John Mateer threw for 318 yards and two touchdowns, overcoming three interceptions to help No. 8 Oklahoma to a 17-13 win over LSU on Saturday in Norman, Oklahoma.
The win, their fourth consecutive, likely puts the Sooners into the College Football Playoff for the first time since 2019.
It wasn’t over, though, until Peyton Bowen batted down Michael Van Buren’s fourth-down pass from deep in Oklahoma territory with just more than a minute remaining.
The Sooners’ offense struggled overall, but found just enough late to avoid the upset.
Mateer hit Isaiah Sategna III for a 58-yard touchdown with just more than four minutes remaining, and then Oklahoma (10-2, 6-2 SEC) held on in the closing minutes to escape.
LSU (7-5, 3-5) got a long kick return to get near midfield after Sategna’s touchdown but they couldn’t find the end zone, as Gracen Halton broke through the line on fourth-and-2 from the Oklahoma 29, forcing Van Buren to get rid of the ball quickly and setting up Bowen’s clinching pass breakup.
Sategna finished with nine catches for 121 yards and a touchdown.
Mateer’s passing total was his second-highest of the season and highest since the season opener.
Oklahoma outgained the Tigers 393-198, holding LSU to just 113 yards passing and 85 yards on the ground.
It was LSU’s lowest offensive output since 2018.
Oklahoma’s defense looked like it had come up with a major stop, pushing the Tigers out of field-goal range with a 17-yard loss on a fumbled lateral.
But Van Buren hit Zavion Thomas for an 18-yard gain on third down to put LSU back in field-goal territory and Damian Ramos hit a 43-yard field goal to put the Tigers on top 13-10 with just less than eight minutes remaining.
The Tigers took advantage of a short field in the third quarter after A.J. Haulcy’s 42-yard interception return gave LSU the ball at the Oklahoma 33.
Van Buren’s 23-yard run on third down set up his 1-yard touchdown pass to Thomas a play later to put the Tigers up 10-3.
The Sooners tied it late in the quarter, on John Mateer’s 45-yard touchdown pass to Deion Burks.
LSU made the first big defensive play, with Harold Perkins Jr. intercepting Mateer’s pass on third down and returning it 44 yards to the Oklahoma 4 just three minutes into the game.
But the Sooners immediately answered, with Bowen intercepting Van Buren on the next play to give Oklahoma the ball back.
Much of the Sooners’ first-half offense came two drives later, when they converted twice on third downs before getting a 38-yard field goal by Tate Sandell.
After Oklahoma turned the ball over on downs near midfield late in the first, LSU was able to get a 25-yard field goal from Ramos to tie the game.
