Big 12 championship notepad

Transcript Staff
The Norman Transcript

December 03, 2006 02:26 am

— Allen Patrick’s 2-yard touchdown run came 48 seconds into the game and was the fastest score in Big 12 championship game history. The touchdown eclipsed the previous mark, also owned by the Sooners.
In 2003, Kejuan Jones scored on a 42-yard run 2:49 into the game. That was the Sooners’ only score in a 35-7 loss to Kansas State.
OU added its second touchdown when Paul Thompson hit Malcolm Kelly for a 66-yard pass midway through the first period. It marked the two fastest touchdowns in title game history in only 9:25.
It also topped a Sooner record. In 2004, OU only needed just 9:31 to take a 14-0 lead on Colorado.
Third-down conversions
Oklahoma had a string of six straight third downs of 10 or more yards in the second and third quarter.
The drought finally ended when Thompson hit Jermaine Gresham for a 35-yard pass on a third-and-10 from the OU 1.

Running nowhere
A lot was made about the importance of OU’s and Nebraska’s running games. Both averaged over 180 yards per outing in the regular season.
But neither mattered much Saturday night.
The Sooners rushed for a season low 42 yards, while the Huskers only managed 84.
However, OU quarterback Paul Thompson attempted a career high 34 passes. Nebraska quarterback Zac Taylor might also need to ice his arm today. He attempted 50 passes, tying a Big 12 title-game record for most attempts.

Field position
OU was behind the eight ball in the second and third quarters. Only two of OU’s drives during those periods started outside its 20-yard line.
Nebraska punter Dan Titchener set a title-game record for most punts inside the 20-yard line with six.
“We had the short field several times,” Nebraska coach Bill Callahan said. “But their defense was just too stingy.”
Nebraska’s worst starting position in the second half was its own 47-yard line. But none of those seven positions yielded points.

Bad beat
Oklahoma had a blocked field goal and a touchdown return from Lendy Holmes negated by a penalty Saturday night, but the Huskers didn’t get the snap off before the play clock expired.
If they would have gotten the play off a second earlier, the Sooners would have had a 21-7 lead long before they really had a 21-7 lead.
It turned out to be the oddest sequence of the game. Nebraska attempted to convert a fourth-and-6, but was hit with a false start. The Huskers finally punted facing fourth-and-11.

More offensive line injuries
Trent Williams left the game on a stretcher with just under 9 minutes left in the game.
Williams, a true freshman, was forced into starting duty Oct. 21 when Branndon Braxton went down with a broken leg.

Notes of note
Allen Patrick’s 2-yard touchdown run marked the seventh straight year the Big 12 South representative has scored first in the Big 12 Championship game … OU’s defense has held its opponent to 10 points or less in five of its last seven games … The temperature at kickoff was 28 degrees, marking the coldest temperature the Sooners have played in all season … OU has played in every Big 12 Championship game at Arrowhead Stadium. It is 3-1 in those games, having previously won conference titles in 2000, 2002 and 2004. Its lone loss came in 2003 to Kansas State … Stoops is now 3-0 against Nebraska coach Bill Callahan and OU is 43-37-3 in the all-time series against the Huskers.