Bedlam Blowout in Norman

Norman, OK--In what is usually a big win for the home team, Oklahoma State came onto Owen Field to prove that they are still a very good team. According to some of the players interviewed after the game, many feel they're even better on the road in tough situations than they are at home in Stillwater. It's hard to believe a team could be better on the road than at home, but with these Cowboys and their 2009 season, it looks to be true.

Oklahoma State entered the season with more hype than the school has ever received. Probably even more than when future College and NFL Football Hall of Famers Thurman Thomas and Barry Sanders roamed the sidelines during the 1980's. Entering the 2009 season, the Cowboys were the trendy pick to challenge annual Big XII South powers Oklahoma and Texas for a spot in the Big XII Championship game. It was not to be. OSU went on to lose home games to Georgia, Houston, Texas and Colorado. A season lost? Perhaps. One thing Cowboy fans won't forget is the joy of beating their arch rival, on the road, as underdogs, and ruining another potentially great season for the Sooners.The Pokes took the opening kick and turned it into a long touchdown drive, highlighted by a Hubert Anyiam (WR, Soph., Garland, TX) 3 yard TD pass (see pic below) from Zac Robinson (Sr., Littleton, CO). The drive was perfect. Sooner players admitted after the game they knew they were in for a long night by how precise the drive was and how "on" Robinson appeared to be. The Sooners followed it up with a 23 yard field goal by Jimmy Stevens (Soph., Oklahoma City). End of Q1, OSU leads, 7-3.The second quarter saw both teams score two TD's each, in back and forth fashion. OSU scoring on a 2 yard TD pass from Robinson to Kendall Hunter (RB, Jr., Tyler, TX) and an 8 yard pass from Robinson to Dez Bryant (WR, Jr., Lufkin, TX). Oklahoma scored on two DeMarco Murray (RB, Jr., Las Vegas) TD's, one a 4 yard run and the other a 35 yard pass from Landry Jones (FrRS, Artesia, NM). At the half, OSU leads 21-16.

Quarter #3 saw the teams slow down the scoring until late in the quarter. The teams swapped field goals to make the score 24-19. With 55 seconds left in the quarter, Zac Robinson called his own number and increased his team's lead to 31-19.

The final period was where Oklahoma State blew the game open and crushed any hopes the Sooners had of coming back for the win. Sooners fans would have thought the opposite as the quarter started with a Sooner score. Murray again hit paydirt on a 4 yard TD run. The fans got excited. The OSU lead is now down to 31-26. Tress Way kicks the ball deep for the Sooners only to see OSU's Jeremy Smith (RB, Frosh, Tulsa) take it all the way back, 103 yards to completely take the air out of Memorial Stadium. OSU's lead is back up to 12, 38-26 with 5:49 to go in the game.

The Sooner offense stumbled. OSU's did not. The Coboys score on their next possession, this time Stillwater's own, fullback Bryant Ward (Jr.) pushed the ball in on a zero yard TD run. OSU's up 45-26.

OU tries to rally behind the arm of Jones. They manage to score but kills clock along the way. OSU leads 45-33.

OSU has the ball back. OU forces a fumble. This is Oklahoma's chance. Jones is pushing the team. The team is catching fire. Jones calls a short crossing route. As he's about to pass his arm is hit. Ball flails in the air like a dead duck. OSU's Victor Johnson (S, Soph., Waco, TX) catches it (see video below). He takes it to the barn, scores (76 yards). OSU's fans and players go insane. So do the Sooner fans but for opposite reasons. OSU's lead jumps to 52-33 and that is where it ended.

The win snaps a 9 game winning streak for the Sooners and is the first loss at home to a conference opponent since Oklahoma State last won there on November 24th, 2001 (13-16), a streak of 24 games.

The Players of the Game were:
Oklahoma State--Zac Robinson, QB: 30-39, 366 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT & 1 Rushing TD
Oklahoma--Landry Jones, QB: 28-48, 416 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT

The loss drops the Sooners to 10-2 overall and 7-1 in conference play. The win moves OSU up to 8-4 overall and 6-2 in conference play.