Oklahoma football: Sooners let another one get away
By Chip Rouse
For the second straight week, Oklahoma football let one get away after a double-digit lead.
A pass to the end zone by OU redshirt freshman quarterback Spencer Rattler on 1st-and-10 from the Iowa State 34 was intercepted by Cyclone defender Isheem Young, ending the Sooners chance for a comeback and handing OU a 37-30 defeat, its first at Iowa State since 1960.
The Sooners forced a fumble by Iowa State quarterback Brock Purdy at the Cyclone 43-yard line early in the fourth quarter, and four plays later scored a touchdown on a three-yard pass from Rattler to Jeremiah Hall to regain a 30-23 lead.
But that advantage quickly evaporated after the Sooners special teams surrendered an 83-yard kickoff return by Iowa State that set the Cyclones up 1st-and-10 at the OU 13-yard line. Two plays later Purdy scored on a two-yard touchdown run to to tie the score at 30-all.
The Oklahoma offense went three-and-out on its next possession and was forced to punt for just the second time in the game. The punt by OU’s Reeves Mundschau went just 37 yards and set Iowa State up with a short field at the Cyclone 45-yard line.
The Cyclones made the Sooners pay by scoring a go-ahead touchdown on four plays, the big gainer a 36-yard run by Breece Hall, who gained 139 yards for the game, including two touchdown runs.
This was another game where the Sooners let a double-digit lead get away. Oklahoma led 17-6 halfway through the second quarter. The Cyclones narrowed the OU advantage to 17-13 at halftime.
Sooner defense again can’t hold on to a double-digit lead
The Sooners mounted a 50-yard 11-play drive late in the third quarter that stalled at the Iowa State 16-yard line. Gabe Brkic kicked a 33-yard field goal to stretch the Sooner lead to 20-16. On the ensuing Iowa State possession, Purdy connected with Xavier Hutchinson on a 65-yard TD pass to give the Cyclones their first lead in the game, 23-20.
Brkic kicked a 51-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter to pull the Sooners even at 23-23.
Although the Oklahoma defense did pick up its second turnover of the season on a fumble recovery on a strip sack by defensive lineman Isaiah Thomas, the Oklahoma defense was unable to get third-down stops when it needed to. This game was decided on the inability of the OU secondary to cover the taller Iowa State receivers, one of which was Norman-native Charlie Kolar, who made four receptions for 66 yards.
Purdy was 12 of 24 for 254 yards and a touchdown. He also had a rushing touchdown.
Rattler had a good night throwing the football, but was done in by a porous defense, poor special teams and, for a second straight game, costly offensive and defensive Sooner penalties.
The loss was only the seventh by Oklahoma to Iowa State in 85 games in the series. It is the second time since 2016 that the Sooners have begun the season 1-2.
OU’s College Playoff hopes this season are now history and their chances for a sixth consecutive Big 12 Championship are on life support. And the schedule doesn’t get any better with Texas next up in the annual rivalry game next Saturday in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.