2008 Big 12 Championship Blog

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Highlights

10:43 p.m. | 2008 Big 12 Champs
Congratulations to the Sooners, Coach Stoops, OU's coaches and staff on the program's third consecutive Big 12 Conference championship, sixth title in the past nine seasons and 42nd conference crown overall. Get your 2008 Big 12 champions gear.

10:40 p.m. | Brown Comes Up Big
Chris Brown rushed for three touchdowns and tied a Big 12 Championship record. The total tied a career-high for Brown and marked the fourth time this season he has had three rushing scores. Brown has 11 rushing touchdowns over the last four games.

10:34 p.m. | OU Sets NCAA Record
Oklahoma just set an NCAA record with its fifth consecutive game scoring more than 60 points.

10:29 p.m. | Lendy Catches Chase
That interception was Lendy Holmes' fifth of the season. The Sooner defense stops the Tigers on fourth down and brings the offense back on to the field.

10:23 p.m. | Iglesias Breaks 100
Iglesias' 125 yards marked the ninth time this season that a Sooner has recorded a 100 yards receiving in a game. Iglesias has four of those performances and has accomplished the feat seven times in his career. In addition, Iglesias has 69 receptions this season, a mark that ranks second all-time in a single season at OU, passing his previous best of 68 set last season.

10:13 p.m. | Bassity "Lull in the Game Video"
Although the Sooners are moving the ball, we'll drop this in quickly: "A little change from the comedy featured in earlier Lull in the Game Videos, this video should get OU fans pumped up in the chase for No. 8, national titles that is. Quick note, the team's pre-game motivational video produced by Assistant Video Coordinator Jason Sanders featured portions of the video."

10:13 p.m. | Jump Around, Again
They just played "Jump Around" by House of Pain here at Arrowhead and Sooner fans started hopping. They're chanting "OU! OU!" to the Mizzou fans remaining in the stands.

10:07 p.m. | Lewis Past Bosworth
Freshman linebacker Travis Lewis recorded his 134th tackle of the season in the fourth quarter here in Kansas City. That total moves Lewis past Sooner great Brian Bosworth for most tackles for a freshman in a season. Bosworth set the previous record of 133 tackles during the 1984 season.

9:59 p.m. | 100 by Himself
Running back Chris Brown has eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark tonight, the fifth time he has done so this season. Interestingly, it is the first time this season Brown has recorded 100 yards in a game that teammate DeMarco Murray did not.

9:53 p.m. | Not Just a Pocket Passer
Quarterback Sam Bradford has been putting his athleticism on display a bit more the last few weeks. Everyone will remember his courageous dive for years to come, but it's the heads up plays he frequently makes that often go unnoticed. He showed his scrambling ability yet again on this drive by taking off for a first down.

9:46 p.m. | "Spinner" Defense
Another gem from Bassity. Not sure if you have noticed on the television broadcast, but OU defensive ends Auston English and Frank Alexander have frequently been lining up in a stand-up position tonight and even occasionally dropping back into coverage. The Sooner coaching staff refers to it as the "spinner" defense, and it was utilized a lot a few years ago with All-American Dan Cody.

9:39 p.m. | Laying the Wood
Another big hit delivered by Quinton Carter elicited a big gasp up here in the press box and prompted a great quote from Assistant Media Relations Director David Bassity: "You shouldn't bet against a Las Vegas native."

9:34 p.m. | More on Bradford
On Oklahoma's last possession, sophomore quarterback Sam Bradford passed Josh Heupel into second place all-time on the OU career passing yards list. Bradford currently has 7,480 career passing yards. Heupel threw for 7,456 in his two seasons at OU and Jason White is the all-time leader with 7,922.

9:31 p.m. | Another One for Stevens
We mentioned earlier the few number of times Jimmy Stevens has been called upon to kick a field goal this season. With that last kick, Stevens now has his first multiple field goal game of the season.

9:26 p.m. | Fans Around the World
We have received a couple of emails tonight from Sooner fans following the game from halfway around the world while serving tours of duty in the Middle East. We appreciate your emails!

