advertisement

No. 17 Oklahoma upends Texas Tech, 41-20

LUBBOCK, Texas — Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops wasn’t surprised quarterback Landry Jones bounced back for the No. 17 Sooners after a loss two weeks ago.

“Landry’s an excellent quarterback, and I thought just overall we had a good rhythm,” Stoops said after Jones threw two touchdowns in a 41-20 win over Texas Tech on Saturday. “Our receivers did a great job coming open, catching the ball.”

Blake Bell ran for two scores to help the Sooners avenge a home loss to the Red Raiders last season.

Jones said the loss to Kansas State two weeks ago motivated him some.

“But you’ve just got to realize what kind of player you are and realize what you’re capable of and kind of silence the outside and not really listen to what’s going on around you,” he said. “Just realize who you are and go out there and play the way you think you’re capable of playing.”

The win was crucial for Oklahoma to remain in the conversation for the Big 12 title.

Both of Jones’ touchdown passes went for 13 yards — one each to Justin Brown and Kenny Stills. The one to Stills, in the second quarter, was the 100th career touchdown for Jones.

Bell, in at quarterback, scored his touchdowns from a yard out.

Javon Harris put the game out of reach midway through the third quarter when he returned an interception 46 yards for a TD to put the Sooners (3-1, 1-1) up 38-13.

Stoops said running the ball helped set up some play-action passes for Jones.

“The line protected him,” he said. “He slipped out of some things that helped, which some people questioned two weeks ago if that was a hindrance. And obviously, all through the year it’s going to help him.”

The Red Raiders had their worst defensive performance this year, giving up 380 total yards after coming in ranked No. 1 in the nation.

Seth Doege was 22 of 36 for 203 yards and had three interceptions for Texas Tech (4-1, 1-1).

The win was sweet for the Sooners, who lost 41-38 to the Red Raiders last season — a defeat that broke Oklahoma’s 39-game win streak in Norman.

“Defensively we played a better football team,” Texas Tech coach Tommy Tuberville said.

It was the first time the Sooners won in Lubbock since 2003 and also upped their record to 19-0 in games following a loss going back to 2004. They lost two weeks ago at home 24-19 to Kansas State. OU also avoided having back-to-back Big 12 losses under Stoops.

“We just dug ourselves a hole we couldn’t get out of,” Tuberville said. “Their back was against the wall. They already had a loss, and we got their best shot and weren’t able to respond.”

Harris got his second interception of the season and a touchdown in the third quarter when Doege threw his third pick of the day. The ball was tipped in the secondary and Harris ran 46 yards for the score to put the Sooners up 38-13.

OU went up 31-13 early in the third quarter on a 1-yard run by Bell. The Sooners got the ball after Texas Tech failed to get a first down on a fourth-and-5 play from the OU 36. Doege got sacked for a 10-yard loss by Frank Shannon and the Sooners took over from their own 46.

In the first half, Oklahoma’s offensive line gave Jones ample time to pass. He completed 10 of 14 passes for 121 yards in the second quarter after completing just six passes for 54 yards in the first.

Oklahoma extended its lead to 24-13 off Doege’s second interception. Safety Aaron Colvin grabbed the ball out of the air near the line of scrimmage and returned it to Texas Tech’s 41. The Sooners drive stalled at the 16 and the Sooners had to settle for a field goal.

Jones got his 100th career touchdown pass on OU’s previous possession when he found Kenny Stills in far corner of the end zone for a 13-yard touchdown that put the Sooners up 21-13

OU missed out on a scoring opportunity in the first quarter when a pass from Doege was tipped and intercepted by Jamarkus McFarland at the Red Raiders’ 17. McFarland, a tackle, ran 13 yards to the 4 before Doege hit him and he fumbled. Texas Tech receiver Tyson Williams recovered the ball and the Red Raiders resumed their drive.

Texas Tech got only a 35-yard field goal out of that possession to take a 10-7 early in the second quarter.

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.