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BOX SCORE
|  | | Even Kansas State holder Mike Ronsick wasn't safe from Oklahoma during the Sooners' 41-31 win Saturday. |
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) -- It will seem like old times.
Thanks to Josh Heupel and a remarkable two-year turnaround under
coach Bob Stoops, the Nebraska-Oklahoma game is once again front
and center in the national championship picture.
The eighth-ranked Sooners, with Heupel hitting 29-of-37 for 374
yards and two touchdowns, bolted to a 17-point halftime lead
Saturday and held on for a 41-31 victory over Kansas State (No. 3 ESPN/USA Today, No. 2 AP).
While probably knocking the Wildcats out of the national title
chase, the Sooners (6-0, 3-0 Big 12) jumped into contention
themselves. In back-to-back games they have routed then-No. 11
Texas 63-14 and handed the Wildcats their first home loss in 26
games. Next they'll have a week to rest before hosting top-ranked
Nebraska on Oct. 28.
"I couldn't be happier," said Stoops, who along with three of
his assistant coaches was once an assistant at Kansas State.
"We'll take a week off and get ready to play Nebraska."
Kansas State, often criticized for its soft non-conference
schedule, had flattened its first six opponents, which included
Ball State, North Texas and Louisiana Tech, by a combined 308-61.
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Saturday, Oct. 14
You have to wonder why Kansas State only blitzed once in
the first half. It was obviously a bit afraid of Josh
Heupel making some plays. But the Wildcats defense
backed off and Heupel ate them up anyway.
In the second half, Kansas State brought the pressure; it brought eight and nine guys, finally got to Heupel and
stopped the Sooners for a while.
Oklahoma did a great job of taking Jonathan Beasley out of the game. It wouldn't let him run the option. That forced Beasley into a short-passing attack at which he isn't adept. Beasley's game is downfield, but the Wildcats couldn't do that without the option.
Several drops by Kansas State's big-name receivers Quincy Morgan and Aaron Lockett also hurt the cause. Mostly, though, the Wildcats just looked stunned at the predicament they were in.
Oklahoma came out and punched them in the mouth and Kansas State did not respond until it was too late.
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But Oklahoma, in its first true road game, stung the Wildcats
with one big play after another, shocking and silencing the KSU
Stadium crowd of 53,011. In games against opponents ranked in the
Top 10, coach Bill Snyder's Kansas State teams are 1-18.
But Snyder said again that the Wildcats are not hurt by their
schedule.
"Not in my opinion," he said. "There were a lot of factors in
our loss today, but I don't think the schedule was one of them."
Heupel was.
"They have an outstanding quarterback who made some great
plays," said Kansas State defensive coordinator Phil Bennett. "At
times we pressured him, but he got the ball off. He did a good
job."
Several times the Wildcats put Heupel on his back.
"He's a really calm quarterback," said Kansas State defensive
end Monty Beisel. "We tried getting to him. But he never changed
his facial expression the whole game. They're real proud and they
should be proud."
The crowd came to life in the first five minutes of the fourth
quarter when Jonathan Beasley's 69-yard touchdown pass to Quincy
Morgan was followed less than two minutes later by Terence Newman's
16-yard touchdown return of a blocked punt, making it 38-31 with
10:31 to play.
But the Sooners drove down for Tim Duncan's 40-yard field goal
with 3:27 to play.
"Everybody was real calm," said Heupel. "We were poised and
ready to go out. We knew we had to put a drive together and try to
get some more points."
J.T. Thatcher broke a 93-yard kickoff return to set up the
go-ahead touchdown in the first quarter for Oklahoma, which had
lost five in a row to Kansas State.
Then on third-and-26 in the third quarter, Heupel threw a short
completion to Antwone Savage, who eluded five tacklers and ran 74
yards as Oklahoma took a 38-14 lead over a Kansas State team that
had won 35 of 36 regular-season games.
"That was probably the play of the game," said Bennett.
Heupel, who owns 21 Oklahoma and Big 12 passing records, set up
another TD with a 31-yard completion to Andre Woolfolk and still
another with a 34-yard strike to Josh Norman.
Beasley hit 14-of-36 for 211 passes and one touchdown and rushed
for two more TDs. But he was intercepted twice and clearly came out
second-best in a battle between two of the nation's top
quarterbacks.
"Thatcher's kickoff return was a huge play," said Stoops. "It
gave us the momentum back. It gave us a quick score."
Beasley's 15-yard touchdown run put Kansas State on top 7-3 in
the first quarter but Thatcher's 93-yard return of the ensuing
kickoff set up Seth Littrell's 2-yard touchdown run. A few minutes
later, Curtis Fagan took a short pass from Heupel and turned it
into a 15-yard touchdown play and a 17-7 Oklahoma lead.
Beasley's 2-yard TD run made it 17-14 with 9:31 left in the
first half, then Heupel capped an 8-play, 79-yard drive with a
1-yard run on fourth down.
With about three minutes left in the half, Quentin Griffin broke
three tackles on a 17-yard run that put the Sooners on top 31-14.
Savage's 74-yard scoring play made it 38-14 and appeared to give
the Sooners a comfortable lead before Jamie Rheem's 38-yard field
goal was followed by the two quick Kansas State touchdowns.
In the three years before Stoops arrived, the Sooners were a
down-and-out 12-22. In 1{ years under Stoops, they're 13-5, and 6-0
for the first time since 1987. They're on the verge of playing
their most meaningful game since meeting Miami in the Orange Bowl
13 years ago for the national championship.
"We feel we can beat the best teams in the nation," said
Savage. "That's our main goal right now. We're just getting ready
for Nebraska."
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ALSO SEE
College Football Scoreboard
Oklahoma Clubhouse
Kansas State Clubhouse
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Oklahoma's Quentin Griffin uses his feet and fingers to reach the end zone on a 17-yard run.
avi: 659 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Kansas State's Jonathan Beasley runs through the middle of the Oklahoma defense for a 15-yard TD.
avi: 767 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Curtis Fagan hauls in a Josh Heupel pass for a 15-yard Sooners' TD.
avi: 784 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Antwone Savage hauls in a pass from Josh Heupel and goes 74 yards for a Sooners' score.
avi: 1259 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Terence Newman picks up a blocked punt and goes 16 yards for a Kansas State TD.
avi: 636 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
 Josh Heupel answers the question of who should be No. 1.
wav: 141 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Bill Snyder says his team played poor fundamental football.
wav: 135 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Bob Stoops is not surprised that his offense put points on the board.
wav: 78 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Roy Williams is proud to be a Sooner.
wav: 73 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Aaron Lockett says the Wildcats will keep going.
wav: 89 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Josh Heupel says the Sooner offense and defense complimented each other on Saturday.
wav: 110 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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