Rittenhouse Injured in 35-3 Loss to Oklahoma
Written by Jason Zaehler on August 31, 2025
NORMAL, Ill. – Quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse left the game with an apparent shoulder injury in the third quarter after taking a brutal hit and did not return for the rest of what would be a 35-3 defensive routing by the number 18th ranked Oklahoma Sooners. The Redbirds entered the half down 21 and only managed to score a singular 33-yard field goal made by kicker Matt Maldonado late in the third quarter.
The Redbirds run defense had a strong showing and kept the Sooners modest only allowing 103 yards and two touchdowns, one from quarterback John Mateer and freshman running back Tory Blaylock. Standout linebacker Tye Niekamp had ten total tackles and a fumble recovery from a bobbled ball by OU tightened Jaren Kanak, and Shadewl Nkuba stole an interception off of Mateer in the third quarter in a pass that went through the hands of OU wide receiver Deion Burks.
Sooners quarter back John Mateer played exceptional with an 80-passer rating and 392 air yards for 3 touchdowns to his singular interception. Oklahoma’s incredible receiver room kept hammering the Redbird secondary and created constant mismatches that allowed the Sooners to strike a 21-0 lead before half time.
This difficult week one matchup left much to be desired for the Redbirds with a poor first offensive outing. Redbird quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse passed for only 22 yards, rushed for another 27 and left the game early in the third quarter with a shoulder injury after taking a brutal sack. Freshman quarterback Beckham Pellant would enter the game and would only complete four passes on seven attempts for 12 yards. Leading rusher Wenkers Wright ran for just 50 yards, and not a single Redbird had more than ten yards receiving.
The Redbirds fell to the University of Oklahoma 35-3 and start the season 0-1 for the second year in a row. Difficult matchups early in the season will once again hopefully lead the Redbirds to impressive wins down the latter stretch of the season, and the birds can return to the FCS playoffs this year.
Next week the Redbirds will host Morehead State on Saturday. Kickoff from Hancock stadium is set for 6pm. WZND’s broadcast of the game will start at 5:50 p.m. on Saturday.
For all things Redbird Football, stay tuned to wznd.com.
