Sooners Win Third in a Row

Saturday’s win over Nebraska reminded me of another one of Bob Stoops’ OU football teams. Not particularly the national championship team of 2000 or even any of his Big 12 championship teams. This team reminded me of Bob Stoops first season in Norman when the Sooners went 7-4 and earned a trip to the Independence Bowl where they lost to Ole’ Miss. That 1999 team had a lot of talent, they played hard and they were very young.
Fast forward to 2005 and look at what the Sooners did in Lincoln Nebraska:
* Sophomore running back Adrian Peterson scored a 36-yard touchdown on his first carry of the game. He finished with 146 yards and 2 touchdowns.
* Sophomore kicker Garrett Hartley's 50-yard field goal pushed the lead to 24-3 early in the third quarter.
* Redshirt Freshman quarterback Rhett Bomar completed 14 of 28 passes for 157 yards, with no turnovers.
* Freshman receiver Malcolm Kelly caught eight passes for 86 yards.
That 1999 team had problems putting other teams away and so does this Sooner team. Last week the Baylor Bears came from 8 points down late in the fourth quarter to put the game in overtime. This week Nebraska mounted a late comeback as well.
Husker quarterback Zac Taylor finished a 16-play, 80-yard touchdown drive with a 3-yard pass to Terrence Nunn. Then on the next possession OU holder/Punter Cody Freeby mishandled a snap on a 52-yard field goal attempt, the Huskers were set up at the OU 48. Six plays later, Taylor threw a 25-yard TD pass to Nate Swift to pull Nebraska to 24-17.
The Sooners went on to win 31-24 over Nebraska in a wild rollercoaster game. In the same way that 1999 OU team, with all of their young players, pulled fans together with several roller coaster ride games, and that is what excites me the most. Why, you may ask? Because as an encore that young team from 1999 went on to win the national championship in 2000.

My Player of the Game: Running back Adrian Peterson, 24 carries 146 yards, 2 TD’s

On a side note I had a small wager with Joe from Strugglin Joe. He is a Nebraska fan and if the Huskers won I would have to promote his site for a week on My Opinion on Sports. If the Sooners won he would have to do the same for me. Obviously OU was the victor, but check him out anyway because it’s a good site that is worth your time.