Oklahoma Sooners 44 - West Virginia Mountaineers 24 | Notes & Quotes

Defensively, we also were again really good. The turnovers, the pressure, the sacks and defending the pass was outstanding. The one drive where we had 45 yards in penalties that's the one disappointment of the day. The hands to the face and just some of the foolish penalties we had, we have to correct. We played really aggressive and I thought our guys played physical. We covered well and defended the run well. Really I was pleased with all of it." - Bob Stoops on Oklahoma's defense

"They've made a ton of growth. Baker had one bad decision, but the rest of the game he was really finding the right spots. It is encouraging because in this offense you can't survive with just one receiver or two. It can't be just Sterling and one other guy. You've got to use them all [because] that's the only way you space the field. We've got more guys stepping up and making plays and executing the right way." - Stoops on Baker Mayfield and the receivers

"That's been this group's M.O. We're so far away from where we want to be, but we do seem to make some plays when we need them. Starting off the game, we emphasized what we knew was going to be so important, especially against an established defense like that with all the starters and experience they have. We did a nice job with that... We don't back down in the important times. I can't compliment our guys enough and how much they've trusted and believed in the system." - Lincoln Riley on the offense

"I was just out there having fun, doing my assignment and going hard on every snap. It was a very tough opponent. I'd be lying if I said it wasn't tough. It's always a fight until the end with them." - Eric Striker on his performance

"We had 44 points when we should have had 60. Self-inflicted wounds. Yeah, good win, good team, but we've got to do better." - Baker Mayfield on the performance of the offense

Game Notes

• The Sooners improved to 14-3 under Stoops in Big 12 openers.

• OU is 17-4 all-time at home under Stoops against AP-ranked teams.

• Oklahoma is 6-2 all-time against West Virginia and 4-0 against the Mountaineers since they joined the Big 12.

• OU improved to 14-2 at home under Stoops following a bye week

• The Sooners forced West Virginia to punt on its opening possession, marking the first time this season the Mountaineers failed to score on their opening drive.

• Baker Mayfield's 17-yard touchdown pass to Mark Andrews on the Sooners' second possession of the game marked the first points West Virginia's defense allowed in a first half this season.

• West Virginia had allowed just 23 total points entering today's game. The Sooners scored 24 points in the first half.

• The last time the OU defense forced five turnovers in a game was against in Alabama in the 2014 Sugar Bowl.

• Durron Neal's 87 yards receiving were a career high.

• It took Samaje Perine 326 carries to reach 2,000 yards, making him the fastest player in the Bob Stoops era to reach that mark for a career. DeMarco Murray had been the fastest to 2,000 rushing yards under Stoops (342 carries).

• Sterling Shepard also became the fifth Sooner to record at least 2,500 career receiving yards, joining Ryan Broyles, Mark Clayton, Juaquin Iglesias and Kenny Stills.

• Eric Striker notched a career-high 13 tackles. He also finished with two sacks, extending his own program record for career sacks by a linebacker to 18 (ties him for 11th place for career sacks by a Sooner).