No. 8 Sooners rout North Texas, 79-10, to open 2007 season Saturday night.
| |
|
 |
| |
1st
|
2nd
|
3rd
|
4th
|
F
|
|
UNT
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
7
|
10
|
|
OU
|
21
|
28
|
14
|
16
|
79
|
|
| Stats
Comparison |
OU
|
UNT
|
| 1st Downs |
26
|
13
|
| Total Yards |
668
|
247
|
| Passing |
403
|
232
|
| Rushing |
265
|
15
|
| Penalties |
9-74
|
9-48
|
| 3rd Down Conversions |
7-12
|
2-16
|
| 4th Down Conversions |
1-2
|
0-1
|
| Turnovers |
2
|
1
|
| Time of Possession |
32:02
|
27:58
|
|
| Passing |
C/Att
|
Yds
|
TD
|
Int
|
| OU - Bradford |
21/23
|
363
|
3
|
0
|
| UNT - Meager |
15/27
|
108
|
0
|
1
|
| Rushing |
Car
|
Yds
|
TD
|
Long
|
| OU - Murray |
17
|
88
|
5
|
44
|
| UNT - Mosley |
5
|
16
|
0
|
11
|
| Receiving |
Rec
|
Yds
|
TD
|
Long
|
| OU - Iglesias |
7
|
128
|
0
|
51
|
| UNT - Fitzgerald |
7
|
126
|
1
|
69
|
|
|
|
|
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) -- Sam Bradford's debut
as Oklahoma's starting quarterback couldn't have looked
much better if he had scripted it himself.
In his first start, the redshirt freshman tied a
record set by one Heisman Trophy winner and broke another
set by a Heisman runner-up, throwing for 363 yards
and three touchdowns as the No. 8 Sooners beat North
Texas 79-10 Saturday night.
"This really is what you dream about, coming
out here and playing in front of 85,000 and getting
a win like that," Bradford said. "There's
not going to be many nights like this. You've got to
take these. These are special."
Freshman DeMarco Murray became the first Oklahoma
player to score five touchdowns in his debut, and the
Sooners showed no signs of a hangover following a stunning
overtime loss to Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl and
the loss of star tailback Adrian Peterson to the NFL.
Bradford needed only 32 seconds to notch his first
career touchdown pass, a 15-yarder to tight end Jermaine
Gresham as he slinged the ball along the line of scrimmage
for three straight plays and allowed his receivers
to run for big gains.
Bradford broke Josh Heupel's record for passing
yardage in a half that was set against Baylor in 2000,
going 20-for-22 for 350 yards in the first half. Heupel
was second in the Heisman voting in 2000.
Bradford completed his only pass in the second half
to tie 2003 Heisman Trophy winner Jason White's school
record of 18 straight completions, then yielded to
backup Joey Halzle.
"Once I got in that rhythm, I felt like, `I
know where I'm going, I know where it's going to be,
so here it comes," Bradford said.
Murray added four touchdown runs by the end of the
first half, and coach Bob Stoops called timeout with
under 2 minutes remaining to preserve time for one
last score. Bradford's 24-yard lob to Malcolm Kelly
made it 49-0 as the Sooners received a standing ovation
for nearly hanging Barry Switzer's proverbial "half a hundred" on the Mean Green before halftime.
Oklahoma ended up with its most lopsided win in
a season opener since it beat New Mexico State 73-3
to start the 1989 season and its second-highest point
total since 1919.
It was a rough welcome to big-time college football
for new North Texas coach Todd Dodge, who is making
the transition from high school this season.
Dodge, who led Texas high-school powerhouse Southlake
Carroll to three straight state titles, lost for the
first time since the 2003 state championship game.
He'd been 79-1 in his last five seasons at Carroll.
"We have a perspective on it," Stoops
said. "I think coach Dodge will do a great job
at North Texas, I really do. They just need time."
Next up for the Sooners is Miami, which beat Marshall
31-3 Saturday.
"There's a lot of room for improvement," Bradford
said. "You have to get better each week. If you're
not getting better, you're getting worse."
On the first play of the game, Bradford had to scramble
to his right before getting knocked out of bounds and
slamming into a metal bench on the sidelines. It was
the only time he seemed frantic the whole game.
"I got over there and got pushed out of bounds,
and I think once I got that I was in the game," Bradford
said. "I was back in it. I felt good after that."
Murray made Peterson, the 2004 Heisman runner-up,
seem forgettable. He lined up as a wide receiver and
scored his first career touchdown on a 44-yard end
around, then finished off four more drives with short
runs in goal line situations.
The school record is Quentin Griffin's six touchdowns
in Oklahoma's 63-14 win against Texas in 2000. Murray,
who became the primary ball carrier after Allen Patrick
sprained his ankle and Chris Brown was suspended, totaled
87 yards on 17 carries.
Juaquin Iglesias caught seven passes for 128 yards,
and Kelly had four catches for 118 yards. Kelly also
scored on a 65-yard catch in the second quarter.
Stoops said the Sooners were trying not to embarrass
North Texas late in the game.
"We were telling the guys even if they break
something, don't score. Take a knee or get down at
some point," Stoops said.
Giovanni Vizza, who lost a quarterback competition
for North Texas against Daniel Meager, entered in the
third quarter and set up Thomas Moreland's 29-yard
field goal to break up the shutout. He added a 69-yard
touchdown pass to Casey Fitzgerald.
He also threw two interceptions, including one that
was returned 25 yards for a score by Nic Harris. Jamario
Thomas, the 2004 NCAA rushing champion, ran only five
times for four yards.
The Mean Green are 0-14 against top 10 teams. Five
of those losses came in season openers against Oklahoma
and Texas within the past six years.