Oklahoma is back in the win bracket. The Sooners needed a victory in the worst possible way after losing 4 of their last 5 games and all of the Oct. 3 contest. The calendar has changed and so has the fate of the organizational unit.

The Sooners take a break from SEC play to host FCS team Maine on Saturday. Although things didn’t start out as Oklahoma planned, Brent Venables’ team took control and cruised to a 59-14 victory.

Here are 3 quick takeaways from the comeback win in Norman:

Slow start but dominant Q2 eliminated all concerns

Saturday’s game got off to one of the worst starts imaginable. OU, playing an FCS schedule, received the opening kickoff and punted to Maine after 5 plays covering just 12 yards. The Black Bears responded with a 9-play, 68-yard field goal to take a 7-0 lead and turn heads around the college football world.

As the final score indicates, the opening sequence was just a slow start. However, it remains concerning that Oklahoma’s defense did poorly on an accurate play. The fans rightly started to complain about the score at 7-7 at the end of the first quarter. A 28-point second quarter put any concerns to rest.

Venables is certainly pleased with the adjustments to his defense as Maine was neutralized after the initial scoring drive until the 4th quarter score in blowout action.

Oklahoma offense emerges, big-play talent emerges

There can only be so much use for these types of plays in November, but explosive plays are always welcome, especially considering Oklahoma’s 2024 offense.

Through the first 8 games of the season, Oklahoma did not have a 100-yard rusher. Jovantae Barnes made it clear early on Saturday that that would change. Barnes made his century mark in the first half, thanks in large part to a 74-yard field goal in the 1st quarter.

Jovantae is off to the races @vontaeeb | pic.twitter.com/a7m1mPtPgf

— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) November 2, 2024

Barnes’ run was the longest since 2021. Jackson Arnold and JJ Hester capped Oklahoma’s run. First 90-yard play since 1995.

Jackson Arnold connects with JJ Hester for a 90 yard field goal! This #Soon‘ First 90-yard touchdown pass since 1995.pic.twitter.com/z8fDR9uFEY

— OUInsider (@OUInsider) November 2, 2024

Bowl hopes to move up

If Oklahoma had posted a 59-14 victory over Maine in September, Sooners fans would be excited for the future. Losing to an FCS team in November doesn’t have the same impact, but there are positives to take away from Saturday.

At 4-4 with 3 SEC games remaining, the pass-the-pass game on the schedule was a must-win game. Beyond getting to 5-4, a way to extend college football’s longest-running winning streak, it was supposed to be the right game for a team that was discovering how deep it had to go to hit rock bottom.

Things are about to get a lot tougher for the Sooners as they face No. 3 ranked teams in No. 25 Mizzou, No. 14 Alabama and No. 16 LSU to close out the regular season. Venables may feel better about his roster and chances of going to the bowl after seeing OU dominate Maine in all areas of the box score, posting 665 yards of offense with over 380 rushing yards.