OU-Texas Tech: Q2 Report

LUBBOCK, TX — Rhamondre Stevenson is back.

In the second quarter of Saturday night’s game against Texas Tech, Oklahoma’s senior running back lifted his jersey and showed a T-shirt that read, “I’M BACK” — though everyone in Jones AT&T Stadium already had confirmed that fact when Stevenson scored three touchdowns in the first half against the Red Raiders.

Stevenson and defensive end Ronnie Perkins returned from six-game NCAA suspensions and wrecked shop on the Red Raiders on Halloween night as Oklahoma jumped to a 48-14 halftime lead.

Stevenson rushed for a team-high 55 yards on nine carries, while Perkins had two tackles, one tackle for loss and one quarterback hurry.

After bolting to a quick 21-7 lead in the first quarter, the Sooners extended it to 42-7 in the second quarter as Jeremiah Hall and Austin Stogner caught touchdown passes from Spencer Rattler for a 35-7 lead, and Stevenson’s third TD pushed it to 42-7 with 6:28 to play until half.

Tech responded immediately with a 75-yard touchdown pass from Henry Colombi to Travis Koontz to make it 42-14, but Gabe Brkic’s 25-yard field goal pushed OU’s lead to 45-14 with 1:42 left in the quarter.

The field goal came after OU’s most sure-handed receivers dropped touchdown passes on successive drives. Freshman Marvin Mims got wide open behind the defense on what would have been a 73-yard TD bomb, but the ball bounced off his hands (OU eventually punted), and on third down before the field goal, Theo Wease dropped a quick out in the end zone.

Catches on those two plays instead of drops would have staked Oklahoma to 56 first-half points.

Instead, it was the Sooners’ most points in a half since 2008, when they scored 49 in the first half against Nebraska, one week after scoring 55 in the first half against Kansas State.

Brkic added a 35-yard field goal as time expired to give the Sooners a 34-point lead.

Rattler finished the first half 18-of-26 for 259 yards with two TDs.

Tre Norwood, replacing Delarrin Turner-Yell at safety (Turner-Yell and wideout Charleston Rambo were held out due to COVID protocol, per a source), had two interceptions in the first half.

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