Efficient White leads No. 2 Sooners past Texas Tech

[DJRamFan]

Oct. 2, 2004
SportsLine.com wire reports
NORMAN, Okla. -- Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops will be perfectly pleased to settle for 151 yards passing from Jason White in game after game, as long as the modest stats come with victories.

Last season's Heisman Trophy winner produced little yardage but he did complete three touchdown passes to break the OU's career record, and Adrian Peterson ran for 146 yards and a score to lead the second-ranked Sooners past Texas Tech 28-13 Saturday.

"We don't go into any game looking for numbers or looking to put anybody's numbers where they should be," Stoops said. "We go in to win, and Jason operated our offense. ... You forget about his efficiency and the way he executed. He was really solid."

Tech quarterback Sonny Cumbie, who entered the game as the nation's leading passer, looked sharp at times but had three interceptions and a fumble. He was 36-for-55 for 369 yards, 60 below his average -- but still much better on paper than White fared.

White broke Josh Heupel's school mark of 53 TD passes in the third quarter, when fullback J.D. Runnels caught a pass in the right flat and took it into the end zone to put Oklahoma ahead 21-6.

Travis Wilson caught White's other two touchdown passes, in the second and fourth quarters.

White, who went 15-for-24 for just the 151 yards, appeared a little late on several throws in the first half when his 14 attempts yielded merely 55 yards. But he was on the mark when he needed to be after halftime.

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"I had a few bad throws starting off, but you've just got to keep playing the next play and forget about the bad ones and keep moving on," White said.

Peterson, making his first start in place of injured Kejuan Jones, scored on a 1-yard touchdown run in the first quarter and topped 100 yards rushing for his fourth straight game -- extending his own Oklahoma freshman record.

Peterson set up Oklahoma's first score with a 61-yard run around the right end and down the sideline. Texas Tech's Khalid Naziruddin caught Peterson at an angle and dove to tackle the freshman as he tried to turn toward the goal post.

"Mark Clayton made a great block, James Moses made a block outside, and I cut it up and just ran the ball until I got tripped up a little bit," Peterson said. "That was a good run."

Three plays later, Peterson bounced off a couple tacklers and reached the ball across the goal line to make it 7-0.

Peterson had a 57-yard touchdown run in the third quarter negated by a holding call against Jammal Brown. He stayed face down on the field briefly after a short run in the fourth quarter but jogged off after trainers came out to tend to him.

"My leg got stuck in the grass and somebody grabbed it," Peterson said. He said his knee was not sprained and felt OK after the game.

The Sooners kept Texas Tech's prolific offense out of the red zone until the fourth quarter, holding the Red Raiders to Alex Trlica's two field goals until less than 5 minutes were left in the game.

The Red Raiders finally got into the end zone on an 8-yard run by Johnnie Mack to cut it to 28-13 with 4:50 left, but Oklahoma recovered an onside kick and ran out the clock.

While Cumbie had the better passing total, White had the day's best play. After eluding a blitzer, White stepped up and zipped a 9-yard pass to Wilson, whose defender slipped in the end zone.

"I knew from the get-go that's who I was going to," White said. "That's where I wanted to go. It was just a matter of waiting for him to clear.

"I just knew if I could get it up there, Travis would go get it."


AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service

Copyright 2004, The Associated Press, All Rights Reserved

[theodus69]

DJ- are you a sooner fan? They were actually the first football team I knew(parents are from Binger & lokeeba) So I've been a fan since I was 2 yrs old. Accorrding to POP !

[txramsfan]

Adrian Peterson is the real deal. However, that defense dosen't look as intimidating as it has in the past.

We'll see Saturday at 11 AM CST.

[DJRamFan]

no, no, no, not a sooner fan. more of a michigan fan actually.