NORMAN — Considering Oklahoma had lost three consecutive games and still face a tough schedule to end the year, the Sooners just needed something to build momentum against Maine.

They got that, finishing Saturday's game with a 59-14 win over Maine.

It wasn't the prettiest game, especially early, when the Black Bears took a 7-0 lead at the 7:59 mark of the first quarter. But the Sooners eventually did as expected against an FCS opponent, scoring 52 unanswered points as the coaching staff emptied the bench in the second half. The Sooners finished with 665 total yards, their most in a game since Texas Tech in 2022, and surpassed their previous season high by nearly 300 yards.

Notably — and it is notable, given how the Sooners' season has gone — it marks the fifth win of the season and one step closer to bowl eligibility.

Here's a look at the main takeaways from the 45-point win:

If the Sooners give out a game ball, and it definitely needs to go to Barnes.

The junior runningback was the clear engine behind the Sooners’ offensive success, and it wasn’t just the impressive stat totals. His runs were both timely and needed, and his first big play came at a potential breaking point. The offense's first drive gained just 12 yards and one first down before being forced to punt, and Maine had put together an eight-play, 69-yard drive to take a 7-0 lead.

The next play? A 74-yard play from Barnes down to the one-yard line. Two plays later, Barnes scored to tie the game at 7-7.

It's almost an afterthought now given how the Sooners eventually took control, but that was a sequence that was desperately needed.

Barnes never slowed down after that. He finished the first half with 158 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries, which also included a 29-yard drive midway through the second quarter. The Sooners utilized him in a variety of ways both inside and outside the pocket as he was the clear focal point.

By the fourth quarter, Barnes' day was done.

He finished his day with 18 carries for 203 yards and three touchdowns, simultaneously becoming the first OU player to rush for 100 yards and 200 yards in a game this season. Barnes hadn't broken the 70-yard mark in a game since the 2022 Cheez-It Bowl.

Given how Barnes has played in recent weeks, it appears the third-year player is on fire. Coming into Saturday, Barnes had rushed for 137 yards on over four yards per carry. That's going to need to continue heading into the final three games of the season.

He's been the most effective offensive player this season, and it's the type of bounce back season OU was hoping for Barnes.

It's no secret that the Sooners have needed something explosive in the passing game. The offense has averaged 9.5 yards per completion, which ranks 131st nationally. Even last week, when the offense looked better, Arnold didn't have a completion of over 20 yards.

So it was a sight for sore eyes when Arnold found JJ Hester for a 90-yard touchdown in the second quarter. It was the Sooners' longest passing play since 2015.

That was particularly needed considering there weren't many other explosive passing plays for the Sooners. Arnold completed just one other pass for 20 yards, and it was a completion for 24 yards to Jacob Jordan. He finished the day with 14.9 yards per completion — 9.6 yards not including the long touchdown to Hester.

But Arnold was otherwise efficient, finishing the day with 224 yards and two touchdowns on 15 of 21 passing. He added nine carries for 45 yards and a touchdown, flashing his versatility in the running game and escaping the pocket. The offensive also gave an opportunity for Michael Hawkins to see some action in the second half, who completed three of five passes for 60 yards.

It was a solid and much-needed day for Arnold, particularly as the offensive line was shorthanded with Jacob Sexton, Jake Taylor and Michael Tarquin missing the game. The wide receiver room also continues to be depleted. But the Sooners still showed a struggle — or a lack of willingness — to complete chunk gains down the field, something they're gonna need to do against Missouri, Alabama and LSU.

The game started similarly to last weekend's trip to Ole Miss.

The Black Bears drove right down the field on their first drive as Oklahoma appeared out of sorts. The Sooners managed to force them to attempt a fourth down, but Kip Lewis was whistled for a delay of game penalty that gave Maine a first down. Maine QB Carter Peevy eventually took a 40-yard run down inside the five-yard line, and the Black Bears scored on the next play to take a 7-0 lead that capped off a 69-yard drive. Peevy was finding easy holes in the passing game, completing six of his first eight passes for 48 yards.

After that, the Sooners tightened up. Maine gained just 49 yards and three first downs on their other five drives to end the first half.

In the second quarter, the Black Bears had just 34 yards and averaged 1.9 yards per play. Through the third quarter, Maine had just 124 total yards of offense and averaged 3.2 yards per play. The Sooners even got their first defensive takeaway since the Texas game, when Robert Spears-Jennings forced and then recovered a fumble to start the second half.

It wasn't statistically the most impressive outing for the Sooners, who forced three sacks, six tackles for loss and one turnover. But after that first drive, it was a solid and mostly-dominant performance against an inferior opponent.

Danny Stutsman led the way with six tackles, a sack and a tackle for loss. Davon Sears and David Stone logged the other two sacks.

The Sooners improve to 5-4 on the season.

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