OU report card
BY GUERIN EMIG World Sports Writer
Sunday, November 25, 2012
11/25/12 at 6:15 AM
For complete Bedlam coverage.Original Print Headline: Oklahoma Report Card
OFFENSE
A-: When you churn out a program record 44 first downs, second-most in NCAA history, you've had a great day of offense. Same for when your quarterback throws for 500 yards and three of your wide receivers post triple-digit yardage totals, another program first. OU had all of this, and a running game that produced the game-tying and -winning touchdowns. The downgrade is due to turnovers. Landry Jones' first-quarter interception and Trey Millard's third-quarter fumble both led to Oklahoma State touchdowns. Lyndell Johnson returned his pick of Jones to the OU 9. And while OSU had to drive 86 yards after Millard's fumble, the bobble came just when it appeared OU was ready to take its first lead, on first down at the Cowboys' 13.
DEFENSE
B: OSU's record for Bedlam scoring used to be the 47 they put up in 1945. Not anymore. The Cowboys lit up the Owen Field scoreboard, and the OU defense for 490 yards. What rescued Mike Stoops' bunch was its resilience. OSU had the ball four times in the fourth quarter, and punted it away three times. The Cowboys opened overtime with the ball, picked up one first down, then settled for a 26-yard field goal. That gave OU a shot at both its first lead of the game, and the win. It has gotten to the point that the Sooners will take whatever victories they can get in the Big 12 Conference, statistics be damned. Just as long as they get enough stops at enough key moments.
SPECIAL TEAMS
A: The Sooners trailed 38-30 maybe 10 seconds into the fourth quarter, when Jalen Saunders caught Quinn Sharp's punt on his own 19. He made a couple Cowboys miss, got a couple blocks, and outran his pursuit down OU's sideline for what has to be the biggest kick return of any kind of the Stoops era. The 81-yard touchdown pulled the Sooners within 38-36. Jones followed with a two-point pass to Justin Brown to tie the score. Not bad for a player who didn't have a single return yard all season coming into Saturday.
Associated Images:
Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops hugs Landry Jones after the Sooners' overtime win over Oklahoma State. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
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