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No. 1 knockdown

OU quarterback Sam Bradford lies on the ground after being sacked Saturday in Dallas. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World

 
By JOHN E. HOOVER World Sports Writer
Published: 10/12/2008  2:03 AM
Last Modified: 10/12/2008  2:18 AM




Listen to interviews with OU coach Bob Stoops, Texas coach Mack Brown and OU quarterback Sam Bradford. tulsaworld.com/sportsextra

What’s it like attending OU-Texas in the Cotton Bowl? Watch a video for sights and sounds. tulsaworld.com/videos




Texas defense roars as OU loses first test



DALLAS — Someone finally pushed back.

Oklahoma was given a rigid test for the first time this season — on offense, on defense, on special teams and in coaching — and Texas was always just a bit better.

The Sooners, ranked No. 1 across college football's weekly polls, were impressed.

"They were a lot better than I thought they were," said OU wide receiver Juaquin Iglesias.

That was evident in Texas' 45-35 victory Saturday, the highest-scoring game in the history of the Red River Rivalry. Fifth-ranked Texas (6-0, 2-0 in Big 12 Conference play) could be the new No. 1.

OU (5-1, 1-1) talked about a national championship but now needs help just to defend last year's conference crown.

"Yeah, of course it's disappointing," said OU tight end Jermaine Gresham. "We were ranked No. 1 and lost a game, so we'll fall in the polls. But we can't worry about that right now. It's only Week 6. So hopefully we'll come back and be there in the end."

A Cotton Bowl gathering of 92,182, the largest crowd ever to watch OU play, saw Texas beat a No. 1-ranked OU team for the first time since 1963, the same year the Longhorns won their first national championship.

They also saw Texas coach Mack Brown beat his rival, OU's Bob Stoops, for the third time in four years. Stoops once seemed to have a voodoo hex on Brown, but Texas' coaching staff drew up a game plan to which OU's coaches had few answers.

"We weren't good enough," Stoops said, "and they were."

OU quarterback Sam Bradford passed for 387 yards (28-of-39) and a school-record-tying five touchdowns, but threw incomplete twice on fourth down to end a pair of fourth-quarter possessions. He threw two interceptions, including one in the end zone on the final play.

Manuel Johnson caught six passes for 85 yards and three touchdowns.

Texas QB Colt McCoy went 28-of-35 for 277 yards and threw one TD. His mastery of the OU defense made the difference. Senior receivers Jordan Shipley (11 catches, 112 yards) and Quan Cosby (nine catches, 122 yards) repeatedly tortured the Sooners.

"It's a blessing for me to have those guys out there," McCoy said.

Texas offensive coordinator Greg Davis recalled McCoy's success against the middle of the Sooner defense last season, when tight end Jermichael Finley caught four passes for 149 yards, including grabs of 55 and 58 yards.

But with Finley in the NFL and the 'Horns down to one healthy tight end, Davis employed a formation "we hadn't used in eight years," putting one wide receiver to the short side of the field and three wideouts to the wide side.

Davis used the formation just once in the first quarter, then used it on 30 of the Longhorns' final 51 plays, averaging 9.6 yards per snap.

"They came in and did some things that were completely different," Venables said.

"We felt like if we could get Jordan Shipley as the inside slot receiver to the three-receiver side, we had some matchups that we felt were favorable to us, mainly in the quick game," Davis said. Shipley's quickness may have surprised the Sooners. It seemed to on his 96-yard kickoff return TD.

"We just changed personnel," Brown said, "and used the same type of thought with a different guy."

Meanwhile, OU's no-huddle offense couldn't run (48 yards). Even its scoring drives were quick. That meant Texas' short passing game, and its running game, wore down OU's defense. UT's Chris Ogbonnaya ran for 127 yards, 119 in the second half, including gains of 30 and 62 yards.

OU center Jon Cooper said the Sooners' three three-and-out possessions were like a turnover. The Longhorns had nearly a 15-minute advantage in time-of-possession.

"It hurt (the OU defense) a lot," Cooper said. "Because we're not moving the ball, we're not keeping them off the field, we're not giving them time to rest."




