Over a year since last opponent scored TD in 1st quarter: Oklahoma has not allowed a single point in the first quarter in 11 straight games dating back to last season (Missouri and Florida). The Sooners have allowed only three first-quarter points in the last 15 games. Kansas State was the last opponent to score a TD in the first quarter (Oct. 25, 2008). (PR)
Jones ties school record for pass attempts: Landry Jones 58 pass attempts ties a school record for pass attempts in game. Josh Heupel also had 58 pass attempts against Colorado in 1999.
Oklahoma last game without a TD: Oklahoma's three total points marked the lowest scoring total in the Stoops' era, surpassing the seven points in the 35-7 2003 Big 12 Championship loss to Kansas State. The game also marked the first time that OU had failed to score a touchdown since a 29-0 loss at Texas A&M in 1998. (PR)
McCoy consecutive starts: Gerald McCoy made his 36th consecutive start Saturday night to put the junior in a tie with Rick Bryan (1980-83) and Bob Slater (1981-83) for the second-longest consecutive streak start for interior defensive linemen.
Brown enters top 10 in rushing yards: Chris Brown moved to No. 10 on the career rushing yards chart with 50 yards Saturday. Brown now has 2,734 career yards. Lydell Carr (1984-87) ranks ninth with 2,910 yards. Brown also ranks eighth with 577 career rushing attempts. De'Mond Parker (1996-98) is seventh with 579 attempts.
Huskers defeat Sooners; First time Sooners under Bob Stoops did not score a TD: All's not well that doesn't end well. The Oklahoma Sooners, unable to overcome five interceptions thrown by quarterback Landry Jones, three field goal attempts missed by placekicker Tress Way, and bungled timeout management by Head Coach Bob Stoops, lost to the Nebraska Cornhuskers, 10-3, in another tight game Saturday night. (Examiner.com)
Sooners ranked No. 3 in USA Today Coaches' poll: It's as easy as one, two, three. Florida, Texas and Oklahoma, the top three teams in the preseason USA TODAY Coaches' Poll, are led by three history-making quarterbacks: Tim Tebow, Colt McCoy and Sam Bradford. With Bradford claiming the 2008 Heisman Trophy and Tebow winning the 2007 trophy, could 2009 be McCoy's year? Never before in the Heisman's 74-year history have the top three vote-getters returned the following year to New York as finalists. This fall could be exceptional for several reasons -- three, in fact. "It's a wonderful thing for those three to be the face of college football," Texas coach Mack Brown says. "They're all three high-character guys," Florida coach Urban Meyer says. "College football needs that." (USA Today)
USA Today Coaches Poll - Rank Team (first-place votes) 1. Florida (53) 2. Texas (4) 3. Oklahoma (1) 4. Southern California (1) 5. Alabama 6. Ohio State 7. Virginia Tech 8. Penn State 9. LSU 10. Mississippi 11. Oklahoma State 22. Nebraska
Big 12 media preseason poll has Oklahoma, Texas tied for 1st place: Nebraska was predicted to win the North division while Oklahoma and Texas tied for the top spot in the South in the 2009 Big 12 Football Preseason Poll, voted on by media representatives who cover the Conference. Texas compiled 17 first-place votes in the South compared to 15 for Oklahoma, however both finished with 174 cumulative points. Oklahoma State was picked third ahead of Texas Tech, Baylor and Texas A&M. OU, UT and TTU finished tied for the top spot in the South last season. The Sooners won the tiebreaker to compete in the Championship game and captured their third-consecutive and sixth overall Big 12 title. (Big 12 Sports PR)
2009 Big 12 Football Media Preseason Poll North Division 1. Nebraska (17) 172 2. Kansas (12) 164 3. Missouri (3) 124 4. Colorado 100 5. Kansas State 81 6. Iowa State 33
South Division 1. Texas (17) 174 1. Oklahoma (15) 174 3. Oklahoma State 130 4. Texas Tech 89 5. Baylor 75 6. Texas A&M 33 first-place votes in parentheses
English suffers sprained ankle: Auston English slowly rose from the bench, a black brace around his injured left knee, stood still for a minute or so, then sat back down. Twenty yards down the Oklahoma sideline, Jeremy Beal jogged off the field, having just harassed Nebraska into another punt, and was greeted appreciatedly by defensive coordinator Brent Venables. It was a case of one defensive end stepping up with the other in limbo late Saturday night. This might be the story of the Sooners' D-line, if not their defense in general, for a while. "It's a sprain," OU coach Bob Stoops announced of English's knee. "How long (English will be out), we'll just have to see. I'll let people know once they give me a number." (Tulsa World)
Points... OU's 35 points in the opening period marked the third time this season that OU has scored 28 or more points in the first quarter, a school record.
And.. more points: The Sooners' 62 points were its most ever against Nebraska. OU's 49 first-half points against NU marked its most ever in a half against the Cornhuskers. The Sooners' previous best against Nebraska was 34 in the second half of the 1954 contest.
