Game MVP and other superlatives that defined the Sooners' blowout win against UTEP

The Oklahoma Sooners are 1-0, which is all anyone can really ask for to start a college football season.

The No. 10 Sooners absolutely destroyed UTEP 51-0 in their season opener on Friday night at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Next, it's a trip to Ann Arbor for a real test against the No. 16 Michigan Wolverines in a battle of blue bloods.

Immediately after the game, there were some superlatives that needed to be handed out that helped define the Sooners' Week 1 victory before moving on.

Offensive MVP: OL Noah Best

A lineman for Offensive MVP, and a freshman no less! With starting center Jake Maikkula sidelined with an injury and his replacement, Ryan Fodje, also injured, Noah Best stepped up and started at center in his college debut. He became the first freshman center to start an OU season opener since J.R. Conrad in 1992. He was also the first freshman since 2012 to start at center period for the Sooners.

Best held his own in his first college action while making the calls from the line. Center also wasn't the only position he played Friday night, as he lined up at three different spots between center, left guard and right guard.

Whether he starts or not when Maikkula and Fodje return, Best proved in just one game that he's one of the most valuable players the Sooners have on offense thanks to his versatility. His Week 1 contribution shouldn't go overlooked.

Defensive MVP: S Peyton Bowen

Safety Peyton Bowen was Second-Team All-SEC last year, but if the rest of the season goes the way Game 1 did, he'll be on the first team in 2026. He posted four total tackles, a tackle for loss, a pass breakup and forced a fumble, all from the back of the secondary. He punched the ball right out of the hands of UTEP running back Tavorus Jones before defensive end Taylor Wein fell on it.

Play of the Game: Isaiah Sategna's 88-yard punt return TD

Noah Best deserves his flowers, and will rarely get them playing on the offensive line, but wide receiver Isaiah Sategna III also could have easily been MVP of this game. He caught four passes for a team-high 76 receiving yards with a 34-yard touchdown. But his best play, and the play of the game, came on special teams, when he returned a punt for an 88-yard score. He was too fast and that made it too easy.

Sategna was outstanding as a punt returner last season for OU, but that was his first return TD as a Sooner.

Newcomer of the Game: RB Lloyd Avant

We learned Friday night that running back Lloyd Avant is LEGIT. Not much was expected from Avant when he transferred from Colorado State this past offseason, but then he impressed new running backs coach Deland McCullough enough for him to make Avant RB1. We just saw why.

Avant led the backfield with 79 rushing yards while averaging 5.3 yards on 15 attempts. He also powered into the end zone on a one-yard run for the Sooners' first points of 2026. The stats also don't justify Avant's performance. Yes, it was UTEP, but there were times he carried entire piles to get more yardage.

Expect Avant to lead the Sooners' backfield beyond Week 1.

Surprise of the Game: Danny Saili sighting

Defensive tackle Danny Saili actually played Friday night. He wasn't even on OU's online roster 24 hours before kickoff.

Saili was a 5-in-5 player the Sooners added from Arkansas just last month, then he was deemed ineligible but kept practicing with OU before a judge granted him a TRO on Wednesday to make him eligible, at least for now. The Sooners added him and former Boise State defensive tackle Braxton Fely to their roster overnight, just before everything had to be finalized.

All that chaos, and Saili still unexpectedly played in the opener. We never imagined we'd see either of those two that soon.

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