3 takeaways after the Sooners beat the Bulldogs

The Oklahoma Sooners defeated the Mississippi State Bulldogs in Starkville on Saturday, winning 23-15 despite a sloppy performance. OU is now 4-3 overall and 2-2 in SEC play, and Brent Venables got the win over former assistant Jeff Lebby.

OU was aided by MSU star quarterback Kamario Taylor missing the game's final three quarters, but the defense played well against both Taylor and backup Parker Puckett. Short of a double pass trick play touchdown and a late desperation TD and two-point conversion, the Sooners again put a lot of good on film on the defensive side of the ball.

As expected, most of the mistakes came on the offensive side of the ball, but the OU special teams also had a poor day, especially kicker Tate Sandell. Oklahoma got a road win in the SEC, and those are hard to come by, but it's a game that the Sooners should have won by much more.

Oklahoma moves on to the season's final five weeks, getting back above .500 with the victory. Here are three takeaways after OU defeated Mississippi State.

1. Nothing is easy

OU controlled the game, yet still won by only one score. In fact, if Taylor had been out there the whole time, it's not hard to envision the Sooners getting beat this week. Three missed field goals from Sandell took a lot of points off the board, and tight end Rocky Beers fumbled the ball after a long catch on a hurdle attempt. He also dropped a touchdown pass in the end zone. That's more points off the scoreboard for a team that doesn't score much.

Penalties also hurt the Sooners: a chop block wiped out a third-down conversion and forced a missed field goal. An illegal formation penalty took a field goal off the board when Sandell missed the re-kick. Even if he had made it, the Sooners were lined up incorrectly again.

Even against a backup quarterback, those mistakes turn what should've been an easy win into an eight-point victory. That's where OU stands as a program right now; even when they win, they make it look hard.

2. John Mateer did his job

Quarterback John Mateer has drawn a lot of criticism for how he's played this season, and he's earned some of it. However, it's hard to have any problem with the way he played on Saturday. Mateer finished 22-for-29, with 283 yards and two touchdowns through the air. He also added nine carries for 37 yards.

Most importantly, Mateer didn't turn the ball over. When he doesn't give it away, the Sooners have a chance. In fact, he was at his best against the Bulldogs, throwing his first touchdown on a scramble to his left, where he found an open Isaiah Sategna III and made the throw. His other TD came when he audibled into a shot play and threw to Beers over the middle. Mateer's stat line would have read three touchdowns, had Beers not let the ball get knocked out of his hands in the end zone. A play the SEC probably should have reviewed.

Oklahoma also trusted Mateer on key late plays to snuff out the MSU rally, and he made good decisions all day. It hasn't been the season he expected, but Mateer had it going this week.

3. On to the next

Honestly, it's hard to learn anything new from this win. Mississippi State has the worst defense the Sooners have seen this year outside of UTEP, and OU's offense played its best since the season opener, despite making way too many mistakes. The Sandell misses are certainly concerning, but it's hard to see Oklahoma trying another kicker right now. The defense played as it typically does, as expected against a backup QB.

Offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle's early commitment to the run game was a good sign, but he has yet to show he can lean on the run in crunch time. OU will have plenty more opportunities to see if he's learned his lesson over the next few weeks.

This team is what it is, but that was good enough in Week 8. A fourth win sets you up to finish your season strong, as the goal now is to set yourself up for the best bowl game possible at the end of the year and build momentum for next year. South Carolina comes to town on Halloween night, and Oklahoma will again need to find an offensive identity, bounce back on special teams, and rely on that defense to try and get consecutive wins for the first time all year.