Norman, Okla. ? Oklahoma seems to keep running into Oregon in games like this.

A year ago, the Sooners had dropped out of the polls after a slow start and met the fourth-ranked Ducks in the Holiday Bowl with a chance at proving how much they’d improved.

The teams meet again on Saturday, this time with Oregon’s Autzen Stadium as the proving ground.

“This team has some doubters out there,” Oklahoma quarterback Paul Thompson said Tuesday. “I think this could be one of those games that can step us up and put us up into the forefront more so we’re not an underdog like the season kind of started out.”

The Sooners (2-0) started the season by getting past UAB 24-17, then appeared to find their stride in the second half of a 37-20 victory last week against Washington- a game that was tied at halftime.

The 18th-ranked Ducks (2-0) should provide the No. 15 Sooners with their toughest test yet.

“Our seasons are always built progressing through the year, trying to get better as we go, and that’s what we’re doing this year,” Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said. “It’s no different than any other. We’ve had a lot of big games in nonconference over the years. It’s just like all of them.”

Stoops downplayed the importance of the game, and said any impact on the polls didn’t matter as much as simply getting a win instead of a loss. He said the game could have some benefit “provided you win the rest of the season.”

“It gives you confidence to do it again,” Stoops said.

And the Sooners will need to do it again, if they want to achieve their goals. Their next trip away from home will be an Oct. 7 meeting with defending champion Texas in Dallas. After that, the Big 12 schedule holds road games at Missouri, Texas A&M, Baylor and the Bedlam game at Oklahoma State.

“I think to get this under our belt early will be a great gauge to our players of how mature we are and how tough we are, and can we truly be a really outstanding team?” offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said.

Oklahoma players see the game as a chance to make a mark. After their close win against UAB, the Sooners dropped from 10th to 15th in the AP poll, and there was no change after the win against Washington.

“It’s going to be a statement game. … We’re playing against a high-quality team and we’re going on the road into their stadium,” said wide receiver Malcolm Kelly, who had a career-high 121 receiving yards against Washington. “We’re winning games and dropping in polls. We just have to come out and play and just let everybody know that we’re for real. If we come with our ‘A’ game, we’ll be able to show everybody that.”