Oklahoma Football: 3 takeaways from Bedlam win vs. Oklahoma State
By Dana Becker
Bedlam lived up to its name Saturday, as Oklahoma football scored a 62-52 victory over arch-rival Oklahoma State.
Baker Mayfield likely positioned himself as the Heisman favorite moving forward, throwing for a school-record 598 yards and accounting for six touchdowns to best Cowboy quarterback and fellow Heisman contender Mason Rudolph.
Rudolph finished with 448 yards and five scores, but three costly turnovers in the second half kept Oklahoma State from mounting a comeback.
Mayfield’s record wasn’t the only one to fall, as Marquise Brown caught nine passes for a school-best 265 yards, scoring on touchdowns of 84 and 77 yards for the Sooners (8-1, 5-1 Big 12).
It wasn’t just the passing game that was clicking for Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley, as Rodney Anderson ran for 111 yards and Trey Sermon added 81. Justice Hill led the Cowboys with 228 yards on the ground, but the loss of star wide receiver James Washington hindered Rudolph.
The two teams put forth a wild opening 30 minutes, heading into the locker room tied up at 38-38. In the second quarter alone, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State scored 52 points and racked up 540 yards, with Mayfield going for 387. Rudolph had 258 yards passing and three of his scores in the first half.
The win puts Oklahoma in the driver’s seat of the Big 12 race, as Iowa State lost to West Virginia. The Cowboys (7-2, 4-2 Big 12) can work to keep their league standing when they travel to Ames to face the Cyclones next Saturday.
Oklahoma gets TCU in Norman in another key conference clash.
Here are three takeaways from Saturday’s latest edition of Bedlam: