OSU football notebook: Out of gas?

BY JIMMIE TRAMEL & KELLY HINES World Sports Writer
Sunday, November 25, 2012
11/25/12 at 6:24 AM

Oklahoma won time of possession by a significant margin and won Bedlam by a tiny margin. The Sooners had the ball for 36:13. The Cowboys had the ball for 23:47.

That raises this question. Was OSU's defense gassed at game's end? The Cowboys gave up a 17-play, 86-yard touchdown drive that forced overtime late in the fourth quarter.

"We did a great job of rolling players the entire game," OSU defensive coordinator Bill Young said. "We just didn't execute. We did take a timeout just to regroup and try to get everybody on the same page, but I don't think fatigue was a factor."

Because of a quick three-and-out possession, OSU had the ball for only 49 seconds in the final 10:37 of regulation.

Impact transfers: OU receivers Justin Brown and Jalen Saunders transferred in from Penn State and Fresno State, respectively. They combined for 25 catches, 308 receiving yards and a punt return for a score in their Bedlam debuts.

"The new guys they have that came in and transferred in certainly made a big difference in their offense," OSU coach Mike Gundy said. "Those guys are good players and hard to cover."

Dual threat: Junior quarterback Clint Chelf entered his first road start with 19 career carries for 53 yards. He rushed 12 times for 63 yards, including a 38-yard run that set up OSU's first touchdown.

"We had some designed runs for him," Gundy said. "He has run the ball pretty well for us this season and he gives us a numbers advantage and we want to take advantage of some runs whenever we get (defenses spread out)."

Fast strike: For the 38th straight game, OSU had a scoring drive that took less than two minutes. For the ninth time in 11 games, the team had at least one scoring drive that took less than a minute.

Moving on up: Joseph Randle's four rushing touchdowns moved him into ninth place on the school's all-time single-season list. He also passed Kendall Hunter for fourth place on the career rushing touchdown list.

Defensive stand: For the fifth straight game, OSU's defense held its opponent off the scoreboard on its first possession of the game.

Oh-so-close: If OSU had managed to hold onto a fourth-quarter lead, the Cowboys would have won back-to-back Bedlam games for only the sixth time in series history.

"Ultimately, there are no second-places," Gundy said, repeating that he was proud of his team for competing and preparing well.

He said the Cowboys juggled Thanksgiving and Bedlam preparation perhaps better than any team he has ever coached.

"We just came up short," he said. "We've got to find a way to finish that game."

First Bedlam overtime: Bedlam has ended in ties seven times (the last time in 1992), but Saturday's game marked the first time the Cowboys and Sooners needed an extra period to determine a Bedlam victory.

Webb starts: Freshman receiver Blake Webb earned his first career start, becoming the 19th player to make his first start this season.

Celeb sightings: Among those on the OSU sideline were former Cowboy golfer Scott Verplank and Stillwater native Matt Holliday, an outfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Uniform watch: The Cowboys wore white OSU-logo helmets, white jerseys and white pants, the same combination worn last year at Missouri.

Associated Images:

OSU's Joseph Randle pulls away from an OU defender on Saturday in Norman. Randle rushed for 113 yards and four touchdowns. STEPHEN PINGRY/Tulsa World