OU Football: Sooners Hold Off TCU For Second Straight Year To Pick Up Win

After dropping two of its first three games to open the season, Oklahoma got back on track with a 52-46 road win over No. 21 TCU in Fort Worth.

Related: Cowboys Take Down Texas In Stillwater For First Time Since 1997 

With the win, OU (2-2) opens up conference play with a 1-0 record and should carry some momentum into next week’s Red River Rivalry matchup with Texas (2-2, 0-1).

Not only did the Sooners look like they figured some things out in the win, but they had to do so while facing some adversity. Without the services of Parrish Cobb, Jonathan Alvarez, DJ Ward and Will Johnson due to injury, Oklahoma found itself in an early hole.

OU quarterback Baker Mayfield turned the ball over with a fumble on the first drive of the game, star cornerback Jordan Thomas got beat for a touchdown on the next play, and before you could blink the Horned Frogs’ held a 21-7 lead.

The Sooners were in deep trouble after only one quarter, but then everything changed.

Mayfield scored his second rushing touchdown of the game on the first play of the second quarter, and after OU’s defense picked up a much-needed stop, Samaje Perine added a nine-yard score of his own to tie the game at 21-21.

Much like the OU team from last year that made a run to the College Football Playoff, the Sooners’ offense and defense were both feeding off each other.

TCU turned it over on downs on its next possession, and the Sooners immediately went to some trickery. Mayfield handed off the ball to Joe Mixon, who pitched it back to Mayfield, who then connected with a wide open Dede Westbrook for a 67-yard touchdown off the flea-flicker to take the lead.

The Sooners’ were in the midst of a 21-0 run, but offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley wasn’t done dialing up knock out punches.

Mayfield was able to sling a beautiful pass down the middle of the field and connect again with a wide open Westbrook for a score, that time from 40 yards out as the Sooners suddenly held a 35-21 lead.

The Horned Frogs were able to tack on a field goal to make it 35-24 before intermission, but the Sooners were rolling.

Both Mixon and Perine rumbled in for scores in the third quarter, as the Sooners reeled off a 42-3 run before TCU could make another mark on the scoreboard.

But Just like in last year’s matchup between the Sooners and Horned Frogs, TCU was able to rally late in the game and mount a comeback.  

TCU ripped off 22 quick points in the fourth quarter to cut OU’s deficit to 49-46 with 5:36 remaining in the game, but OU responded with a nine-play drive that ended with a 35-yard field goal from Austin Seibert to put the Sooners up by six points with 1:55 left.  OU’s defense was able to strap in on TCU’s final drive of the game and hold off the Horned Frogs to pick up the bounce-back win.

Mayfield led the Sooners with 274 passing yards and two touchdowns while adding 55 rushing yards and two more scores. Westbrook led all OU receivers with seven catches for 158 yards and two scores, while Mixon added 70 receiving yards on five catches.

Mixon was also a force on the ground, rushing for 105 yards and a touchdown while Perine added 98 yards and two scores of his own.

Despite picking up a solid road win, the Sooners still have some work to do in figuring out the cornerback position opposite of Thomas. Michiah Quick got the start for the injured Cobb, but both he and Dakota Austin struggled at times throughout the game by giving up long touchdowns during the TCU comeback.

Even though the secondary had a rough game, the Sooners were able to record their first interception of the year when Steven Parker picked off Hill in the first quarter.

Oklahoma will be back in action at 11 a.m. on Saturday when they square off with Texas in the Cotton Bowl.