TCU Win All About Survival

NORMAN ? For the Oklahoma football team, Saturday afternoon's game at TCU was all about survival.

It didn't matter the Sooners, who entered the day with a 1-2 record, had dropped out of the Top 25 rankings before October for the first time since 2005. Their double-digit losses to two College Football Playoff contenders were now in the rearview mirror. Waiting in Fort Worth was a fresh start in a Big 12 Conference opener against a bunch of Horned Frogs who have given OU tight game after tight game since they joined the conference in 2012.

The Sooners' 52-46 survival at Amon G. Carter Stadium was a Jekyll and Hyde performance turned in by both teams.

First quarter:?TCU jumped out to a 21-7 lead, gaining 174 yards and averaging 9.3 yards per play.

Second and third quarters:?OU outscored the Horned Frogs 42-3 and outgained them 356-113 in total yards.

Fourth quarter:?TCU scored 22 unanswered points to narrow its deficit to 49-46. The Sooners managed to add a 35-yard field goal with 1:55 left and then sealed the deal in a very peculiar manner ? with a defensive stand in the final minute.

You'd assume a game with 98 combined points, 1,048 total yards and just shy of 7.0 yards per play for each team would be unchartered territory for defense, and it often looked like it was.

Dede Westbrook hauled in a pair of long TD passes.

Amazingly, those numbers would have been much higher had both defenses not stiffened up in key moments ? TCU in the first period; OU in the second and third; TCU again in the fourth; and OU one last time in the final two minutes.

"I like the way we fought back," TCU coach Gary Patterson said afterward. "What I wasn't happy with was that we did it when (Oklahoma) let down."

Although they had an open date last weekend to regroup and heal up, the Sooners still had to go with makeshift lineups on both sides of the ball. Former walk-on Eric Wren was granted a scholarship on Monday and wound up playing center in his first career start five days later. Ben Powers lined up at left guard and made his first career start, replacing Jonathan Alvarez, who was injured this week.

On defense, inside linebacker Emmanuel Beal made his first career start in place of an injured Tay Evans and finished with a career-high eight tackles and a half a tackle-for-loss. Austin Roberts made his first career start, replacing an injured Matt Dimon.?Kahlil Haughton made his first career start at safety after Steven Parker replaced a banged up Will Johnson at the nickel back position.?And former receiver Michiah Quick made his first career start at cornerback in place of an injured Parrish Cobb.

After the slow start, the Sooners' offense excelled in key moments.

Sophomore running back Joe Mixon had 105 yards rushing, his second 100-yard game of the season, and also caught five passes for 70 yards. Wide receiver Dede Westbrook had a career-long, 67-yard reception on a flea-flicker pass from Mayfield. Westbrook has two touchdown receptions and finished with a career-high 158 yards (107 in the second quarter alone).

"Our front (defensive) guys got a lot of pressure against the run," Stoops said. "Our defense was great. In the second and third quarters our pass coverage couldn't have been much better. We had a bunch of three-and-outs, we're doing it and then for whatever reasons, we get into some situations and they can't make a play."

"We made plays at the end that we had to to win. I know we're better than that. It's just frustrating when you come out and play that way."
? Bob Stoops

OU junior quarterback Baker Mayfield completed 23 of 30 passes for 274 yards and two touchdowns. However, he also lost two more fumbles, which gives him three already this season. On the plus side, Mayfield ran for two touchdowns by making the right decision and finishing tough runs.

TCU quarterback Kenny Hill countered by completing 26 of 44 passes for 449 yards and five touchdowns. Wide receiver Taj Williams caught five passes for 210 yards (42.0 yards per). He had touchdown receptions of 64 and 74 yards in the fourth quarter alone.

Once again, the Sooners struggled mightily in pass coverage. "We made plays at the end that we had to win," Stoops said afterward. "We were playing so well in the second and third quarters, it's just so disappointing to not be able to cover a deep ball. I know we're better than that. It's just frustrating when you come out and play that way... They just ran by us and that's the part you can't explain. That's Football 101."

The Sooners have won nine of the 20 Big 12 championships. All have come under Stoops in his 17 years, with or without using a conference championship game. OU was the preseason favorite to make it 10 out of 21 titles by winning this year's crown. A loss to the Horned Frogs would have had saddled the Sooners with their worst season start since going 0-4 under coach John Blake in 1996.

Then again, we've learned OU simply doesn't lose two straight in the regular season under Stoops. The Sooners have now won 36 straight after a regular-season loss. Thanks to the TCU result, OU has a key road conference win and is treading water at 2-2 heading into Saturday's 11 a.m. contest against Texas (also 2-2) at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.

You'd think a team that gets outscored 21-7 in the first quarter and 22-3 in the final quarter wouldn't possibly be able to make up the difference in the second and third quarters, but the Sooners did with their 42-3 spurt sandwich.

When you've lost two of your first three games, it doesn't matter?how?you win. It matters?that?you win.

Samaje Perine with Sooner fans after the win. For more photos, click here.

Players Mentioned

Jonathan Alvarez

Emmanuel Beal

Matt Dimon

Tay Evans

Kahlil Haughton

Kahlil Haughton

Will Johnson

Baker Mayfield

Baker Mayfield

Joe Mixon

Joe Mixon

Steven Parker

Samaje Perine

Samaje Perine

Ben Powers

Ben Powers

Michiah Quick

Michiah Quick

Austin Roberts

Dede Westbrook

Dede Westbrook

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