Oklahoma jumped up two spots to No. 3 in the Top 25 polls after a spectacular start for redshirt freshman Spencer Rattler in an easy 48-0 win over Missouri State.

It was particularly impressive because OU was short on players due to injuries (10), suspensions (running back Rhamondre Stevenson and wide receiver Trejan Bridges) and quarantines (perhaps 15) due to the Chinese coronavirus pandemic.

Several starters, including running back T.J. Pledger, left tackle Anton Harrison, receiver Obi Obialo, H-back Braydon Willis and placekicker Gabe Brkic, were not available f but it didn’t seem to matter against the overmatched Bears.

“It’s part of it,” OU coach Lincoln Riley said of the players missing due to the virus. “We’re lucky in that a lot of those guys, especially in the starting group, have played a lot of ball. We had to move some guys around to make tonight work, and those guys, with their experience in the system and game experience, were able to do that.

“It’s either one of two things — you either see it as a hindrance and you say ‘poor me’ and you’re mad you’re in the situation and frustrated, or you look at it as an opportunity. An opportunity to see some new players that maybe you wouldn’t have seen, an opportunity as coaches to test yourselves and be able to adjust when things come up.”

The attendance for Saturday’s game 22,700 and OU officials claimed it was a “sellout.” The Big 12 is restricting attendance to 25%. It was the smallest crowd for an OU home game since Nov. 10, 1945, when 11,000 fans saw a 14-7 win over Iowa State.

Rattler, an understudy to Jalen Hurts as a true freshman last season, became the first Oklahoma freshman quarterback to throw four touchdown passes in his first career start. He set OU freshman records for passing efficiency rating (303.3), yards per completion (23.71) and yards per attempt (17.06). His passing efficiency rating is also a Big 12 record for a freshman, and the third-highest passer rating overall in Oklahoma history.

Rattler completed 14 of 17 for 290 yards and four passing TDs and that was just in the first half. He didn’t play in the second half.

“I feel like I’ve earned a lot of trust from my guys on the team,” he said. “Being the quarterback, you have to have that assertive leadership and bring certain qualities to you, and I feel like I’m still working on that, but doing a pretty good job with it.”

MSU coach Bobby Petrino, who coached Heisman winner Lamar Jackson at Louisville, was impressed with Rattler.

“I think his presence in the pocket, being able to find the open receiver — he’s got a great quick release and can make all the different throws,” Petrino said. “He can make all the different throws. When you watched him in warmups, the way he could snap his wrist and spin the ball and his balance. He’s been very well-coached and he’s very good.”

Six players – Rattler, running back Marcus Major, tight end/H-back Austin Stogner, wide receiver Theo Wease, defensive end Isaiah Thomas and linebacker Brian Asamoah – started for the first time. OU had 22 players play for the first time against MSU.

In the second half, OU quarterback Tanner Mordecai replaced Rattler and completed 14 of 17 passes for 157 yards, one touchdown and one interception. True freshman Chandler Morris later relieved Mordecai and hit both of his pass attempts for 37 yards.

Running back Seth McGowan scored two touchdowns and wide receiver Marvin Mims had one touchdown.

McGowan scored on a one-yard run and a 37-yard reception. He led the team with 61 rushing yards on nine carries. Mims had a 58-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter. He also returned punts.

Charleston Rambo had four catches for 80 yards and two touchdowns, including a 53-yard touchdown catch from Rattler. Oklahoma gained 608 total yards, including 484 passing.

The Sooners held Missouri State to 135 yards and seven first downs in their first shutout since 2015.

“We were dominant defensively for the entire game,” Riley said. “That shutout was really important to us. So being able to get that, you don’t see those often in college football anymore, so that was definitely special for ‘speed D.’ And I think we had a lot of good things tonight, certainly more good than bad. There’s a lot of young guys that stepped up and made big plays for the first time out, so that was good to see.”

Bear quarterback Jaden Johnson hit only 9 of 19 passes for 72 yards and one interception.

“I thought he got off to a rocky start,” Petrino said. “I thought he needed to settle down and get some completions and start moving the ball. I thought there were a few drives we were able to put together where we were able to get that and get it going and then we hurt ourselves again. I thought he competed extremely hard and he got better as the game went along.”

OU will host Kansas State (0-1) at 11 a.m. on September 26. The Wildcats were upset by Arkansas State, 31-35, in Manhattan Saturday. 

Two players who transferred from Alabama – quarterback Layne Hatcher and tight end Giles Amos – help ASU pull the upset. Hatcher hit 6 of 8 pass attempts for 61 yards and two touchdowns while splitting time with quarterback Logan Bonner. Amos had two catches for 17 yards and a touchdown.

The KSU loss was one of three embarrassing defeats for the Big 12 . Coastal Carolina sailed past Kansas 38-23 in Manhattan and Iowa State, previously No. 23, was upset by Louisiana (Lafayette) 31-14 in Ames. Coastal Carolina, Arkansas State and Louisiana are in the Sun Belt Conference.

The good news for the Big 12 included wins by No. 9 Texas, Texas Tech and West Virginia. No. 11 Oklahoma State, No. 24 Baylor and TCU were idle. Baylor was originally scheduled to play Louisiana Tech on September 12 but that game was canceled and replaced with a game with Houston on September 19.

The presidents and chancellors of the Big Ten Conference may take a vote this week on whether to start the fall football season in October. The Big Ten, the Pac-12 and several other conferences had officially postponed their fall schedules in light of the pandemic.