NORMAN — It's only one game, but the new pairing between Isaiah Sategna and Trell Harris looked just how Oklahoma envisioned it during the offseason.
The two combined for six catches, 137 yards and two receiving touchdowns — with Sategna scoring from 34 yards and Harris from 48. They were explosive and dangerous with the ball in their hands and provided John Mateer with threats anywhere on the field they ran.
"That's just what they do," Mateer said after the game. "The safeties were playing really low and just beat them over the top. Super explosive. Just put the ball in (Sategna's) hands and he's going to go."
Both Sategna and Harris have been consistent in acknowledging the other's importance. The pair were sold as a better fit than the Deion Burks-Sategna combination from a year ago — mostly due to Burks playing out of his natural position, while Harris is a do-it-all pass catcher.
One game down, it's easy to see why Oklahoma thought as much.
"I told the media that (Harris) was that," Sategna said. "He’s a ballplayer. He’s polished, a playmaker. He’s going to be a dude, y’all going to see."
"I think (Sategna's) just a playmaker," Harris said. "We all feed off each other, so whenever we’re making plays, the whole offense goes. Not only that, just the receiver room. We’re all rooting for each other, so whenever a receiver makes a play, it continues to make the offense go. We all take pride in that.”
Harris has a good point — it's the whole receiver room. Mateer shared the wealth between six different receivers in the 51-0 rout. Sategna is already a proven playmaker in Norman, but if Harris can emerge as the most reliable complement, Oklahoma’s entire group of pass catchers will benefit.
"Yeah, (sharing the wealth is) pretty important for any game," Mateer said. "You don't want to be too selective, spread the ball out and they've got to defend anything. But we've got a lot of guys that can go make plays so it's my job to find an open one."
Ben Arbuckle was also pleased with the variety of ways his offense showed it can do damage.
“I think whatever role you put Isaiah in, he's going to be comfortable with it. But I absolutely think it helps," Arbuckle said. "It makes you not necessarily one-dimensional or that's our one go-to guy. Makes them have to respect everybody on the field.
"But Zay and those other receivers and the way that they all played, I was really proud of them,” Arbuckle added.
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