Sooners defeat Cornhuskers 62-28: Sam Bradford threw for 311 yards and five touchdowns and No. 4 Oklahoma capitalized on three disastrous Nebraska pass plays right off the bat Saturday night to the beat the Huskers 62-28 with its biggest offensive output in the storied series.It was the kind of start that would make Nebraska fans long for the power-running days of the past, and the stars of the Cornhuskers' "Game of the Century" win in 1971 just happened to be on hand for a reunion.This game was hardly another classic in a rivalry full of them. (Associated Press)
Limited reserved tickets available: The OU ticket office has a limited number of tickets available for Saturday's game. They are available on SoonerSports.com while supplies last. Tickets are $87 and are for reserved seats in Section 26.
OU dominates Nebraska: When the Cornhuskers finally scored, it was their defense that did it. Defensive tackle Chris Spachman returned a fumble 76 yards for a touchdown with 26 seconds remaining. All that did was spoil the Sooners' shutout in a 27-7 victory before a chilled crowd of 75,004 at Owen Field. Oklahoma supporters say the loss to Miami came before the Sooners developed an offense that belonged on the same field with their defense, which leads the nation. They say it is no coincidence that the Sooners' offense began to click after freshman quarterback Jamelle Holieway from L.A. Banning High School replaced injured starter Troy Aikman during the only loss. (From LA Times)
OU-Nebraska Game of the Century reunion set: They won't be suiting up, but more than 50 Oklahoma and Nebraska players who participated in the 1971 Game of the Century will be honored during Saturday's game. Among those who plan to attend the ceremonies: Tom Brahaney, Leon Crosswhite, Chuck Fairbanks, Greg Pruitt, Joe Wylie from OU and John Dutton, Larry Jacobson, Jeff Kinney, Tom Osborne and Johnny Rodgers from Nebraska. (The Oklahoman)
Johnson limited in practice: Receiver Manny Johnson participated in practice Monday on a limited basis, and coach Bob Stoops said his status for Saturday's game with Nebraska would be determined as the week progressed. (Star-Telegram)
Granger finally speaks: Monday night after practice, Oklahoma defensive tackle DeMarcus Granger met the media for the first time since being sent home from the Fiesta Bowl for trying to steal a coat. He was reluctant to talk much about that incident. "It was a mistake. I apologized," he said. "I'm just happy to be back playing at the university." Was Granger worried that might not happen? "I'm just happy that it didn't," he replied. (Tulsa World)
OU-Texas A&M kickoff TBD: The kickoff time for Oklahoma's Nov. 8 game at Texas A&M won't be set until Sunday following this week's Big 12 Conference games. ABC has invoked its six-day window for announcing its Nov. 8 Big 12 options. The OU-A&M game will be shown on either FSN at 11 a.m., or on ABC at 2:30 p.m. or 7 p.m. (Tulsa World)
OU-Miami '09 date uncertain: Dolphin Stadium informed UM that it must reschedule next season's Sept. 12 game against Oklahoma because the Marlins are booked for a home series that weekend (and Sept. 26). Athletic director Kirby Hocutt expects to find another '09 date for the Sooners but said Miami might have to move its Oct. 3 game at UCF. (Miami Herald) OU has an open date for Oct. 3 with Big 12 play opening Oct. 10, 2009.
ESPN to televise OU-Nebraska: ESPN has picked up the Oklahoma-Nebraska game on Nov. 1. Kickoff time for the contest has been announced earlier for 7 p.m. It will be the second appearance of the season for Oklahoma on ESPN. The Sooners' victory at Washington also aired on the cable network. (SoonerSports.com)
Sooners near 100 percent: Wide receiver Manny Johnson (elbow) and tight end Brody Eldridge (ankle) didn't play against Kansas State, but are expected to return against Nebraska, putting the Sooners at or near 100 percent (excluding Ryan Reynolds, of course). "I don't see anything right now that's very significant," said OU coach Bob Stoops. Eldridge suited out Saturday, but was held out, costing him an opportunity to play in his home state. (The Oklahoman)
Oklahoma vs. Nebraska set for 7:00 p.m. kickoff; network to be determined: Oklahoma and Nebraska will play their Nov. 1 football game in Norman at 7 p.m. It won't be known for a few more days yet which network will televise the contest. The game will be aired on either ABC or ESPN, but that decision won't be made by network executives until the results of this week's games are known. Regardless of which network is selected, the game will be shown to the entire nation.(SoonerSports.com)
Report: OU plans celebration for 1971 OU-Neb. Game of the Century: Castiglione was unavailable for comment. But sources confirmed the Sooner AD desperately wants to restore the long-held goodwill between the storied rivals. That respect was badly tarnished the last time the Cornhuskers visited Owen Field on Nov. 13, 2004, a game that produced profane slurs and a lawsuit. Castiglione's plan is to celebrate the legendary 1971 meeting of the two "Big Reds." He reportedly intends to invite and honor everyone from both teams involved in "The Game of the Century." The invitation list for a Friday night dinner and a ceremony at halftime of Saturday's game will include players, coaches, trainers, managers and any other personnel who played a role in that remarkable Thanksgiving Day shootout on Owen Field, which ended in a 35-31 Husker win. Sources said that when Castiglione approached Nebraska AD Tom Osborne at the Big 12 spring meetings in May to gauge his opinion of celebrating the 1971 Game of the Century, the legendary former Husker coach "loved the idea." (Tulsa World)
Nebraska edges OU in 1978 Showdown: SI asked their writers to share their best games ever seen, #1 ranked Oklahoma vs. #3 ranked Nebraska, November 11, 1978... Lars Anderson describes how Finally, Nebraska got over the Oklahoma hump in '78.
