I t was like waiting for the other shoe to drop Saturday night at Owen Field. Sooner or later, the game had to break. Which way was the only question.

For a moment, Texas Tech appeared poised to pull away. Antonio Huffman stepped in front of a pass intended for Manuel Johnson and returned it 54 yards and the Red Raiders led by two touchdowns 1:43 before the half.

But the lead would not hold.

After the half, it was going a different way.

Less than 3 minutes into the fourth quarter, the Sooners grabbed the lead. Certainly there was more where that came from. But the scoreboard would not change. On the clock, it was only 10:30, and yet It seemed like the score was 27-24 Sooners for hours.

Finally, facing third-and-goal at the 2, Chris Brown — who the heck is Chris Brown? — put OU over the top. His second touchdown of the game capped an 84-yard night achieved in limited action. So if you’re looking for a story, Brown’s not a bad way to go. The headline’s easy.

What can Brown do for OU?

But don’t forget the Sooner defense, which gave up 281 yards, but just 107 of them after the half while pitching a shutout after the half. Tech’s offense scored 17 points before the half and that was it, even getting three turnovers beyond the pick Huffman ran back.

So that’s another good one.

Between them, it might be enough.

Chris Brown coming out of nowhere to run for 84 yards and two touchdowns and a defense that stepped up against an offense that scares the hell out of everybody.

Nothing wrong with that, because Brown had a nice game and the defense came through. It just wasn’t the story.

Lost in the middle of the Sooners’ fifth straight win and their third against quality opposition was the biggest reason OU won this game.

Nearly forgotten by the offense since attempting 26 passes against Colorado back on Oct. 21 was Sooner quarterback Paul Thompson, who, even kind of quietly, played the biggest and best game of his life, throwing for a pair of scores and a career best 309 yards, completing 24 of 31 along the way on his last chance at Owen Field after winning the Don Key Award earlier in the day.

There’s the story.