NORMAN — Well, that's one. Albeit a really big one.

So why am I having trouble believing Oklahoma's football team may have finally found itself in this one win? Did the Sooners really figure out their identity in Saturday night's 65-10 whipsawing of Texas A&M?

I'd like to say yes, but I've seen this Jekyll-and-Hyde act from the Sooners for weeks. They post big numbers, win easily at home, then proceed to become road kill when they play away from the friendly confines of Memorial Stadium.

Fool me one, two, even three or four times. But it will take a victory at Texas Tech this Saturday to make me a believer and to actually consider that the Sooners have a chance to salvage a weird season that has seen them lose four road games when they managed to score only 13, 20, 13 and 3 points.

"Look at the (road) scores," said running back DeMarco Murray, who was outstanding last night. "We have to put up more points (on the road) and continue to improve."

The latest road flop happened just a week earlier in an embarrassing 10-3 loss at Nebraska. The impressive 62-point scoring differential a week later is the second biggest turnaround in OU history. It's only topped by the 1980 Sooners, who scored 82 points the week after they were held to 14.

But, as I mentioned, we've seen this several times. OU has hung up 64, 45, 33, 42 and now 65 points in wins in Norman. A 35-13 win at Kansas remains the only game away from home when the Sooners offense wasn't MIA.

This latest victory also made OU bowl eligible as it improved to 6-4 overall and 4-2 in the Big 12 Conference. But never in the Stoops era has OU simply set its goal as getting the six victories needed to play in the postseason.

But OU deserves credit for winning the first one of what has boiled down to a three-game, must- win situation as the Sooners seek to save a season that's still teetering on the brink of implosion.

The offense bounced back from its embarrassing play at Nebraska by rolling up a whopping 640 yards. Quarterback Landry Jones rebounded from his school-record five interceptions against the Cornhuskers by throwing for 392 yards and five scores.

But it's still only one game. One more victory at home.

A win at Texas Tech and a Bedlam victory in the Sooners' house over Oklahoma State would allow OU to avoid the dubious distinction of tying the record as the second-worst Sooner team in coach Bob Stoops' 11 season. OU was 7-5 in Stoops' first year. Since then, the Sooners have failed to win at least 11 games only once, when they finished 8-4 in 2005.

If OU sweeps this three-game series, it would give the Sooners an opportunity to play in a decent bowl game (the Cotton Bowl, perhaps) and finishing a more Stoops-like 9-4.

Yet, a lot of us wouldn't be surprised if OU drops its final two to finish 6-6. And is forced by Big 12 rules to play in a minor bowl when the Sooners might prefer to stay home for the holidays if they can't post a winning record.

Believe it or not, OU's dominating victory over the Aggies (5-5, 2-4) wasn't convincing enough to persuade many of us to believe the Sooners have finally overcome the injury-bug situation that has plagued them.

What's there to worry about? Plenty. A lack of time and space doesn't allow me to list all the reasons why OU fans should still remain skeptical as the Sooners head into November's regular-season stretch run.

Here are a few areas of concern:

OU continued to commit senseless penalties (11 for 102 yards), had a turnover and was forced to turn to a previously unknown, unused, walk-on named Patrick O'Hara in a desperate attempt to solve the Sooners' season-long problems in the kicking game. Stoops went with O'Hara after Tress Way missed a field goal and Jimmy Stevens had an extra-point blocked. The sophomore delivered.

There's also this: The big numbers came against the worst defense in the Big 12 Conference and one of the most woeful units in the nation. The Aggies also decided to celebrate Christmas early by repeatedly giving OU the gift of turnovers.

On the flip side, A&M also entered the contest with the Big 12's No. 1 offense. And OU's defense, which has been the only consistent bright spot, was magnificent once again. But the Aggies also handed OU several easy scoring opportunities with fumbles that were often self-inflicted.

"The encouraging part is that they had some turnovers and our offense took advantage of them with touchdowns," said Stoops of an OU offense that has struggled in the red zone. "But it all begins with our defense."

And that's where it usually ends for the Sooners when they hit the road.

OU has lost its last two games at Texas Tech. And those losses came with Sooner teams that were much better than this beleaguered bunch.

Well, the Sooners of last night compared with some of Stoops' best teams. But it was only one game.