"This is really making my tour here in Afghanistan so much sweeter and I still have 10 months to go! Hang another 38 on `em!" -- SFC Alfred G. Weaver III

"My name is Sgt. Christopher Griffith and I am currently deployed in the Middle East. Thank you all for the coverage of this game and the work that you do online. Limited connectivity keeps my following the game confined to the world wide web, but with the live blog I don't miss a thing."

9:19 p.m. | Halftime Notes
A couple more notes from our media relations staff:

• The Sooners' 38 first half points is the second most scored in a first half in Big 12 Championship history behind the 42 tallied by Texas in the 2005 game.

• OU's halftime lead of 31 points is the third largest in Big 12 Championship history.

• The Sooners set a school record for total yards in a season after entering the game with 6,680. The previous best was 6,682 yards posted during the 2003 season.

9:16 p.m. | Analysts on Our Side
Intern Luke Mildren just checked in with a note on the television broadcast: "Craig James and the rest of the half time crew finally came around for Oklahoma. After looking at the quality of loses for each team, Oklahoma is deserving to go into the championship. Also, Herbstreit already picked OU to win the national title because of "how quickly and effectively this offense can score". We won't get ahead of ourselves just yet.

9:12 p.m. | Already Giving In?
From the field, the body language of many of the Missouri players near the end of the first half suggested they may already be giving up. Judging by the number of seats that have become empty in the Missouri sections of the stadium, apparently their fans are as well.

9:01 p.m. | Iglesias Joins Clayton, Hinton
Senior wide receiver Juaquin Iglesias eclipsed the 1,000-yard receiving mark with 44 yards in the first half. Iglesias is the third Sooner in school history to record 1,000 yards or more in a season, and his 1,011 yards trails Mark Clayton's 1,425 in 2003 and Eddie Hinton's 1,035 in 1968.

8:56 p.m. | Record Scoring
With 38 points scored in the first half, the Sooners set a record for points scored in a season during the modern era with 678 points, besting the previous mark held by Hawaii in 2006 (656). It took Hawaii 14 games to set that mark. This is Oklahoma's 13th of the season. The all-time mark is 765 posted by the 1886 Harvard team. The Sooners currently are fifth on the list.

8:52 p.m. | Brown & Murray
Junior running back Chris Brown became the 20th player in school history to rush for over a 1,000 yards in a season and his total marks the 28th time that a Sooner has eclipsed the mark. Combined with DeMarco Murray's 1,000-plus rushing yards this year, the Sooners have two 1,000-yard rushers for the third time in school history (1973: Joe Washington and Wayman Clark and 1971: Greg Pruitt and Jack Mildren). Nice to have Joe Washington on the sideline to witness the record here in KC.

8:49 p.m. | Frank?
After that last big catch by Ryan Broyles, the Big 12 press box PA announced a catch by "Frank" Broyles, eliciting a big laugh from the media members. He quickly corrected himself.

8:46 p.m. | Lee Roy Selmon
During a TV commercial break, the Big 12 honored notable players and coaches from each conference member on the field. OU's Lee Roy Selmon, dapper in a tan coat topped with a crimson hat, received a big roar from the Sooner faithful. Priest Holmes of Texas? Not so much.

8:41 p.m. | Sam with Time
Missouri's defensive rush is simply having little success pressuring Bradford. The Sooner offensive line is allowing OU's quarterback plenty of time to pick his targets down field.

8:34 p.m. | Scoring Drives
ABC just flashed the stat on the broadcast that Missouri has scored on 56.5% of drives this season. That number is best in the NCAA. Tonight against the OU defense, Mizzou is one of four so far.

8:31 p.m. | Oranges on the Field
Don't know if you were able to see the fruit flying on the field but someone rolled an orange right behind the Sooner offensive line prior to Bradford's touchdown pass to Iglesias. Makes for a dangerous situation for the players. Keep the citrus off the field.

