Transcript Staff Writer

In Peterson they trust.

University of Oklahoma football fans at the Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium Saturday were on pins and needles in a game against Tulsa ? Tulsa! ? until Adrian Peterson broke off a 41-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter that's sure to go down in Sooner lore.

The play helped No. 18 OU defeat Tulsa 31-15 in front of 83,877 fans and avert a potential 0-2 disaster.

"He was everything we had," Norman resident Katherine Staggs said of Peterson, who finished with 220 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

"It was a big-time play by a big-time player," added Robert Dougherty, who sat next to Staggs. "It was just what we needed, when we needed it."

OU clung to a 17-15 lead with a little more than 3 minutes left, and was facing fourth down with 1 yard to go at the Tulsa 41. If the Sooners failed to convert a first down, Tulsa would have gained possession and wouldn't have had far to go for a game-winning field goal.

The Sooners gambled by not punting, and they hit the jackpot with Peterson's tackle-busting scamper to the end zone.

"It was awesome," Norman resident Dana McArthur said of the run. "Once he was started, he was gone."

Clint Ingram's interception return for a touchdown with 3 seconds left sealed the Sooners' first win of the season.

Peterson's punishing performance took OU's otherwise lackluster offense off the hook. Rhett Bomar struggled at quarterback behind an offensive line that remains vulnerable. Bomar completed only five passes for 42 yards, including two to Peterson for 17 yards.

It prompted Travis Weeden of Duncan to say Peterson was "phenomenal, and a lot of times he had to do it himself."

Sweethearts Molly Long and Jason Bowser of Woodward summarized the two schools of thought among OU football supporters.

"I say the fans need to be way more supportive of the team," Long said. "If the fans get crappy, the team will get down on itself."

"Yeah, well Rhett Bomar will have to get a lot better really fast," scoffed Bowser.