Their Second Straight Fiesta Bowl

Sooners jumble BCS mess

Missouri falls from title berth, probably landing in Cotton Bowl

By Randy Riggs
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Sunday, December 02, 2007

SAN ANTONIO — For the Oklahoma Sooners, it's just another trophy for their shelf.

But for Missouri's Tigers, OU's 38-17 victory on Saturday night in the Big 12 championship game at the Alamodome meant the end of a national title dream — for them and their league.

Jay Janner
AMERICAN-STATESMAN

OU's Jermaine Gresham (second from left) is congratulated by teammates after scoring a third-quarter touchdown against Missouri. OU is Fiesta Bowl-bound.

Jay Janner
AMERICAN-STATESMAN

Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel walks off the field after the Tigers' loss. With the defeat at the hands of Oklahoma, Missouri lost out on a conference title \— and, more importantly, a chance to play for the national title. Daniel's Heisman Trophy candidacy may have ended, too.

The Big 12 should be used to seeing one of its national title-contending teams derailed in the conference championship game. Saturday marked the fourth time that has happened in the league's 12-year history.

But this was new to Mizzou. If it's any consolation to the formerly top-ranked Tigers — and it assuredly isn't — they've got a lot of company in their misery.

With their high-powered offense failing to fully capitalize on numerous trips inside the Oklahoma red zone, Missouri (11-2) saw its berth in the Jan. 7 championship game evaporate. The Tigers are likely bound for the Cotton Bowl to face either Tennessee or Arkansas.

"I would like to think if you're 11-2, it's somewhat of a success," Tigers coach Gary Pinkel said. "Certainly we're disappointed, but we'll get over this and learn from it and be a better team."

The Sooners (11-2) will appear in their second straight Fiesta Bowl after claiming a fifth straight Big 12 crown. They could meet conference foe Kansas — they didn't face each other this season — or perhaps Arizona State.

In this totally unpredictable season, the Tigers became the fifth top-ranked team to be knocked from its perch since Oct. 6. With their loss and No. 2 West Virginia's stunning home upset to Pittsburgh, the national title race opened up, with bowl berths set to be announced today.

Oklahoma scuttled the Tigers' hopes with an aggressive, stifling defense. It frustrated Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel, the Big 12's top offensive player, whose Heisman Trophy dreams also went by the wayside in Mizzou's first-ever appearance in the Big 12 championship game.

Missouri entered as the only team in the nation to score at least 30 points in every game. Twice in the first half and once in the second, the Tigers had first-and-goal situations but had to settle for chip-shot field goals after they were denied by the Sooners.

"Our defense played outstanding in the second half," OU coach Bob Stoops said. "I felt we could have been better in the first half. I was displeased with how they ran the ball some. But it was just a complete game for us.

"We play very good defense. I don't know why that would be so surprising to people. It's not to us."

With the score 14-14, Oklahoma blew the game open midway through the third period.

After a 4-yard scoring burst by Allen Patrick capped an 80-yard march and gave OU a 21-14 lead, the defense sealed the deal for the Sooners. On Missouri's second play, linebacker Curtis Lofton intercepted a pass that deflected off the hands of all-conference tight end Martin Rucker.

Lofton returned the ball 26 yards to the Tiger 7-yard line. On second down from the 5, OU's heady freshman quarterback Sam Bradford found tight end Jermaine Gresham open in the back of the end zone to build the Sooner lead to 28-14.

Bradford completed 18 of 26 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns. He was not intercepted.

Daniel, meanwhile, completed 23 of 39 passes for 219 yards, his second-lowest total of the season. He was intercepted once and failed to throw a touchdown pass in a game for the first time this year.

The Sooners, defeating Missouri for the sixth straight time, added a 4-yard scoring catch by tight end Joe Jon Finley and a 26-yard field goal by Garret Harley.

The Tigers, who had to settle for field goals on their first two forays deep into OU territory, capitalized on their third try.

They tied the game at 14-all with 14 seconds left before intermission, on a 4-yard run by Daniel and a bit of razzle-dazzle on a 2-point conversion.

On the conversion, Tony Temple took a handoff and swept left before handing off to Maclin on an apparent reverse. But Maclin pulled up as the Sooners closed in and lobbed a pass to a wide-open Rucker for the game-tying two points.

Missouri's TD drive was aided by a personal-foul call on OU linebacker Ryan Reynolds for grabbing Rucker's facemask at the end of a 13-yard reception. The play and penalty moved the ball from the Mizzou 47-yard line to the Sooners' 25.

Oklahoma penalties also aided the Tigers on their scoring drives that ended in 28- and 18-yard field goals by Jeff Wolfert.

The Sooners' first-half touchdowns were supplied by Chris Brown.

The 202-pound sophomore tailback, who scored three TDs in OU's 41-31 victory over the Tigers on Oct. 13, punched it in twice in the second quarter Saturday, from three and two yards out.

rriggs@statesman.com; 445-3957

No. 9 Oklahoma 38, No. 1 Missouri 17

Oklahoma 0 14 14 10 — 38

Missouri 3 11 0 3 — 17

First Quarter

Mo—FG Wolfert 28, 3:19.

Second Quarter

Okl—Brown 3 run (Hartley kick), 14:57.

Mo—FG Wolfert 18, 9:46.

Okl—Brown 2 run (Hartley kick), 3:41.

Mo—Daniel 4 run (Rucker pass from Maclin), :14.

Third Quarter

Okl—Patrick 4 run (Hartley kick), 4:04.

Okl—Gresham 5 pass from Bradford (Hartley kick), 2:32.

Fourth Quarter

Mo—FG Wolfert 32, 14:51.

Okl—Finley 4 pass from Bradford (Hartley kick), 10:28.

Okl—FG Hartley 26, 3:42.

A—62,585.

Statistics Okl Mo

First downs 19 23

Rushes-yards 40-166 32-98

Passing 209 219

Comp-Att-Int 18-26-0 23-39-1

Return Yards 49 3

Punts-Avg. 4-49.5 6-44.5

Fumbles-Lost 0-0 0-0

Penalties-Yards 13-113 7-93

Time of Possession 32:34 27:26

Individual statistics

Rushing—Oklahoma, Patrick 13-88, Brown 23-71, Gutierrez 2-11, Team 2-(minus 4). Missouri, Maclin 4-40, Daniel 11-26, Temple 13-26, D.Alexander 1-19, Jackson 1-0, D.Washington 1-(minus 2), Saunders 1-(minus 11).

Passing—Oklahoma, Bradford 18-26-0-209. Missouri, Daniel 23-39-1-219.

Receiving—Oklahoma, Finley 5-34, Kelly 4-72, Iglesias 3-32, Gresham 2-34, Brown 2-22, M.Johnson 1-17, Patrick 1-(minus 2). Missouri, Maclin 8-69, Rucker 6-76, Saunders 6-61, Franklin 2-19, D.Washington 1-(minus 6).

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