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OU blasts off

OU's Ryan Broyles (left) and Chris Brown celebrate Brown's touchdown in the second quarter of Saturday's game in Norman. Brown led the Sooners' rushing attack with 92 yards on 12 carries. michael wyke/Tulsa World

 
By JOHN E. HOOVER World Sports Writer
Published: 10/19/2008  2:03 AM
Last Modified: 10/19/2008  2:36 AM

video: Watch a video of the sights and sounds from Saturday's Oklahoma-Kansas contest.



Sooners run and pass well in win over KU



NORMAN — Oklahoma really, really wanted to run the football. After last week's stumble against Texas, in which OU showed a stark inability to gain positive yards on the ground, the Sooners all week emphasized a more punishing, more physical running game.

"It was total motivation," said senior offensive lineman Duke Robinson.

So Saturday against Kansas, OU quarterback Sam Bradford came out and set career-highs in pass attempts and completions, and shattered the school's single-game record for passing yards.

Mission accomplished. Oklahoma 45, Kansas 31.

"It was a blast out there," said Bradford.

And, for the record, the Sooners did run the ball better. Chris Brown had 92 yards and a touchdown, and DeMarco Murray gained 83 and scored twice as OU piled up 206 yards (4.7 per carry).

"It's always pleasing when you're effective doing both, running and passing," said head coach Bob Stoops.

An Owen Field crowd of 85,241, the third-largest crowd in school history, watched a game perhaps better suited for the John Jacobs Track and Field complex a quarter-mile to the east. The No. 4-ranked Sooners and No. 16 Jayhawks combined for 1,165 yards total offense.

"There's a lot of good players on that field," said OU offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson. "And a lot of frustration this week about coming out and playing like we're capable."

OU improved to 6-1 overall and 2-1 in the Big 12 Conference. KU fell to 5-2 and 2-1. The Sooners ran the nation's longest current home win streak to 22 games, the second-longest in school history.

Bradford went 36-of-53 for 468 yards, shattering the previous record of 429 set in 1999 by his position coach, Josh Heupel.

"I only get called in here (to the interview room) when a record gets broken," Heupel joked afterwards. He wasn't surprised his mark, as he said, was "no mas. We figured that was coming to an end pretty quick. It was a good day to happen, too."

The Sooners ran 97 plays and gained 674 yards, their highest total in 20 years (when Barry Switzer's final team posted 829 against Kansas State). It was the most yards allowed by KU since giving up 717 to Oklahoma State also in 1988. OU gained 36 first downs, fourth-most in school history, and its yardage total ranks 10th in Sooner annals.

"OU is really talented on offense," said KU head coach Mark Mangino. "I am really impressed with Sam Bradford, because he is everything they said he would be and more. He has pinpoint accuracy and poise."

As good as Bradford was, he wanted more. He overthrew wide open Jermaine Gresham on a sure 29-yard touchdown, had two completions dropped by his most sure-handed receiver, Juaquin Iglesias, and in the first quarter lost leading receiver Manuel Johnson to a dislocated left elbow.

"You drop back and throw the ball 53 times," Heupel said, "you ain't gonna hit every one of 'em."

Despite the drops, Iglesias set the school record with 12 catches and gained 191 yards.

"I'm going to feel it tomorrow. I'm already sore a little bit," Iglesias said. "But that's what happens when you've got that fast pace going."

Quentin Chaney replaced Johnson with six catches for 105 yards.

Kansas put up big numbers, too. Quarterback Todd Reesing was 24-of-41 for 342 yards and threw two touchdown passes to Dezmon Briscoe. Briscoe's 12 catches and 269 receiving yards — he had TDs of 69 and 17 yards — also set KU records. Jake Sharp gashed the OU defense for 103 rushing yards and a touchdown on just 12 carries.

The OU defense was playing its first game without middle linebacker Ryan Reynolds, lost to a knee injury last week. In his place, senior safety Nic Harris stepped in and played almost every snap. Sophomore Quinton Carter filled in for Harris at safety and led the team with 10 tackles in his first career start.

"That was the whole key," defensive coordinator Brent Venables said. "You felt comfortable that Nic could be definitely serviceable enough to win and give you a better matchup in your zone coverages or man coverages. But the key, really, once Nic was on board, was to get Quinton to play consistent and play well, and he had a great week of practice."

OU also got two game-changing interceptions from safety Lendy Holmes in the first half, one on the OU goal line and one ripping a completion away from Briscoe in the red zone. In addition to the picks, the Sooner defense forced two punts and a field goal on KU's first six possessions. In the second half, Kansas punted on six of seven possessions.

"To me, that was the key to the game," said Stoops, "taking control and getting up (45-24) well into the fourth quarter."

Bradford makes history again



The top five single-game passing yardage efforts in OU history:

468: Sam Bradford vs. Kansas, 2008

429: Josh Heupel vs. Louisville, 1999

420: Josh Heupel vs. Baylor, 1999

395: Sam Bradford vs. Cincinnati, 2008

394: Jason White vs. Texas Tech, 2003



John E. Hoover 581-8384
john.hoover@tulsaworld.com
By JOHN E. HOOVER World Sports Writer

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COMMENTS 
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4 comments have been made for this team so far. Tell us what you think below!
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Report Comment
kyote, (10/19/2008 1:05:55 PM)
Is Sam Bradford and Bob Stoops holding more than hands before and after games? Sam was not the only person on the field.
Report Comment
soonerguy, Tulsa (10/19/2008 8:11:58 PM)
Stoops didn't say anything about Bradford in this article. If you think the coverage is unfair, complain about the writer.
Report Comment
Matt in BA, Broken Arrow (10/19/2008 11:10:48 PM)
Sam Bradford had quite a few drops Saturday, one can only imagine the numbers he could have ended up with. And 97 offensive snaps, that's almost insane this year with the clock rules. Now that will be a number for TU to go after.
Report Comment
lovinlife@40, Broken Arrow (10/20/2008 7:22:09 AM)
Sammy Bradford is the #2 quarterback in college football; anyone with that record deserves every accolade a coach can give him! TO KYOTE: that is one of the most inane, idiotic posts I have ever seen ~ Coach Stoops ALWAYS acknowledges the performances of anyone going above and beyond...so there.
 

 
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