Oklahoma football: Nebraska scores first, last with nothing in between

Statistically speaking, the Oklahoma football win at Nebraska was over at halftime.

Some would say the game was in hand when the Sooners went up 14-7 with just under two minutes remaining in the first quarter. In the NFL, there is a two-minute warning right before halftime and at the end of the game. Oklahoma’s two-minute warning came in the first quarter.

After taking their first lead in the game at the end of the opening quarter, the Sooners scored touchdowns on three of their four second-quarter possessions, while holding the Huskers scoreless. OU led by 28 points, 35-7, going into halftime. History tells us that this means game over for Oklahoma opponents.

Game. Set. Match, and with 30 minutes left to go in the game. The Sooners are now 67-0 when leading by 21 or more points at halftime.

Nebraska went 77 yards on six plays in its opening possession of the game. The Cornhuskers gained a total of 71 yards in their subsequent seven offensive possessions.

Here are a dozen more numbers that help tell the story of this game:

1 — Backup Oklahoma QB Davis Beville mishandled a handoff in the third quarter resulting in a Sooner fumble that was recovered by Nebraska. It was Oklahoma’s first turnover in three games.

5 — Oklahoma RB Marcus Major scored a touchdown in his third straight game. He now has five for the season, which is the most for a non-quarterback at OU since DeMarco Murray (7) in 2010.

10 — Career-high 10 tackles recorded by OU true freshman LB Jaren Kanak to lead all players.

12 — The Oklahoma defense forced Nebraska to punt or turn the ball over on downs on 12 straight possessions.

14 — Oklahoma has allowed 14 or fewer points in three straight games 13 times. Brent Venables was on the OU staff in 11 of those occasions.

29 — The win at Nebraska gives Oklahoma 29 in its last 33 true road games.

30 — For the third straight week, Oklahoma outscored its opponent by at least 30 points despite trailing in time of possession. Nebraska had the ball for 30:24 to 29:36 by OU.

35 — OU’s margin of victory was its largest in a road game since 2017 at Kansas, won by the Sooners 41-3.

49 — Oklahoma’s 49 points are the most ever scored by a Sooner team against Nebraska in Lincoln.

80 — The Sooners have won 80 consecutive games when holding the opponent to 23 or fewer points.

113 — Rushing yards by senior RB Eric Gray, his most in a Sooner uniform. He also scored two touchdowns.

580 — Total offensive yards by the Sooners (312 rushing, 268 passing), their most in a game this season