Knock out

Sooners rip error-plagued Horns

10/12/2003

By CHIP BROWN / The Dallas Morning News

The only question facing Oklahoma heading into its annual blitzkrieg with No. 11 Texas was whether the Sooners were as good as advertised because they hadn't been tested.

Late Saturday afternoon at the Cotton Bowl, as the nation's top-ranked team posed for pictures in front of a scoreboard that read Oklahoma 65, Texas 13, OU still hadn't been tested.

"We're on our way," said defensive tackle Tommie Harris when asked if Oklahoma was capable of winning the national title.

The Sooners were their same old imposing selves, devouring Texas' shoddy pass coverage with slants and posts to Mark Clayton (eight catches for a school-record 190 yards) from Jason White (17-of-21 passing for 290 yards and four touchdowns), whose Heisman bid is now at full throttle.

Sooners running backs - it didn't matter who - found little resistance in the second half, mercifully taking time off the clock. OU held the ball nearly 13 minutes longer than Texas, which had six turnovers, five of which led to 31 OU points. The 52-point margin of victory was Oklahoma's largest of the series.

The only thing that kept Oklahoma from eclipsing the school record for points scored against Texas (68) was a decision by coach Bob Stoops to essentially take a knee, instead of trying to score, by running the ball unsuccessfully on fourth-and-goal from the Texas 10 with 7:17 left.

Stoops' decision to shift from pass to run in the third quarter temporarily slowed OU's scoring pace - until Renaldo Works chopped through the Texas defense for a 54-yard touchdown run that put the Sooners up, 51-13, with 2:10 left in the third.

And even when the Sooners looked unorganized, getting a late substitution onto the field, they kicked a 36-yard field goal as time expired for a 37-13 halftime lead.

Before the game, Oklahoma offensive tackle Jammal Brown said Texas' defense had a propensity to wear down and give up. After the game, he wasn't backing off his statement.

"You all saw the third quarter," Brown said. "Was I right?"

Twice, Stoops tried to keep Brown from talking to reporters on the field after the game, saying, "Be respectful."

A fourth straight loss to Oklahoma left Texas coach Mack Brown with far-reaching concerns. His most senior-laden team in six years at Texas (11 of his 16 returning starters are seniors) finished its career 0-4 against OU in humiliating fashion. And his defense, which gave up 552 yards and an average of 7.8 yards per play, is a disaster.

"My job is to win every possible game," said Brown, who is 3-9 against top 10 teams at Texas. "I don't worry about what other people think. But I'm disappointed in the way I coached today. ... It's disappointing for our fans, because they've got a tremendous amount of pride, and I feel like I personally let them down."

Texas calls explosive plays runs of 12 yards and passes of 20 yards. Oklahoma had 10 such plays, including a 20-yard touchdown pass from White to Will Peoples, Works' 54-yard touchdown run and a 38-yard scoring pass from White to Clayton.

Redshirt freshman Vince Young relieved starter Chance Mock on the third series of the game. And even after Mock and Young's first interceptions of the year were turned into Sooners touchdowns and a 14-7 OU lead with 3:54 left in the first quarter, Texas was still in the game.

But when Young fumbled diving toward the goal line and Oklahoma's Derrick Strait recovered at the OU 3, UT's defense couldn't stop the Sooners, who drove 74 yards to a field goal.

"The ball's at the 2-yard line," Brown said. "It doesn't mean they can take it 80 yards and score. We just didn't respond."

Defensive coordinator Carl Reese, whose unit was mostly to blame for a 38-28 loss to Arkansas, couldn't defend his players' effort.

"They did a great job, and we got whipped," Reese said. "That happens in this business. I don't think it was as much as what we were doing as we got licked."

Texas senior receiver Roy Williams, who said the Longhorns would win the rest of their games after losing to the Razorbacks, said he can't believe he finished his career 0-4 against Oklahoma.

"You want to beat every Big 12 team there is - just once," Williams said. "To lose one game hurts. To lose two games is devastating."