The Mountaineers seemed determined not to let Samaje Perine destroy them like he did last year, and they did a decent job of it. They even knocked him on his behind once with an upper-body hit, which is almost unheard of with Perine. However, Baker Mayfield shredded the ‘Eer secondary for 320 yards and three touchdowns, and the Sooner defense added a score of its own, and set up a couple of others.
This game was 24-7 at the half, and the Sooners looked to have it well in hand. That didn’t last long after intermission, as a quick WVU touchdown followed by a field goal off a Dede Westbrook fumble cut the Sooner lead to only seven points with 6:57 left in the third quarter. A few minutes later, a 50-yard keeper by WVU QB Skyler Howard cut the lead to 27-24. A 71-yard TD pass from Mayfield to Durron Neal with only seconds to go in the quarter took the advantage back to double digits.
The Sooner defense would dominate the fourth quarter. Eric Striker’s patented strip sack led to Jordan Evans’; 41-yard TD return to make it 41-24 with 9:37 to play in the game. A couple of interceptions later, and it was all over but the shouting.
We knew it would be a long day when we realized that Alan Eck’s crew, late of the Texas “conspiracy” game, was working today’s game. It was as if they wanted to demonstrate to our burnt orange friends with their performance in this game that they weren’t biased against the Horns. And, indeed, it was clear from today that it is not bias, but rank incompetence, that infects this particular crew.
From the mystifying no-call on a clear targeting penalty in the first quarter, when Westbrook got earholed by the crown of WVU’s Karl Joseph’s helmet, to the lack of a whistle when WVU’s QB threw a pass not only after his knee was down, but his chest was about four inches from the ground, to the avalanche of personal foul penalties, this crew was horrible. They don’t need to be working any more Oklahoma games, this season or any other.
And so, we are on to Texas. 1-4 Texas. Laughingstock Texas. They are a wounded animal, and they have nothing left to play for. A bowl game would be a miracle. All they have is next Saturday’s game. It is their bowl game. We will get their best shot. While it has been fun to laugh at them up until now, they will give us all they have, and more. We need only remind you of what an 0-4 Oklahoma team did to a ranked Texas team in 1996 to let you know that anything could happen here.
We are honestly committed to the idea that it is better for Oklahoma if both teams are good and this game is a big game nationally. That said, demolishing them when they are bad is just as delicious as doing it when they are good. The Big Picture part of it isn’t there, but it matters not to those of us in the Cotton Bowl, in the moment.
This game goes one of two ways. The more likely, and the more desirable, is that they are really as bad as they have looked, and they have given up on the season, and we destroy them in the classic manner. If that doesn’t happen, we will be in a dogfight right to the end. No way to know which way it goes until it happens.
Either way, we will be there for the 27th season in a row, to see it. Have fun and be safe in Dallas, and BEAT THE HELL OUTTA TEXAS!!!
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