OU defense saves day
Sooners pick off three Taylor passes

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — As Nebraska quarterback Zac Taylor's pass spiraled toward a wide-open receiver, a Cornhusker touchdown seemed sure.

Then, streaking across the goal line, Nic Harris dove in front of the receiver. The Oklahoma safety landed on his stomach, rolled onto his back and triumphantly lofted the football into the air.

Interception.

"I came out of nowhere," Harris said. "That's where I came."

His interception punctuated the Sooners' 21-7 victory in the Big 12 championship game.

While the Huskers' offense rolled up 366 yards, it managed only a single touchdown against the Sooners. Nebraska drove inside the 20-yard line three times but only came away with one red-zone score.

"Just played great, great defense the entire night," OU coach Bob Stoops said. "They were awesome. Maybe one of our best defensive games."

While Taylor, the newly crowned Big 12 offensive player of the year, had 282 yards passing, he also had three interceptions.

He'd thrown four in the Huskers' 12 previous games.

"We knew we had to come out here and shut down the offensive player of the year," OU linebacker Zach Latimer said. "We knew they had a great running game.

"We had to step up all around."

The Sooners did, coming up with two fumble recoveries in addition to the three interceptions.

The first of those fumbles came on the Huskers' first play from scrimmage, a completion to Maurice Purify, who fumbled the ball as he tiptoed along the sidelines. Reggie Smith picked it up and returned it to the Nebraska 2-yard line. That set up Allen Patrick's touchdown run that gave the Sooners a quick 7-0 lead.

"We came up with some big plays, took the momentum away from them," Sooner defensive end C.J. Ah You said. "The defense did a great job. We knew it was going to be a hard-fought fight to the end."

Stoops said, "We gave up a couple big plays, but compliments to Nebraska. They're going to come up with some of those. I thought the coverage was just outstanding; they came up with interceptions."