Stormin in Norman
Fansided

Oklahoma football: Sooners played spoiler 11 years ago

By Chip Rouse

Nov 21, 2020; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners running back Rhamondre Stevenson (29) leaps past Oklahoma State Cowboys safety Kolby Harvell-Peel (31) at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Terry/The Oklahoman via USA TODAY Sports
Nov 21, 2020; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners running back Rhamondre Stevenson (29) leaps past Oklahoma State Cowboys safety Kolby Harvell-Peel (31) at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Terry/The Oklahoman via USA TODAY Sports /
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This was going to be a huge day in the 2020 Oklahoma football season, until it wasn’t.

The 11th-ranked Sooners were scheduled to play Saturday night at West Virginia in a game that was and still is expected the last major hurdle in Oklahoma’s improbable rebound from the ashes and journey to play for the Big 12 championship.

The Nov. 28 game under the lights at West Virginia was postponed at midweek because of what Oklahoma officials simply described as COVID-19 positive tests and contact tracing. The game is now scheduled to be played on Dec. 12 on what is supposed to be the final weekend of the regular season (the Big 12 Championship is scheduled for the following weekend in Arlington, Texas).

The Sooners may have an unexpected weekend off this year, but they were playing in another big game on this date 11 years ago, only in the spoiler role.

On Nov. 28, 2009, Oklahoma hosted its in-state rival Oklahoma State in the 104 renewal of Bedlam football.

Oklahoma State came into the 2009 contest with a 9-2 overall record and ranked 11th in the country. The Cowboys were hopeful of playing in a BCS bowl game, and they were hopeful a win over the Sooners would help seal the deal. It had not been a typical Oklahoma year. The Sooners entered the home and season finale against the Cowboys with a 7-5 record and had lost 41-13 the previous week at Texas Tech.

The first quarter featured sloppy play on both sides with both teams losing fumbles (the OU fumble occurred inside the OSU 10-yard line).

The Sooners took over the game in the second quarter, however, scoring 10 unanswered points to take a 10-0 advantage to the locker room at halftime. OU added 10 more points in the third quarter, and Ryan Broyles topped off the scoring for Oklahoma returning a punt 88 yards for a touchdown, finishing off a 27-0 shutout over highly favored Oklahoma State. (Broyles also had a 59-yard punt return earlier in the game).

Oklahoma held Oklahoma State to just 109 yards of offense (62 rushing, 47 passing) in the game, a season low. Landry Jones completed 20 of 37 passes for 224 yards and no interceptions, and DeMarco Murray rushed for 72 yards, including two touchdowns.

After the game, Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy said:

"“The only good thing about this is it counts as one loss, and I told the team that.”"

Representatives for both the Orange Bowl and the Fiesta Bowl were in attendance at the game, and they weren’t there to watch the Sooners.

Unfortunately for Oklahoma State, that one loss to Oklahoma actually turned into two as the Cowboys lost in their bowl appearance, falling to Ole Miss 21-7 in the Cotton Bowl Classic.

The Bedlam victory, on the other hand, spurred the Sooners to a 31-27 win over 19th-ranked Stanford in the Sun Bowl.

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