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NORMAN — Doug Deakin was on Isaiah Sategna's case throughout fall practices. Sategna, an All-SEC receiver last season for Oklahoma, was one of the nation's top punt return specialists during his first season in Norman. He averaged 13.25 yards per return, which was 10th in the FBS and third in the SEC, and while he didn't have a touchdown on special teams, it just felt like at some point he was going to take one all the way. That continued during the preseason for Oklahoma, when Sategna was back in the leading role on punt returns. He flashed his electric return capabilities throughout August, but there were a couple instances when Oklahoma's punters stood between him and finally breaking through for a score. "We've given Isaiah a hard time in the preseason for getting tackled by the punter," said Deakin, Oklahoma's special teams coordinator. Yet when the lights came on and Sategna got his first crack at returning a punt this season, the 5-foot-10, 185-pounder didn't let anyone get in between him and the end zone — and his teammates on the punt return unit made sure of it. After Oklahoma's defense forced a three-and-out on UTEP's opening possession Friday night, Sategna housed a punt return for an 88-yard touchdown to give the Sooners an early two-score lead on their way to a 51-0 season-opening win. It was the first punt return touchdown for Oklahoma since Gavin Freeman had one in the 2023 opener, and it was Sategna's first punt return for a score since Sept. 16, 2023, against BYU during his redshirt freshman season at Arkansas. "Last year I had a lot of opportunities that I thought I had missed," Sategna said. "Even with some 35-, 40-yard returns that could have went to the crib. I was really happy to finally get another to the crib." Indeed, Sategna had three returns of 35-plus yards last season, including a pair that went for more than 40 yards (one against Kent State and another in the regular-season matchup with Alabama). The closest he got to taking one all the way was in that mid-November trip to Alabama, when he took the game's first punt 42 yards to the Tide's 30-yard line before being brought down by a pair of Alabama players. Against UTEP, though, there was no stopping Sategna. (Photo: SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images, USA TODAY Sports)   "If I back up, I always think it's going to be a big play, big return," said Sategna, who noted he backed up 5 yards deeper than he normally would to field his first punt of the season. "I'm backing up, backing up, ready. Ready to go catch it and scan the field. I saw my guys… they're all blocking. They had some really good blocks. I just had to weave and go make the play." He fielded the Miners' first punt of the game at his own 12-yard line, stutter-stepped toward the left sideline and then veered to his right. He picked up a block from fellow receiver Elijah Thomas near the 30-yard line, and as he approached midfield, he got the most crucial block of all from safety Omarion Robinson, who leveled UTEP punter Brady Braun and cleared the way. Sategna raced down the sideline accompanied by an envoy of Oklahoma teammates, receiving one last block from wideout Ivan Carreon, who shielded off linebacker Garrett Hawkins' last-ditch effort to catch Sategna near the 15-yard line. "That's on the other 10 guys to make sure any opposite-colored jersey to get on the opposite-colored jersey," Deakin said. "Therefore all 10 guys really strained, and obviously, you see Isaiah's God-given talent there in the open field. A lot of fun to see it come to fruition. The strain. A couple extra blocks." Sategna was especially appreciative of the devastating block by Robinson, who he found on the sideline after the touchdown and thanked for creating that path down the sideline. It was a collective effort, though, from a return unit that included Robinson, cornerback Jacobe Johnson, safety Peyton Bowen and littered with offensive skill players (wide receivers Thomas, Carreon, Mackenzie Alleyne, Parker Livingstone and Manny Choice, as well as tight end Rocky Beers). "We talk about him being a real weapon for us and guys taking great pride fighting for him and executing for him, straining for him," Oklahoma coach Brent Venables said. "I think there was eight offensive players that were on that unit…. It was the first time most of those guys have started a game on the punt-return unit. For our team to be what we need to be, we need to have more guys on both offense and defense really contributing heavily in our special teams. With a tighter roster, we need to get more out of more guys. Tonight was a good start to that." The 88-yard punt return touchdown in the first quarter matched the longest return of Sategna's career. Oddly enough, his touchdown in 2023 against BYU was also an 88-yarder. The one Friday night was also the seventh-longest punt return in Oklahoma history, the longest since Jalen Saunders' 92-yarder against Iowa State in 2013 and the longest by an OU player in a season opener since Antonio Perkins' 92-yarder against Tulsa in 2002. It was also only the beginning of Sategna's night. He nearly housed another punt in the third quarter, returning it 27 yards down to the UTEP 36-yard line and ultimately leading to a Liam Evans field goal. Six minutes earlier, he hauled in a 34-yard touchdown pass from John Mateer before finishing with a team-leading four receptions for 76 yards and a career-high 215 all-purpose yards (76 receiving, 115 on punt returns and another 24 kickoff return yards). "Shoot, Zay's gonna be Zay," offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle said. "He's a great ball player. I think he did some incredible things today." Sategna's 115 punt return yards were the 12th most in a game in school history and the most since 2009, when Ryan Broyles had 209 yards on eight returns. Sategna was the first OU player with 100-plus punt return yards in a game since 2012, when Justin Brown had 108 against Kansas. And with just a handful of games remaining in the opening weekend of the season, Sategna leads all FBS players in punt return averaged (57.5) and is second in total return yards behind Minnesota's Javon Tracy (167 yards and two touchdowns on four attempts). "(He's) super explosive," Mateer said. "Just put the ball in his hands, and he's going to go. He's a year better, and he was plenty good enough last year."