Sooners' lowest rushing total in over a decade and more notable numbers from the win vs. Auburn

It wasn't pretty, and at times highly controversial, but Oklahoma managed just enough offense to outlast former Sooner Jackson Arnold and upset-minded Auburn 24-17 on Saturday in the SEC opener for both teams.

It was a game muddied in controversy and questionable officiating, and also marked the first time in 15 quarters, spanning the first four games, that Oklahoma had trailed in a game this season. When Auburn scored on a four-yard touchdown run with 7:08 remaining in the fourth quarter to take a 17-16 lead, it was the first time the Sooners had been behind this season.

Eighteen of the 51 total points scored in the game were tallied in the final quarter in a contest that was mostly a defensive battle. The score was knotted at three apiece after the first 15 minutes. The Sooners took a 10-3 lead early in the second quarter on a controversial play that will likely be talked about for some time. The advantage was short-lived, however, as Auburn mounted a 60-yard drive to put a touchdown on the board just before halftime to draw even at 10-10.

The game wasn't five minutes old when the first major controversy occurred. On Oklahoma's first possession of the game, a pass that appeared to be caught by Sooner wide receiver Isaiah Sategna at the Auburn 37-yard line came loose and was scooped up by Auburn cornerback Kayin Lee and returned 63 yards the other way for a touchdown.

After review, however, the play was ruled an incomplete pass, and the touchdown call on the field was overturned. Five plays later, OU's Tate Sandell kicked a 49-yard field goal to put the Sooners in the lead, 3-0.

A second controversial call that went against Auburn came with 10:49 to go in the second quarter. On 2nd-and-22 at the Auburn 24-yard line, OU quarterback John Mateer connected on a pass play with a wide open Sategna, who waltzed into the end zone untouched for a touchdown.

As the controversial play was setting up, Sategna appeared to be leaving the field on the left sideline for a substitution, only he stopped short of the boundary and remained on the field. The Auburn defense believed he had left the field, but before they realized what was happening, the ball was snapped and Sategna was unaccounted for. Easy pitch and catch and an easy score.

After the game, SEC officials issued a statement saying the game officials were in error on the play and that Oklahoma should had been penalized 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct instead of a score.

After Auburn scored the go-ahead touchdown midway through the fourth quarter, Mateer cooly and calmly under pressure led the Sooner offense on a six-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that ended with Mateer taking the ball into the end zone on a nine-yard keeper around the right side. Oklahoma attempted a two-point conversion that would have increased the lead to seven points, but the conversion failed.

Oklahoma's added two final points came on an exclamation point registered by defensive end R Mason Thomas, who sacked former Sooner and now Auburn quarterback Jackson Arnold in the end zone for a safety and OU's record-tying ninth sack of the game.

The win marked the second time in four seasons under Brent Venables that Oklahoma has started the season with four straight wins. The Sooners won their first seven games in 2023, but finished the season with a 3-3 record in their final six games.

Notable numbers that tell the story of OU's win over No. 22 Auburn

0 -- The Sooners had no takeaways against Auburn, the fourth straight game they have failed to get an interception or a fumble recovery. OU is the only team in the FBS without a turnover heading into Week 5.

2 -- R Mason Thomas had two of Oklahoma's record-tying nine sacks in the game in just two quarters of action. Thomas was forced to sit out the opening half after being ejected from the previous game on a targeting penalty. Seven different Sooner players contributed to the sack total.

4 -- The win over Auburn was No. 4 for OU to start the season, as well as the Sooners' fourth in the all-time series with Auburn without a loss.

6 -- The OU defense forced six punts by Auburn. The Sooners have forced 18 punts in the last two games and 33 for the season, an average of 8.3 per game.

14 -- In addition to the record-tying nine sacks, the Oklahoma defense had 14 tackles for loss in the Auburn game.

20 -- Oklahoma entered the game as one of the top four teams in the country in third-down conversion defense. The Sooners held Auburn to 3-of-15 on third-down tries, a 20% success rate.

34 -- Oklahoma was held to just 34 yards rushing against Auburn. That was the fewest rushing yards by a Sooner offense since gaining 15 yards on the ground against Notre Dame in 2012.

54.4 -- Punting average by OU's Grayson Miller in six punts against Auburn with a long of 66 and three of 50 yards plus.

67 -- The Sooners weren't the only ones that struggled running the ball on Saturday. Auburn was able to register just 67 yards on the ground, the second straight game OU has held its opponent under 70 yards rushing. Auburn running back Jeremiah Cobb went over 100 rushing yards in two of Auburn's first three games, but gained just 61 against the Oklahoma defense.

85 -- Oklahoma has won its last 85 games when holding the opponent to fewer than 21 points.

270 -- OU has thrown the football for at least 270 yards in all four games this season. What's significant about that is that the Sooners did that just twice last season. The Sooners had 271 passing yards against Auburn.

83, 639 -- Announced attendance at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, the 162nd consecutive sellout since the beginning of the 1999 season.

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