Though, at end of the season, Oklahoma had the final laugh when OU went on to defeat Nebraska in the 1978 Orange Bowl 31-24. We can enjoy that. (Below)
Limited Fiesta Bowl tickets remain: A limited supply of tickets remain for Oklahoma's matchup with Boise State in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Ariz., on New Year's Day. As of close of business Tuesday, the OU Athletics Ticket Office still had tickets for the Jan. 1 bowl game remaining. Ticket sales for the event are now available only through the OU Athletics Ticket Office and continue online at SoonerSports.com until all are sold. The price is $135 per ticket and all sales are now first-come, first-served. If tickets do not sell out overnight through the online system, the OU Ticket Office reopens for business Wednesday at 8 a.m. and any remaining tickets may be bought online or buy calling or visiting the ticket office. Call the OU Athletics Ticket Office toll-free at (800) 456-GoOU (4668). (Sooner Sports PR)
Where the Coaches rank the Sooners: The final top 25 coaches' poll was released Sunday, and Oklahoma was ranked No. 8. Fifty-five of the 62 voters had Oklahoma ranked from sixth to 10th. But there were some notable exceptions. One voter ranked OU below 15th -- Florida Atlantic's Howard Schnellenberger, a former Sooner head coach. And only three voters ranked OU higher than fifth -- OU's Bob Stoops, South Carolina's Steve Spurrier and Texas Tech's Mike Leach. Stoops was an assistant coach under Spurrier at Florida. And Leach is a former Stoops assistant. (Tulsa World)
Callahan takes the blame for Oklahoma Loss: From HuskerExtra.com
"I was disappointed with everything I did," Callahan told reporters during a Big 12 coaches' bowl teleconference. "I just could've done a better job. I just didn't do enough."
"I'm really, really upset. I'm really upset for that performance, and it all falls on my shoulders. I'm pretty aggravated, to say the least."
Oklahoma Sooner Football Articles and Notes Nebraska sees no difference in Sooners without Peterson: Nebraska linebacker Corey McKeon said he hasn't noticed a drop-off in OU's running game without Adrian Peterson. "It's Oklahoma, and you know they'll have good running backs," McKeon said. "Adrian Peterson casts a very large shadow... You could be the second-best running back in the nation and be playing behind Adrian Peterson." McKeon wasn't sure of Peterson's replacement's name, just the number. But he saw a similarity. "No. 23 (Allen Patrick), he looks just like Adrian running hard out there," McKeon said. "He's a downhill guy and he's going to be tough to play against." (NewsOK.com) Michigan prep QB eyeing Oklahoma? Keith Nichol, the Lowell (Mich.) High School senior rated among the top five prep quarterbacks in the nation, visited OU Wednesday, even through he verbally committed to Michigan State over a year ago. "I am just going out there to reassure myself of my decision," Nichol told the Grand Rapids Press before leaving. "With all the stuff that has been going on, I want to make sure I am where I want to be." Nichol committed to John L. Smith, the Michigan State coach who was fired this season. The Spartans hired Cincinnati coach Mark Dantonio to replace Smith this week, and Nichol said he plans to visit Dantonio after his trip to OU. "He is a 17-year-old boy, and we want to make sure we are getting all the information before him that he needs," Gary Nichol, Keith's father, told the Press. "Once he has that information, he will be ready to make a decision." (Tulsa World) Current Sooners met at Nebraska: Oklahoma defensive backs Nic Harris and Reggie Smith were friends before they became teammates. The sophomores met during the recruiting process. "First time I met Reggie, we were both on a visit to Nebraska," Harris said. "As a matter of fact, we were over at the safeties' house, (Josh and Daniel) Bullocks. We were just talking about recruiting. Exchanging stats. He was overwhelmed at mine. I was overwhelmed at his." Harris, from Alexandria, La., wishes he and Smith, from Edmond, could have teamed up sooner. (NewsOK.com)
Pair of Sooners' receives Rivals.com honors: Left tackle Chris Messner and placekicker Garrett Hartley were named to the Rivals.com All-America teams. Messner, a senior from Frederick, was named third-team while Hartley, a junior from Southlake, Texas, was picked second-team. (Tulsa World)
