This is the Depth Dossier: the Oklahoma Sooners, Week 8.

Oklahoma bounced back from last week's turnover-plagued loss to Kentucky with a 23 to 15 road win over Mississippi State, and the story here is a defense that made the Bulldogs' offense nearly unplayable on third down, plus a brutal kicking day from a guy who's usually automatic.

Quarterback John Mateer was sharp, completing 22 of 29 passes for 283 yards and two touchdowns. The running game finally showed up too, piling up 184 yards after averaging under 100 a game coming in. The game swung late in the first half. Oklahoma was clinging to a 3-0 lead when linebacker Owen Heinecke stripped the ball at the goal line, and Oklahoma recovered at its own four. Instead of just escaping trouble, the offense answered with a 14-play, 96-yard touchdown drive, capped by a 36-yard touchdown catch from wide receiver Isaiah Sategna. That turned a nervy three-point game into a comfortable ten-point cushion. Mateer added a touchdown to tight end Rocky Beers in the third quarter, and then the defense took over, holding Mississippi State to just one conversion on eleven third-down tries. Mateer sealed it himself, converting two fourth-quarter third downs to run out the clock.

Now, the box score says Oklahoma won by eight, but it really should have been a blowout. Kicker Tate Sandell, who's the reigning Groza Award winner as the nation's top kicker, missed three field goals, from 45, 41 and 45 yards. That's nine points left on the field in a game Oklahoma controlled from start to finish. Worth watching whether that's a one-week hiccup or a real issue.

The third-down numbers really tell you how lopsided this game actually was. Oklahoma converted seven of sixteen third downs, Mississippi State managed just one of eleven. Combined with fourth downs, the Bulldogs were three of sixteen. That's not a competitive football game on passing downs. That's a defense dictating terms every single snap.

A few other things stood out. Sategna finished with eight catches for 164 yards, including chunk plays of 54, 48 and 47 yards. He was the big-play engine all afternoon. Running back Tory Blaylock broke off a 47-yard run to open the second half, Oklahoma's longest rush of the season. And safety Peyton Bowen picked off a pass in the end zone to kill a Mississippi State scoring chance, then added back-to-back stops on third and fourth down for a turnover on downs.

Shifting to the depth chart, the injury to watch is center Jake Maikkula, who left in the third quarter with a lower-body injury and didn't return. Noah Best stepped in and looks like the presumptive starter if Maikkula needs time, which would be the second offensive line shuffle in as many weeks. On the plus side, left tackle Michael Fasusi returned to the starting lineup after missing time.

At running back, Blaylock ran for 71 yards and Lloyd Avant added 55 with Xavier Robinson sidelined, and Blaylock's big-play ability on early downs looks like it's earning him the edge in that timeshare. Tight end Rocky Beers continues to be a problem for defenses in multiple ways, scoring a touchdown and converting that clock-killing third down, though he did fumble trying to hurdle a defender, something to keep an eye on.

On defense, Heinecke's sack and forced fumble locks him in alongside Kip Lewis at inside linebacker while Taylor Heim remains out. In the secondary, Peyton Bowen and Reggie Powers the third are set at safety, and Trystan Haynes holds down the boundary corner spot with Eli Bowen still out.

And then there's special teams. Sandell isn't losing his job after one bad day, but a three-for-six showing from a kicker of his caliber is the kind of outlier worth watching heading into next Saturday's home game against South Carolina.

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