Oklahoma kept alive its hopes for a sixth consecutive Big 12 championship Saturday — something that seemed a remote possibility little more than a month ago.
In the process, the Sooners did what they do with regularity — beating Bedlam rival Oklahoma State and coach Mike Gundy 41-13 before a pandemic-limited crowd of 22,700 in Norman. Gundy fell to 2-14 against Oklahoma.
Sooners quarterback Spencer Rattler threw for four touchdowns and ran for another in the win.
No. 18 Oklahoma (6-2, 5-2 Big 12) now is in solid position to make the Big 12 championship game at AT&T Stadium on Dec. 19 with games remaining at West Virginia and against Baylor. Iowa State (6-2, 6-1) leads the Big 12 with Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas each having two conference losses.
The Sooners are clearly a different team than the one that blew fourth-quarter leads and dropped consecutive games against Kansas State and Iowa State early in the season.
“Wish we had 10 more games,” OU coach Lincoln Riley said. “This team is fun.”
A significant part of the improvement has been the return of running back Rhamondre Stevenson and defensive lineman Ronnie Perkins, back from five-game suspensions.
The 236-pound Stevenson rushed for 141 yards on 26 carries.
“The fun thing for that kid is he has so much more to go,” said Riley, who also credited his offensive line.
Perkins was dominant, especially in the first half, with two sacks and three tackles for loss.
No. 14 Oklahoma State (5-2, 4-2) had harbored championship hopes this season with the return of playmakers Chuba Hubbard and Tylan Wallace and are still alive in the chase. The Cowboys close with Texas Tech and on the road at TCU and Baylor in a rescheduled game.
The Sooners jumped to a 21-point lead in the first nine minutes before the Oklahoma State defense righted itself. At one point, sandwiched between the second and third quarters, OU had three consecutive three-and-outs – a rarity in the Riley era.
While the defense did its thing, Oklahoma State’s hopes of a comeback were hurt by an injury to starting quarterback Spencer Sanders.
Trailing 21-0 in the first quarter, Oklahoma State lost Sanders in the first quarter when he was flung to the turf on a sack by Ronnie Perkins. Sanders left to be checked for medical personnel and was replaced by Shane Illingworth. The freshman from California had started two games early in this season when Sanders suffered a ankle injury.
While he led the Oklahoma State on a first-quarter touchdown drive aided by an OU unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, Illingworth completed just 5 of 21 passes for 71 yards, including 2 of his final 15.
Oklahoma held the Cowboys to 246 yards total offense, 165 yards under their season average.
Sanders returned in the fourth quarter, but by then Oklahoma had built its lead to 34-13 on a bit of Riley wizardry.
Oklahoma snapped the ball directly to Stevenson, who handed off to Rattler, who faked a reverse, rolled out and found Jeremiah Hall for a 30-yard touchdown with 14:15 to play.
The Sooners almost put the game away before it had begun.
Rattler led touchdown drives of 75 and 74 yards on Oklahoma’s first two possessions.
Then the Oklahoma defense forced a Sanders interception and Rattler hit Theo Wease on a 9-yard touchdown pass with just 8:51 elapsed for a 21-0 lead.
Rattler finished 17 of 24 for 301 yards, completing passes to nine different receivers.
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November 22, 2020 at 11:50AM
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‘This team is fun’: Sooners left wishing they had more games after Bedlam rout of Oklahoma State - The Dallas Morning News
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