John E. Hoover 581-8384
john.hoover@tulsaworld.com




TEXAS QUOTEBOARD



“It’s a shame that these two teams are in the same league, much less the same division . . . It was a heavyweight fight that continued throughout the day. Every time one would get up, the other one would come back . . . I thought it was one of the greatest college football games I’ve ever seen.”

Coach Mack Brown

“Sam Bradford is a great leader. I mean, look at him today. He ran them up and down the field. We knew coming in that they were going to score some points.”

Quarterback Colt McCoy

“I just kept telling our offensive line to remain patient, because I knew Colt was going to get me the ball.”

Chris Ogbonnaya, who rushed for 119 of his 127 yards in the second half

“We needed a big play, and I have to give all the credit to the guys blocking. They opened the holes and made it happen.”

Jordan Shipley, on his 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown


Red River Shootout

The highest scoring OU-Texas games

80 - Oct. 11, 2008
Texas 45, Oklahoma 35

78 - Oct. 11, 2003
Oklahoma 65, Texas 13

77 - Oct. 7, 2000
Oklahoma 63, Texas 14

75 - Oct. 9, 1971
Oklahoma 48, Texas 27

By JOHN E. HOOVER World Sports Writer

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COMMENTS 
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7 comments have been made for this team so far. Tell us what you think below!

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bjorn2run, (10/12/2008 10:43:32 AM)
Texas runs a new formation for 30 of the final 51 plays, and OU's defensive co-ordinator couldn't make an adjustment? Another BIG game where the opponent scores over 40 points? ...The OU defense is 'Outcoached' again!!.......b2r
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possie1988, (10/12/2008 11:24:56 AM)
So the so-called #1 team just got whipped??!! So the mighty sooners are crying their eyes out today??!! And now we all know the best team in Oklahoma is OSU!!!!!

HA HA !!!!!

Thank you Texas. What a beautiful day!!!!!

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Dad, Up North (10/12/2008 12:40:22 PM)
Watch texas lose two and OU wins the South..................don't laugh, happened last time texas beat OU. When is the last time osu won the Big 12? Big 12 South? National Championship? No answeres for those questions. Maybe they should fire their coaches and hire the OU coaches...........just a thought.
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Bluebird48, Sand Springs (10/12/2008 1:10:08 PM)
Big Ten Rules... :-D
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slick, Bella Vista (10/12/2008 2:11:21 PM)
Doesn't happen often, but OU got out coached and out played. I'll give it up for Texas they stuck to their game plan, with all the dink and dunk stuff they ran the whole game. I didn't really agree with the fake punt call or the play itself. Having the punter try run for twenty something yards for a first down? Too much time left in the game for that risky a call. In hindsight, I was a little baffled by the decision to pass on 3rd and 2 from about the same spot of the field as the fake punt. Why not sneak it up the middle two plays in a row to get 2 measly yards? You can't give UT the ball back with that much time left, knowing you haven't been able to stop them in the second half. It may all work out in the end, lots of football to be played. The OSU game may have actually helped, big 12 south looks even stronger when the real poll comes out.(BCS)
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Sodumdum 83, Bella Vista (10/12/2008 2:25:19 PM)
I may be Sodomdum but I think we have fine coaches at OU. I like being in the hunt every year. The days of superpowers in college football is coming to an end. It is obvious that Texas was just a bit better than us. I hate to admit it but the way we score so fast worked against us. Even the best defense, which I believe we have cannot stay on the field as long as they did and keep stopping a good team. It seems our offense was too good for our own good.
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Matt in BA, (10/12/2008 10:42:12 PM)
I think Texas was prepared for one thing the Sooners were not, how to battle back when behind. Both teams have enjoyed early and big leads all season, Mac Brown before the game on Gameday mentioned the team that can handle being behind would probably be the winner. Texas played pretty well while they were behind, OU on the flip side had trouble, and I was at the game and it appeared the plays from coming in from the sideline were much slower than they were during the time they were leading. Bedlam might have alot on the line this year.
 

 
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