Big 12 Championship: Q1 Report

Big 12 Championship, Q1 Report

ARLINGTON, TX — The biggest game in the history of the Iowa State program is just part of the routine for Oklahoma.

And having Rhamondre Stevenson makes a difference.

Stevenson, the OU running back who missed the Sooners loss in Ames on Oct. 3, carried seven times for 49 yards in the first quarter, and Spencer Rattler completed 8-of-9 passes for 105 yards as the Sooners jumped to a 7-0 lead.

After OU scored on its opening possession with some trickery — third-string and true freshman quarterback Chandler Morris entered the game as Rattler faked limping off, then Morris took the snap and sprinted 2 yards into the left corner of the end zone — the teams traded missed field goals. Gabe Brkic pushed his 36-yarder wide right, and Connor Assalley hit the right upright with his 43-yard attempt.

Sparked by two freshmen, OU started another promising drive at the end of the quarter when Mikey Henderson — back from a COVID absence two weeks ago — picked up a third-and-1, and Marvin Mims caught a pass from Rattler that probably should have been intercepted but glanced off an Iowa State defenders hands and right to Mims instead.

OU stretched it to 14-0 on the first play of the second quarter on Rattler's 45-yard TD pass to Marvin Mims.

The Sooners are competing for their sixth consecutive Big 12 Championship and 14th overall, while Iowa State is trying for its first outright league title in program history (its only other championships came in 1911 and 1912 and were shared with Nebraska).

The Sooners won every Big 12 title since the game was reconstituted in 2017 (Lincoln Riley’s first season as head coach), won two in a row before that (Riley was offensive coordinator) and won seven others under Bob Stoops from 2000-2010.

OU is 10-1 in the Big 12 title game, with the only loss coming in 2003 against Kansas State.