Defense, Ground Game Lead No. 3 Oklahoma State Past Rival Oklahoma

Defense, Ground Game Lead No. 3 Oklahoma State Past Rival Oklahoma
John Nestor

Stillwater, OK

No. 3 Oklahoma State put an emphatic end to a few long droughts and gave the BCS something to think about after the outcome from Saturday’s Bedlam Series in Stillwater, Okla.

Joseph Randle and Jeremy Smith combined for 270 yards rushing and four touchdowns and the Oklahoma State defense forced five turnovers en route to a 44-10 victory over the bewildered Oklahoma Sooners.

The win secured the Cowboys (11-1, 8-1 Big 12) their first Big-12 Conference championship since 1976 and snapped an eight-game losing streak against the 10th-ranked Sooners (9-3, 6-3).

Oklahoma State controlled its own destiny to the national title game until a 37-31 overtime loss to Iowa State a few weeks ago. Its only chance to unseat Alabama and face LSU for the national title was to punish Oklahoma, and the Cowboys did.

Randle ran for 151 yards on 19 carries while Smith rumbled for 119 yards on just 10 carries. Justin Blackmon had 10 catches for 95 yards for the Cowboys, who outgained the Sooners 495-358 and committed just one late turnover.

The much-maligned defense, which yielded 24 points or more in nine of 12 games entering the contest, harassed Jones all night and held the Sooners to just five yards rushing in the first half. The vaunted Sooner attack had just three plays of over 15 yards all night.

In a battle of potential first-round quarterbacks, Oklahoma State’s Brandon Weeden thoroughly outplayed Landry Jones.

The 28-year-old Weeden completed 24-of-36 passes for 217 yards but wasn’t intercepted or sacked. Jones threw two interceptions and lost two fumbles – one returned for a TD and the other to the 1-yard line - that were turned into 17 points. Jones finished 27 of 50 for 250 yards. He was also sacked three times.