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BOX SCORE
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) -- Top-ranked Oklahoma didn't look the part
for much of the day against Texas Tech. With the game on the line,
that changed.
Led by Josh Heupel, the Sooners drove 71 yards in 12 plays and
chewed up more than five minutes of the clock to score the
clinching touchdown in a 27-13 victory Saturday.
|  | | The Oklahoma defense allowed just 21 rushing yards Saturday vs. Texas Tech. |
Heupel was intercepted twice and had a season-low 248 yards
passing, but was 7-of-8 for 60 yards on the final drive, including
a 15-yard completion on a third-and-4 play to set up the touchdown.
"For our guys to put that drive together says a lot about their
character and toughness," coach Bob Stoops said. "And Josh comes
up with the huge play there at the end."
The victory gave the Sooners (10-0, 7-0 Big 12) the Big 12 South
Division championship. They close out the regular season next week
against Oklahoma State, then will play North Division winner Kansas
State on Dec. 2 in Kansas City for the conference championship.
Texas Tech (7-5, 3-5) put up a good fight in coach Mike Leach's
return to Norman, getting within eight at 21-13 midway through the
fourth. But Oklahoma ended any upset hopes with the late drive.
"Basically we didn't have any tempo and rhythm," Heupel said.
"When our offense is clicking on all cylinders, we have a tempo
and rhythm inside the huddle. We weren't able to get that.
"Fortunately, we were able to get out of here with a win."
As Oklahoma's offensive coordinator last year, Leach installed
the spread offense that Oklahoma has used to lead the nation in
scoring at 44.7 points per game. His Red Raiders controlled the
clock much of the day, with Kliff Kingsbury completing 41 of 61
passes for 295 yards.
The Red Raiders used their second interception of Heupel to get
a field goal early in the fourth, then took advantage of good field
position to set up Kingsbury's 15-yard touchdown pass to Tim Baker
to get within 21-13 with 7:13 to play.
That's when Heupel took over. He spread the ball to four
receivers on the final drive, including a 15-yarder to tight end
Matt Anderson on a bootleg pass that placed the ball at the 3-yard
line. Quentin Griffin scored on the next play.
Stoops said it was Heupel who came up with the bootleg call
during a timeout.
"He says, `Let's fake the run and roll to the right. It gives
me a chance to run with it or eat it,' " Stoops said. "Matt
Anderson's covered. He puts the ball just out of the reach of the
defender and Matt makes a great catch. It was a great job of Josh
really having a feel for the game."
The touchdown came with just 1:53 remaining and ensured that
Leach wouldn't play the spoiler in his return.
"I thought our defense did a really good job keeping a lid on
them, making 'em work for everything they got," Leach said. "We
just tried to keep changing the looks. We got some turnovers and
got the ball back sometimes. Overall I thought it was pretty
effective."
Heupel wound up 24-of-38. The Sooners had 11 penalties for 124
yards, had a field goal and an extra point blocked, lost two of
their four fumbles, finished with their lowest point total of the
season and second-lowest yardage total.
Oklahoma's offense took longer than any game this season to get
into the end zone. It wasn't until the 5:38 mark of the second
quarter that Heupel found Trent Smith on a 6-yard scoring pass to
complete a 79-yard drive.
Oklahoma's first touchdown had come in the first quarter when
J.T. Thatcher intercepted a tipped pass and returned it 85 yards
for a score.
But Thatcher muffed a punt in the second quarter, giving the Red
Raiders the ball at the 22 and leading to their only first-half
points, a 42-yard field goal by Chris Birkholz.
A 51-yard completion from Heupel to Curtis Fagan on the first
play of the second quarter gave the Sooners a first down at the
17-yard line, but Josh Norman fumbled the ball away on the next
snap.
Heupel had completions of 16 yards to Matt Anderson and 23 yards
to Josh Norman to set up Renaldo Works' 5-yard touchdown run midway
through the third quarter, giving the Sooners a 21-3 lead.
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ALSO SEE
College Football Scoreboard
Texas Tech Clubhouse
Oklahoma Clubhouse
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Josh Heupel finds Trent Smith for the 6-yard touchdown pass.
avi: 610 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Texas Tech linebacker Dorian Pitts puts the pads to Oklahoma QB Josh Heupel.
avi: 526 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Oklahoma's Renaldo Works scores on the 5-yard sweep.
avi: 497 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Tim Baker corals the Kliff Kingsbury pass in the end zone for the Texas Tech score.
avi: 782 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Oklahoma's J.T. Thatcher intercepts Kliff Kingsbury and returns it 84 yards for the score.
avi: 1169 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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