Oklahoma Sooners running back Brennan Clay (24) scores game winning touchdown in overtime against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. (Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE)
NORMAN, Okla. — Back and forth, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State kept landing haymakers, waiting for the other to wobble.
Finally, in overtime, the Sooners’ Brennan Clay delivered the deciding blow, an 18-yard, tackle-breaking touchdown run to send OU to a 51-48 win on Saturday.
It was the Sooners’ first lead.
In a series known as Bedlam, there was delirium aplenty, most coming from offensive firepower that produced 1,108 yards and 99 points.
The Sooners forced overtime when quarterback Landry Jones led them on the drive of the game: a 17-play, 86-yard march that was completed when Blake Bell banged it in from the 4 on a fourth-down run with four seconds remaining in regulation.
Oklahoma State had to settle for Quinn Sharp’s 26-yard field goal on its possession in the first overtime, and the Sooners took just two plays on its overtime possession to win it. First, Trey Millard ran for seven yards, then Clay ended it with his 18-yard scoring run.
“Fortunately, we were able to make a few more plays down the stretch to win it,” said Sooners coach Bob Stoops. “Very proud of my guys for hanging in there, working our way through a hard-fought game and coming up with the plays, in particular, down in the fourth quarter to win the football game.”
No. 13 Oklahoma improved to 9-2 overall and 7-1 in the Big 12. No. 21 OSU fell to 7-4 and 5-3.
Jones passed for 500 yards, after going 46-for-71 with three touchdowns and an interception. The 71 passes were the most Jones has attempted in a game – ever.
“I’ve never even come close to that, I don’t think,” Jones said. “I’m sure I’ll have to get some ice on it.”
Joseph Randle rushed for 113 yards and four touchdowns for Oklahoma State.
“I think everyone can agree that it was one heck of a game,” said Cowboys coach Mike Gundy, ” but I’m disappointed that we came up on the short end. I’m very proud of our team, for the way they competed.
“They just had the last play.”
Tied 24-24 at intermission, the second half started with the same buzz that ended the first half.
On the first offensive snap of the third quarter, Clint Chelf hit Josh Stewart with a rollout pass that went for a 75-yard touchdown, sending the Cowboys in front … for a while.
OSU built a double-digit lead in the third quarter, just as it did in the first half, surging ahead 38-27 on Randle’s fourth touchdown run.
But the Sooners, as they did all day, answered.
After a field goal by Oklahoma’s Michael Hunnicutt cut the lead to 38-30 late in the third quarter, Jalen Saunders took a punt return 81 yards for an OU touchdown early in the fourth. After Jones passed to Justin Brown for a two-point conversion, the game was tied, 38-38.
The Cowboys went ahead 45-38 on a J.W. Walsh run that completed an 86-yard march. But after OSU held the Sooners on a fourth-down play from the Cowboys 33, the OU defense forced a three-and-out, setting up the clutch drive to tie the game and force overtime.
“At that point in time, we knew that we had to score on that drive,” Jones said. “So I think our offense just did what it had to do. We took it to fourth down, Blake came in gave us a great run.
“There’s something about this team. We just get it done when we need to.”
The shootout was on from the outset, although it took the Sooners a while to get engaged.
The Cowboys bolted to a 14-0 lead, riding the running of Chelf and Randle.
Chelf, the third OSU quarterback to start this season, romped 38 yards on a draw and added a 12-yard scramble on the first scoring drive as the Cowboys moved to the Sooners 2. Two Randle runs from there produced the touchdown.
OSU was back in business moments later, when Lyndell Johnson picked off Jones and romped 46 yards to the OU 9, before Randle again capped the drive with a 1-yard run.
The teams traded field goals, leaving the Cowboys ahead 17-3, when the Sooners finally got rolling on offense.
Jones flipped a pass to fullback Millard, who romped in from the 14 for OU’s first touchdown. And when Jones found Saunders for a 9-yard scoring pass, the game was tied for the first time at 17-17 with 2:42 to play in the half.
Plenty of time, it turned out, for two more touchdowns.
The Cowboys zipped 75 yards in seven plays, needing just 1:19 to get Randle his third TD of the half.
Too quick.
The Sooners answered, matching the 75-yard drive in just 1:10, with Jones throwing to Kenny Stills with 13 seconds remaining, tying it at 24-24 at halftime.
Notes: Jones became the first player in FBS history to have 3,000-plus yards passing and 26-plus touchdown passes in each of his four seasons. Jones now ranks third in NCAA history and No. 1 in the Big 12 with 16,124 career passing yards. … The attendance of 85,824 at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium ranked as the second-largest in program history. … Randle ran for four TDs for the fourth time in his career. … When the Cowboys opened the second half with a 75-yard touchdown pass from Chelf to Stewart, it was OSU’s sixth one-play touchdown drive of the season.
