With its 27-21 victory over Oklahoma State Saturday, Oklahoma became the nation's leader in 10-win seasons with 29. Prior to Saturday, the Sooners were tied with Alabama.
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The Sooners have six 10-win seasons in eight years under coach Bob Stoops. Barry Switzer won 10 games 10 times in 16 years.
• Patrick's return: Tailback Allen Patrick announced his return with authority. He ran left for a 27-yard gain — his longest of the season to that point — on the Sooners' first offensive snap of the game.
On the first OU play of the second half, Patrick recorded a new longest run of the season and his career with a 65-yard touchdown run. It also was the longest run for the Sooners this season.
The previous long was a 53-yard touchdown run by Adrian Peterson against Iowa State, the same play on which Peterson broke his collarbone.
Patrick, who rushed for 440 yards in three starts after Peterson was injured, missed the last two games with a right ankle sprain.
• No TOs: For just the second time this season, OU did not turn the ball over. The Sooners had given the ball up nine times in the last two games and 28 for the season. OU did not commit a turnover in its 34-9 win over Iowa State on Oct. 14.
• Near pick: In the third quarter, senior defensive end Larry Birdine had what would have been his first career interception in his arms, but couldn't hold on. "It was like a knuckleball," Birdine said of the pass by OSU quarterback Zac Robinson, who was hit as he threw it.
"I gotta make those plays. It probably would have been a whole different game. The quarterback got tackled and I don't think anybody would have been able to catch me."
• Fumble? After Birdine's missed interception, the Cowboys went on to score a touchdown, pulling within 20-14.
One play prior to the 1-yard touchdown run by OSU quarterback Bobby Reid, tailback Dantrell Savage tried to dive over his blockers into the end zone. Birdine, who came out of the pile with the football, said Savage fumbled, but the referees did not see it.
"The referees, they had a hard time sorting things out, so I just gave them the benefit of the doubt," Birdine said. "That was a fumble. The ball was just laying right there on the ground. I just picked it up."
So why didn't Birdine celebrate his fumble recovery or seek out an official?
"I didn't want to get no flag," he said. "The refs were very strict out there."
• Boink! Garrett Hartley had converted 63 consecutive extra-point kicks before missing his second try Saturday. Following a 14-yard TD pass from Paul Thompson to Juaquin Iglesias, Hartley's extra-point try bounced off the right upright.
Hartley's last miss came in the fourth quarter Oct. 15, 2005, against Kansas. Hartley had made all 40 tries this season prior to the miss and is now 91 of 93.
• Doing his job: OU punter Mike Knall, used solely for short punts because of his accuracy at landing the ball inside the 10-yard line, continued his mastery of the task Saturday. Knall's second-quarter punt was downed at the 1-yard line, his fifth this season stopped inside the 5.
Of his 11 punts, nine have been downed inside the 20.
• Sold short: Saturday's paid attendance was 42,819 at Boone Pickens Stadium, less than 1,000 short of the 43,500 capacity.
As anticipated, the only empty seats were in the suites, where tickets ranged from $250-$600.
By Scott Wright