8:27 p.m. | Fumble
That was Nic Harris' third forced fumble of the season and Brian Jackson's third recovery. The Sooner offense appears to be ready to cash in on the turnover.

8:24 p.m. | Show Me
Hard to tell if ABC's boom cam is capturing the creative signs Sooner fans are displaying in the stands. The crowd has filled in the lower bowl and the only empty seats are the lonely corners way up high here at Arrowhead. Craig Moran up here in the press box threw out his estimate of 55-45, OU to Mizzou fans. Pretty good showing from those clad in crimson considering we're playing in the Show Me State.

8:18 p.m. | Sam's Splint
The soft cast on Sam's non-throwing left hand is barely noticeable from the field. If you didn't know to look for it, you'd never see it.

8:15 p.m. | Wide Splits
Standing behind the Mizzou offense from my vantage point in the end zone, I noticed how wide their tackles positioned themselves. The guards seem to line up a normal distance from the center but the tackles put a lot of space between themselves and the guards. The tackles seemed to have trouble at times hearing the play from Daniel as he brought the signals in from the sideline.

8:11 p.m. | Quick Notes
A couple of quick notes from the OU media relations staff in the Arrowhead Stadium press box:

• The Sooners' defense held Missouri scoreless on its opening drive of the game, a missed field goal, marking the seventh straight game that the opposition failed to score on its initial drive. In addition, OU has ended three drives with interceptions in that span (Oklahoma State, Nebraska and Kansas State). OU's opponents have only scored six points during the opening drive (field goal by TCU and Texas).

• Chris Brown eclipsed the 1,000 yard rushing mark for the season in the first half and helped Oklahoma become the first program in FBS history to have two 1,000 yard rushers and a 4,000 yard passer in the same season (DeMarco Murray entered the game with 1,002 yards and Chris Brown had 988). Seven schools in FBS history have had a 4,000 yard passer and 1,000 yard rusher in the same season.

8:05 p.m. | From the Field
After being on the field for the first quarter, we can report that the turf seems much more forgiving compared to the 2006 Big 12 Championship game vs. Nebraska. It's cold but there's not much wind down on the field. At least this time Sooner fans aren't standing on snow and ice in the stands.

7:57 p.m. | Sharing Time
In the first quarter of play, Oklahoma and Missouri had identical marks in time of possession. Both offenses had the ball for 7:30.

7:46 p.m. | Back In Action
Good to see Auston English back in action as well. The junior defensive end has sat out the last two weeks after being injured against Nebraska. English was the first to get to Daniel on the play where Carter delivered the hit.

7:44 p.m. | Carter's Big Hit
How about the blow Quinton Carter delivered to Daniel on third down? Hit hard a couple of times already, Daniel is probably hoping it won't be another long night against the Sooner defense.

7:39 p.m. | Name Game
The internal PA announcer here in the press box is having trouble with Jermaine Gresham's name. First, he was pronouncing his last name "Grisham," and most recently he called him "Jeremy." Considering how often we normally hear Gresham's name throughout the course of a game, hopefully he'll figure it out.

7:34 p.m. | New Thorn in Daniel's Side?
Former OU linebacker Curtis Lofton hounded Mizzou quarterback Chase Daniel in both meetings between the Sooners and Tigers last season. With Travis Lewis' sack of Daniel on Missouri's opening possession, maybe another linebacker is ready to fill those shoes.

7:29 p.m. | Sooners on Opening Drives
A note from OU's media relations staff: "Oklahoma scored on its opening drive for the 11th time in 13 contests this season. Jimmy Stevens' 20-yard field goal marked the first time the Sooners tallied a field goal to begin the game."

7:26 p.m. | Rarely Called Upon
The Sooners were methodical through the early part of that drive before stalling inside the Missouri 10-yard line, creating a rare field goal opportunity for kicker Jimmy Stevens. With the Sooner proficiency for putting the ball in the end zone, that was only Stevens' 10th field goal attempt of the season. It wasn't pretty, but all that matters is that it went through the uprights. OU 3, Missouri 0.

