OU plan wasn't to ignore passing game
Conservative call: Sticking with the run
Sooners wind up with 47 runs and 11 passes

By Scott Wright

Published: November 26, 2006

STILLWATER — Oklahoma got conservative Saturday.

Almost too conservative.

With a little help from the defense, the Sooners ran to a 27-21 win over Oklahoma State Saturday afternoon at Boone Pickens Stadium.

OU coaches always talk about establishing the run to set up the pass. Saturday, they lived by the run — and nearly died by it.

The Sooners had 237 of their season-best 238 rushing yards in the first three quarters.

Needing to milk the clock, the Sooners ran on eight of nine snaps in the fourth quarter and didn't manage a first down. Twice they set up the Cowboys near midfield trailing by six points.

"We had to run the ball with success and I thought we would pop something there at the end," OU coach Bob Stoops said. "I was going to make them use their timeouts, which worked to our advantage at the end. It was a gamble."

The original game plan wasn't to run 47 times and throw it just 11. It just worked out that way.

"(OSU) had a good plan, I thought, trying to stop some of the things we were doing, pass-wise," OU offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said. "I felt pretty limited in our pass game."

The Sooners converted nine of 11 third-down plays in the first three quarters, but went 0-for-3 in the fourth, when they needed it most.

At times, the game brought on flashbacks of OU's 17-16 win at Texas A&M on Nov. 4, in which the Sooners rushed for 224 yards and passed for 39.

The Sooners turned over Saturday's game to their bruising tailbacks, Allen Patrick and Chris Brown.

Patrick, making his first start since spraining his ankle in the A&M game, re-injured the ankle on his first run of the game.

Brown, a true freshman playing in his fourth game, carried the ball 19 times for 74 yards.

"Me and Chris already had a game plan and knew what we had to do to capitalize to win the game," Patrick said.

"It all came down to us. We just came out there and tried to have ball security and keep the clock ticking."