SEASON OPENER

Mayfield, Sooners ready for

Alittle less than a month ago, Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield tweeted strong support for his receivers, even if the group remains unproven overall.

“Y’all are going to have to show some respect for my receivers. People saying I don’t have help, say what you want about me. Not my guys,” Mayfield posted.

“But the great thing about that is,” Mayfield continued. “We’re just going to show the world in less than a month.”

That opportunity comes Saturday when Mayfield, his receivers and the rest of the Sooners open their season at home against UTEP (2:30 p.m., FOX).

“It’s been a long offseason so we’re ready to get back out there and see what this team is made of,” Mayfield said.

Perhaps no OU player’s offseason has felt as long as Mayfield’s.

In December, he finished third in Heisman Trophy voting.

In February, he was arrested in Arkansas, resulting in charges of public intoxication, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. He eventually pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor chargers.

Then this summer, Bob Stoops — the coach he grew up watching as a young Sooners fan — retired unexpectedly and his offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Lincoln Riley, was elevated to head coach.

While Riley said Mayfield’s arrest was concerning, the way the quarterback has reacted since then — both in his direct response to the incident and the way he’s handled himself both on and off the field — has been ideal.

“In some ways,” Riley said when asked if Mayfield’s arrest was a setback when it comes to his role as a leader. “The initial aftermath of it is. When you deal with something like that on such a public level, for anybody that hasn’t been in that position it’s hard to describe.

“But in the end, will it be a positive thing for him? I think it will be. I think sometimes things like that can give you some perspective and get you reeled back in.”

After setting a Football Bowl Subdivision record for passing efficiency rating a year ago, Mayfield is hoping for an even more special final season as OU’s quarterback.

“It’s just maybe a little bit more emphasis that everything is my last round,” Mayfield said. “It’s kind of appreciating everything, all the little things every day.

“It means a little bit more so I’m just taking it all in right now.”