Jovantae Barnes ran for a career-high 203 yards and three touchdowns on 18 carries to help lift Oklahoma to a 59-14 win over Maine on Saturday in Norman, Okla.
The win snapped a three-game losing streak for the Sooners (5-4).
Jackson Arnold threw for 224 yards and two touchdowns, exiting late in the third quarter as the Sooners had the game well in hand.
Oklahoma had 665 yards of total offense, nearly 300 more than they’d had in any game this season, including 381 rushing. It was the Sooners’ biggest offensive output since late in the 2022 season.
Maine (4-5), an FCS program, had just 251 yards, 107 on the ground.
By halftime, the Sooners had gained 402 yards, their highest output in any full game this season.
Much of that was thanks to Barnes, who had carries of 74 and 29 yards in the first half.
Maine struck first, eating up nearly five minutes with a nine-play, 68-yard drive after forcing a punt on the first drive.
Black Bears quarterback Carter Peevy broke off a 40-yard gain, setting up a 3-yard touchdown pass to Cooper Heisey on the next play.
It didn’t take long for Barnes and the Sooners to answer.
Barnes broke off a 74-yard run — the Sooners’ longest rushing play since 2021 — on the next play from scrimmage, setting up his 2-yard touchdown run two plays later.
Oklahoma’s defense clamped down after the Black Bears had success in their opening drive. Maine didn’t have another drive of more than 24 yards until the fourth quarter and punted on seven of its next eight full drives.
The Sooners took the lead early in the second quarter, on Taylor Tatum’s 1-yard score.
OU scored 28 points in the second quarter to blow the game open, including on J.J. Hester’s 90-yard reception from Arnold. Hester finished with four receptions for 112 yards.
Barnes then added an 8-yard touchdown run just before halftime and scored on a 19-yard run early in the third.
The last Oklahoma rusher to gain 200 yards was Eric Gray in 2022.
Peevy finished 13 of 24 for 123 yards and a touchdown for the Black Bears, more than half of that yardage output to Joe Gillette, who finished with three catches for 64 yards.
–Field Level Media
