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Oct. 2, 2000

NORMAN, Okla. - The Oklahoma football team hits the road for the first time this season as it heads across the Red River for the annual meeting inside the Cotton Bowl with Texas. The contest, which will be part of an ABC split-national telecast, is slated to kick off at 11:10 a.m. at the State Fairgrounds in Dallas.

The Sooners moved to 4-0 on the season with a hard-fought 34-16 win over Big 12 foe Kansas last Saturday afternoon. The win gave OU its first 4-0 start since 1993 and moved the Sooners up in both national polls -- 10th in the AP and 12th in the ESPN/USA Today version. The AP ranking is Oklahoma's highest since standing at 10th (also in the AP) prior to the 1995 Colorado game.

The Longhorns, ranked 11th in the AP poll and 10th in the ESPN/USA Today top-25, improved to 3-1 Saturday after beating Oklahoma State, 42-7, in Austin.

The largest crowd of the season (74,811) that filled Memorial Stadium last Saturday saw the Sooners force a season-high seven turnovers, including five interceptions. OU converted three of those turnovers into 13 points.

Offensively, the Sooners amassed 444 yards of total offense and finished the game with a time of possession edge for the first time this season. OU was paced once again by senior quarterback Josh Heupel, who completed 29 of 43 passes for 346 yards and one touchdown. Not only did he throw for a score, but he also ran for one (one yard) and made a critical block on Antwone Savage's 40-yard touchdown run on a reverse.

On the receiving end of Heupel's passes were nine players, including Josh Norman, Andre Woolfolk and Damian Mackey, who each ended the game with five catches.

Defensively, the Sooners allowed KU to total 284 yards of total offense in the first half, including 144 on just three plays. KU's two first-half touchdowns accounted for 106 yards.

The second half was a different story however, as OU shut out the Jayhawks and allowed just 93 yards of total offense, including 27 in the third quarter. Senior free safety J.T. Thatcher tied a school record with three interceptions and earned Big 12 Defensive Player-of-the-Week honors.

Associated Press Top 25 Poll (Oct. 1)

1. Florida State (42)5-0

2. Nebraska (28)4-0

3. Virginia Tech 4-0

4. Kansas State (1)5-0

5. Clemson        5-0

6. Michigan         4-1

7. Miami (Fla.)        3-1

8. Ohio State        4-0

9. Oregon        4-1

10. Oklahoma        4-0

11. Texas        3-1

12. Florida         4-1

13. Washington        3-1

14. TCU                4-0

15. Auburn        5-0

16. UCLA        4-1

17. Southern Miss3-1

18. Southern Cal3-1

19. Georgia        3-1

20. Mississippi State3-1

21. Tennessee        2-2

22. Northwestern4-1

23. Oregon State4-0

24. Wisconsin        3-2

25. Notre Dame        2-2