Oklahoma in San Antonio: The 2007 Big 12 Championship

Oklahoma’s history in San Antonio, which spans all of one game, is about to double.

No. 16 OU plays No. 14 Oregon on Wednesday night at the Alamodome. That will be the Sooners’ first time to play in the Alamo Bowl, but their second-ever game in the Alamo City.

Their first was a memorable one.

The Sooners capped the 2007 season with a dominating performance over No. 1-ranked Missouri for their fifth Big 12 Conference Championship.

Curtis Lofton was Mizzou quarterback Chase Daniel’s personal tormentor in 2007, returning a Daniel fumble for a touchdown in a 41-31 regular-season victory over the Tigers in Norman on Oct. 13, then intercepting him and sacking him — and out-trash-talking him — in the Sooners’ 38-17 win in Alamodome on Dec. 7.

Missouri hadn’t won a championship of any kind since 1969, but winning the Big 12 North pushed the Tigers to No. 1 in the BCS Standings and opened the door to play for a national championship — if only they could avenge their regular-season loss to OU.

Instead, Oklahoma routed them, giving Bob Stoops the postgame podium for pigskin politicking.

“You all voted them No. 1 and we beat them — for the second time. And on a neutral field,” Stoops said. “No one else (that weekend) played the No. 1 team in the country.”

A two-loss team indeed was bound for the BCS national championship to wrap up that chaotic 2007 college football season, but it would be 11-2 LSU, not Oklahoma. The 11-2 Sooners were instead bound for a fateful Fiesta Bowl date with West Virginia — who was ranked No. 2 in the nation that weekend before falling to rival Pittsburgh. The Sooners were shocked by WVU, giving up 325 rushing yards to the Mountaineers and were pummeled 48-28.

Still, the ’07 Sooners will always have San Antonio.

Although it was 14-14 at halftime, OU dominated the second half as Sam Bradford completed 18-of-26 passes for 209 yards and threw two touchdowns. His 34th TD of the season set an NCAA freshman record.

Allen Patrick and Chris Brown combined for 159 rushing yards and three TDs, and the OU defense held Missouri to just 17 points — the Tigers’ first time under 30 all season.

The game truly turned when Lofton intercepted a high throw from Daniel that was tipped by tight end Martin Rucker and returned it to the Mizzou 7-yard line. That set up Bradford’s first TD pass — to Jermaine Gresham — and finally created a little separation that put the Sooners up 28-14.

Earlier, Lofton had chased down the nimble Daniel for a sack to end a Missouri scoring threat. After the play, Daniel hopped up and got in Lofton’s face as though he was unbothered, but Lofton could only laugh and point back at Daniel, who went into the weekend with Heisman hopes but completed just 23-of-39 passes for 219 yards with no touchdowns and the interception.

Patrick popped a 40-yard run to set up his own 4-yard TD and led the Sooners with 88 yards on 13 rushes, while Brown carried 23 times for 71 yards and two TDs.

Joe Jon Finley — now the Sooners’ tight ends coach — led OU with five catches for 34 yards and a touchdown, while Malcolm Kelly — now the receivers coach at TCU — had a team-high 72 yards on four catches.

Missouri mustered just 98 yards rushing on 32 attempts, including a team-high 40 by receiver Jeremy Maclin and 26 from Daniel.