7:22 p.m. | Technical Difficulties
While the Sooners were driving efficiently down the field on the game's opening possession, we were experiencing some technical difficulties up here in the press box. We lost our internet connection for a bit but are back up and running now. Hopefully we won't have to worry about it again.

7:11 p.m. | Fire in the Air
Both figuratively and literally. The fans got their vocal chords warmed up when the teams ran out on the field. More fireworks and pyrotechnics were lit off for each team's grand entrance, creating a haze over the field here at Arrowhead Stadium.

7:05 p.m. | Fitting Salute
Many national anthem presentations at sporting events are often overdone, but we would like to point out that the one here in Kansas City was pretty impressive, including a fireworks display which was coordinated with the words at the end of the anthem.

7:03 p.m. | Dr Pepper Presence
Dr Pepper (note there is no period in the brand name) has been making its presence known around the college football scene today. Not only is Dr Pepper the sponsor of the Big 12 Championship Game, it was also the sponsor of the ACC title game earlier today, which Virginia Tech won 30-12 over Boston College.

6:49 p.m. | Loud and Proud
Both teams just headed back to their respective locker rooms for some final pregame words from the coaches. The Missouri marching band is now on the field and will be followed shortly by the Pride of Oklahoma. Less than a half-hour from kickoff, the lower level is starting to fill in. Another solid turnout for Sooner fans, who traditionally travel well for big games like this.

6:42 p.m. | Press Box Proximity
One of the benefits of playing in an NFL stadium, we have a great view of the field from the press box, which is located between the lower and upper levels here at Arrowhead Stadium. In most of the other venues we play in around the Big 12, including our own Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, the press box is typically situated on top of the upper deck. We're appreciating the proximity to the field.

6:31 p.m. | North & South
Wonder why OU is wearing its home crimson jerseys for tonight's game? It's due to the conference rule that designates the home team based on where the championship game is played. Since Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City is located in the Big 12 North, the conference's South representative is deemed the home team. That's why OU wore white last year in San Antonio.

6:27 p.m. | SEC Championship
The SEC Championship just ended on the TV sets here in the press box at Arrowhead. No. 4 Florida upended No. 1 Alabama, 31-20, at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. The Gators will take the conference's automatic BCS berth.

6:21 p.m. | Marketing, Overtime
A quick shout out to OU's athletics marketing department, spirit squad and Ruf/Nek members who endured an early wake-up call this morning to come to the stadium and distribute 10,000 crimson and white shakers in lower level seats for Sooner fans. Thanks to the quality help, the project took just 30 minutes. It's a tradition that will help distinguish Sooner fans on tonight's national telecast.

6:02 p.m. | Quick Look at Field
Much was made of the poor condition of the field here at Arrowhead Stadium, especially following the wet conditions during the Kansas-Missouri game last Saturday. The turf between the hashes, which was replaced before last week's game and where the vast majority of the game is played, looks pretty solid from the press box.

5:57 p.m. | Watch Past Five Meetings
The Sooners handed Mizzou its only two losses last season, once in Norman, 41-31, and again in the 2007 Big 12 Championship Game, 38-17, in San Antonio. Oklahoma defeated Missouri, 26-10, in Columbia during the 2006 season and 34-13 in Norman during the 2003 season. Highlights of the 2002 game are also below:

2007 Big 12 | 2007 | 2006 | 2003 | 2002
Brush up on recent OU-Mizzou history by watching the past five matchups starting with the 2007 Big 12...

5:29 p.m. | No. 2 Oklahoma vs. No. 20 Missouri
Welcome to the SoonerSports.com Gameday Blog. Throughout the evening, you can view commentary from our staff, observations from Arrowhead Stadium, notes from the media relations staff in the press box plus fan emails and reaction during the game.

Oklahoma is making its third consecutive appearance in the Dr Pepper Big 12 Championship Game and is seeking its third straight crown. The 2008 edition features a rematch of last year's title game, which the Sooners won 38-17 in San Antonio. ABC has the national telecast beginning at 7 p.m. (CT).

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