Keep Finding a Way

For three straight games, Oklahoma's football team tried to prove it could successfully maintain an early lead.

And now in back-to-back games, the Sooners have proven they know how to come from behind.

Trailing 21-7 entering the final minute of the first half on Saturday, OU outscored Kansas State 35-14 the rest of the way for a pulsating 42-35 comeback victory before a stunned crowd of 52,122 at Bill Snyder Family Stadium in Manhattan, Kan.

Against Texas the previous Saturday in Dallas, the Sooners overcame a 24-23 deficit in the final eight minutes and posted a 29-24 triumph.

The game-winner against KSU came on a 22-yard run around left end from reserve running back Rodney Anderson with 7 seconds remaining. "The hole (inside) just kind of closed up and I bounced it outside, and then I just ran as fast as I could," said Anderson, who finished with a career-high 147 yards rushing on a career-high 19 attempts (7.7 yards per carry).

Sophomore receiver Marquise Brown tallied a career-high six catches for 126 yards.

Saturday marked the first time OU trailed at halftime since the third game of the 2016 season (35-17 against Ohio State in Norman).The last time the Sooners trailed by double-digits at halftime and won was their 31-24 double-overtime victory at Tennessee in 2015 when they were behind 17-3 at the break.

"It was really a different game for us than we've had all season," first-year OU head coach Lincoln Riley said of Saturday's contest. "We fell behind early, didn't play our best on either side of the ball ? clearly ? in the first half, but (we) responded."

In the first half, K-State's offense rolled up 316 total yards and averaged 9.6 yards per play, rushing for 256 yards on just 24 attempts (a 10.7 average). After intermission, however, the Wildcats managed just 96 total yards ? 12 rushing yards on 18 attempts (a 0.7 average) and 84 passing yards.

The Sooners' defense helped spark the second-half comeback by dominating the third quarter, allowing the Wildcats just 13 total yards and eight plays. "Our guys at halftime had a great look in their eye," Riley said. "They were determined to come out and play a lot better. Their mentality really went to another level there."

"Our guys at halftime had a great look in their eye. They were determined to come out and play a lot better."
- Lincoln Riley

Legendary KSU coach Bill Snyder had a 175-10 record when his teams led at the half, but now that mark is 175-11. OU is 38-10-1 all-time in Manhattan and 7-0 since 2000, with all seven of those wins by at least 7 points.

Said Sooners senior quarterback Baker Mayfield, "At halftime we talked about, 'Leave no doubt. ... keep fighting, keep swinging.' We had to be the physical team and take back momentum and that's just what we did. We expected it to be a solid fight. You come into somebody else's house against a good team, when you get momentum like (KSU did the entire first half) the crowd's going to be into it, and that's exactly what we saw."

Mayfield completed 32 of 41 passes for 410 yards and two touchdowns and also ran for a season-high 69 yards and two scores. He has now thrown at least two touchdown passes in a Big 12-record 20 straight games, with 59 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions coming in that span.

Kansas State sophomore quarterback Alex Delton, making just his second career start, rushed for 142 yards on 27 carries (5.3-yard average) and three touchdowns, and also completed 12 of 14 passes for 144 yards and one TD.

"It's like a Wing-T offense. He's a dynamic runner," OU defensive coordinator/outside linebackers coach Mike Stoops said of Delton. "They had a good plan. We adjusted, but some of our calls were no good against it. It never really worked until the second half. We just started to play better, guys got off blocks better."

OU All-America offensive tackle Orlando Brown reiterated what he has said all season. "We've got a locker room full of dogs," Brown said. "Every week, it's important that we win our one-on-one (matchups). Today, there's still a lot to learn from and we've got a lot to get better at, but it's dogs in that locker room and it's a brotherhood."

Saturday was a long-awaited breakout game for Anderson, a redshirt sophomore who endured two season-ending injuries his first two years at OU. Anderson scored the Sooners' last two touchdowns. Preceding the game-winner, he had a 5-yard touchdown reception with 5:16 left to put the Sooners ahead 35-28.

"(After) what he's been through, we're really excited for him," Brown said of Anderson.

Senior safety Will Johnson led OU with 10 tackles while sophomore outside linebacker Caleb Kelly had nine. Senior cornerback Jordan Thomas registered his first interception this season and senior defensive back Steven Parker forced and recovered a fumble.

The Sooners have won 14 straight true road games, which is the nation's longest active streak and is tied for the second-longest streak in the program's history. OU also pushed its Big 12 road winning streak to 12, extending its school record.

Oklahoma (6-1, 3-1) hosts Texas Tech (4-3, 1-3) on Saturday at 7 p.m. CT in the Sooners' annual homecoming game.

Players Mentioned

Rodney Anderson

Marquise Brown

Marquise Brown

Orlando Brown

Orlando Brown

Will Johnson

Will Johnson

Caleb Kelly

Caleb Kelly

Baker Mayfield

Baker Mayfield

Steven Parker

Steven Parker

Jordan Thomas

Jordan Thomas

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