvantage. The Sooners' offensive line needs to be on their A game in communication.

Defensive dominance

Oklahoma's Owen Heinecke (38) tackles UTEP's EJ Colson Jr. (1) in first half of the college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners and the UTEP Miners at the Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Sept. 4, 2026.

Oklahoma's defense has been solid to start the 2026 college football season, ranking No. 20 in the country. However, it hasn't been the dominant unit we expected through two games. Now, they meet a Lobos team that averages 412 total yards per game and 54 points per game. Brent Venables' unit needs a strong showing to take some pressure off Oklahoma's offense.

Defensive line controls the line of scrimmage

Sep 12, 2026; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Oklahoma Sooners defensive line Jayden Jackson (65) tackles Michigan Wolverines quarterback Bryce Underwood (19) during the fourth quarter at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

This is key every game, but even more so in this one. New Mexico averages 246 yards per game on the ground, ranking No. 21 in the country. New Mexico's offensive line has allowed four sacks and six tackles for loss this season. This would be the perfect game for Oklahoma's defensive line to re-establish its dominance.

Oklahoma has plenty to clean up after the Michigan loss, but Saturday presents the right opportunity to do it. The Sooners have advantages in talent and depth, and they should be able to turn those advantages into a win if they execute the five things above.

A resurgent rushing attack, an efficient Mateer, better offensive-line communication and a defense that controls both sides of the line of scrimmage should be enough for Oklahoma to take control of this game and knock off New Mexico. The expectation isn't simply that the Sooners will improve Saturday; it's that these five factors will allow Oklahoma to get back in the win column before the schedule takes another major step forward.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X (formerly known as Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions.You can also follow Jaron on X @jaronspor.

This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: 5 reasons Oklahoma will beat New Mexico on Saturday

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos