OU's Kelly, Thompson combine to power Sooners to conference title
Oklahoma defense denies Cornhuskers on fourth-quarter drives
Victory sends Sooners into the Fiesta Bowl against Boise State on Jan. 1
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- At the most important moment of his college football career, Paul Thompson finally became a star. And Oklahoma is once again a BCS team.
The Sooners' quarterback -- facing an unlikely, if not impossible, situation -- completed a pass and started a drive that will make him a Sooner legend forever.
Thompson's uncommon combination of grit and precision and an unforgiving Sooner defense were enough to lead Oklahoma to the Big 12 Conference championship Saturday in a 21-7 victory over Nebraska.
"We never doubted ourselves," Thompson said. "It's just been a crazy year. All the dedication and commitment all these players have is something I've never seen before."
A Big 12 title game-record crowd of 80,031 filled Arrowhead Stadium to watch the Sooners win their 40th conference crown and qualify for the Fiesta Bowl -- a 7:30 p.m. kickoff on New Year's Day in Glendale, Ariz., and the only Bowl Championship Series game in which they haven't yet played.
"That's special," said OU coach Bob Stoops.
Nebraska, meanwhile, will be announced Sunday as the Big 12's contestant in the Jan. 1 Cotton Bowl.
No. 8 Oklahoma (11-2), winner of the Big 12's South Division, has won its last eight games. No. 19 Nebraska (9-4), champion of the North, had won three straight.
Thompson,
a fifth-year senior, showed patience and perseverance throughout his career by coming out of redshirt early, then redshirting a championship season, then moving to wide receiver, then moving back to quarterback.
He had become an aerial afterthought in recent road victories at Texas A&M and Oklahoma State. But with the Cornhuskers aligning their defense to stuff OU's running game, Thompson was called upon yet again.
"He's the best," Stoops said. "He's what you want. If you could go out and recruit guys like that every time, you would."
The Sooners scored 14 quick points in the first quarter, but the offense went silent for almost two periods as the third quarter wound down with a Nebraska punt that died at the OU 1-yard line.
Facing third-and-10, though, Thompson delivered. He faked a handoff in the end zone, then stepped to his left and fired a flawless pass downfield to freshman tight end Jermaine Gresham. Gresham made the catch for a first down, then rumbled 35 yards downfield, sparking the OU offense to life.
"That was huge," said NU defensive end Jay Moore. "We had 'em right there."
"Took the wind out of our sails there," said Huskers coach Bill Callahan. "We had 'em backed up, we just couldn't make a play."
Said Thompson, "That was definitely real big. We weren't moving the ball real well. . . . Jermaine was able to make a great corner route and I was able to throw it out there to him."
Thompson completed his next five passes. On third-and-goal from the 3, Thompson floated a throw to Kelly in the back of the end zone. Kelly leaped for the catch and dragged his left foot before falling out of bounds, putting the Sooners up 21-7 with 1:25 left in the third quarter.
"Paul just put it in the right spot," said Kelly.
Thompson had taken the offense 99 yards in 11 plays, completing 6-of-8 passes for 95 yards along the way.
"Drive of the year," Stoops said. "That was a big blow to 'em."
From there, the Sooner defense took over, repelling four Nebraska surges from midfield in the fourth quarter.
On the first, Demarrio Pleasant dislodged a fourth-down pass with a big hit. On the second, Nic Harris made a diving interception in the end zone after NU's Nate Swift had gotten wide open. And on the third, Reggie Smith made a leaping interception near the sideline. A final Nebraska drive ended on another fourth-down incompletion at the OU 35. Huskers QB Zac Taylor was pressured each time.
"We had the short field several times, but their defense was just too stingy," Callahan said. "They were stalwart. They played championship defense."
Taylor, who had thrown a Big 12-low four interceptions this season, threw three on a night when temperatures plunged into the low 20s. Taylor, son of former Sooner Sherwood Taylor and a Norman native, completed 23-of-50 throws for 282 yards and a touchdown.
Thompson completed 19-of-34 passes for 265 yards and two touchdowns. Kelly caught 10 passes for 142 yards and two TDs -- all Big 12 championship game records.
Patrick had rushed for 100 yards or more in all four of his starts since replacing Adrian Peterson -- and OU had a 100-yard rusher in 11 of its 12 games -- but this time Patrick (35 yards) and the Sooner ground game (42) were bottled up.
OU's first two scores -- a 2-yard run by Patrick on the second play of the game, and a 66-yard catch by Kelly -- finished a pair of one-play drives and staked the Sooners to a quick 14-0 lead.
John E. Hoover 581-8384
john.hoover@tulsaworld.com
Series History
(OU leads series 43-37-3)
2006: Oklahoma 21, Nebraska 7
2005: Oklahoma 31, Nebraska 24
2004: Oklahoma 30, Nebraska 3
2001: Nebraska 20, Oklahoma 10
2000: Oklahoma 31, Nebraska 14
1997: Nebraska 69, Oklahoma 7
1996: Nebraska 73, Oklahoma 21
1995: Nebraska 37, Oklahoma 0
1994: Nebraska 13, Oklahoma 3
1993: Nebraska 21, Oklahoma 7
1992: Nebraska 33, Oklahoma 9
1991: Nebraska 19, Oklahoma 14
1990: Oklahoma 45, Nebraska 10
1989: Nebraska 42, Oklahoma 25
1988: Nebraska 7, Oklahoma 3
1987: Oklahoma 17, Nebraska 7
1986: Oklahoma 20, Nebraska 17
1985: Oklahoma 27, Nebraska 7
1984: Oklahoma 17, Nebraska 7
1983: Nebraska 28, Oklahoma 21
1982: Nebraska 28, Oklahoma 24
1981: Nebraska 37, Oklahoma 14
1980: Oklahoma 21, Nebraska 17
1979: Oklahoma 17, Nebraska 14
1978: Oklahoma 31, Nebraska 24
1978: Nebraska 17, Oklahoma 14
1977: Oklahoma 38, Nebraska 7
1976: Oklahoma 20, Nebraska 17
1975: Oklahoma 35, Nebraska 10
1974: Oklahoma 28, Nebraska 14
1973: Oklahoma 27, Nebraska 0
1972: Oklahoma 17, Nebraska 14
1971: Nebraska 35, Oklahoma 31
1970: Nebraska 28, Oklahoma 21
1969: Nebraska 44, Oklahoma 14
1968: Oklahoma 47, Nebraska 0
1967: Oklahoma 21, Nebraska 14
1966: Oklahoma 10, Nebraska 9
1965: Nebraska 21, Oklahoma 9
1964: Oklahoma 17, Nebraska 7
1963: Nebraska 29, Oklahoma 20
1962: Oklahoma 34, Nebraska 6
1961: Oklahoma 21, Nebraska 14
1960: Nebraska 17, Oklahoma 14
1959: Nebraska 25, Oklahoma 21
1958: Oklahoma 40, Nebraska 7
1957: Oklahoma 32, Nebraska 7
1956: Oklahoma 54, Nebraska 6
1955: Oklahoma 41, Nebraska 0
1954: Oklahoma 55, Nebraska 7
1953: Oklahoma 30, Nebraska 7
1952: Oklahoma 34, Nebraska 13
1951: Oklahoma 27, Nebraska 0
1950: Oklahoma 49, Nebraska 35
1949: Oklahoma 48, Nebraska 0
1948: Oklahoma 41, Nebraska 14
1947: Oklahoma 14, Nebraska 13
1946: Oklahoma 27, Nebraska 6
1945: Oklahoma 20, Nebraska 0
1944: Oklahoma 31, Nebraska 12
1943: Oklahoma 26, Nebraska 7
1942: Nebraska 7, Oklahoma 0
1941: Nebraska 7, Oklahoma 6
1940: Nebraska 13, Oklahoma 0
1939: Nebraska 13, Oklahoma 7
1938: Oklahoma 14, Nebraska 0
1937: Oklahoma 0, Nebraska 0
1936: Nebraska 14, Oklahoma 0
1935: Nebraska 19, Oklahoma 0
1934: Nebraska 6, Oklahoma 0
1933: Nebraska 16, Oklahoma 7
1932: Nebraska 5, Oklahoma 0
1931: Nebraska 13, Oklahoma 0
1930: Oklahoma 20, Nebraska 7
1929: Oklahoma 13, Nebraska 13
1928: Nebraska 44, Oklahoma 6
1925: Nebraska 12, Oklahoma 0
1924: Oklahoma 14, Nebraska 7
1923: Nebraska 24, Oklahoma 0
1922: Nebraska 39, Oklahoma 7
1921: Nebraska 44, Oklahoma 0
1919: Oklahoma 7, Nebraska 7
1912: Nebraska 13, Oklahoma 9
Note: OU's 31-24 win in the 1978 season came in the Orange Bowl. OU lost 17-14 in the 1978 regular season.
