NORMAN — Frustrated beyond belief, Sooners head football coach Lincoln Riley took off his beloved white OU visor after yet another third down conversion by Army on the Black Knights’ game-tying third quarter drive that lasted 19 plays and chewed up 10:47 on the clock.
Army was still moving the chains at will.
So when the Oklahoma defense needed the most critical stop of the game in overtime while nursing a 7-point lead, Riley and the 87,177 fans on hand at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium had good reason to sweat and hold their breath.
Army (2-2) was 13 of 21 on third down and had yet to fail in moving the sticks on all four of its fourth down tries.
With seven yards to go on fourth down, the Sooners defense stepped up by getting a pass rush on Army quarterback Kelvin Hopkins, who rushed an errant pass that was picked off by OU cornerback Parnell Motley to seal the fifth-ranked Sooners' 28-21 overtime victory on Saturday night.
“The guys were tremendous on that final drive shutting them down,” Riley said. “Our guys have taken a lot of pride in red zone and overtime situations. We got them together before overtime and reminded them why we had done all that work and it was getting ready to pay off.”
The crimson fireworks — which had gone off prematurely on kicker Austin Seibert’s potential game-winning 33-yard field goal at the end of regulation — sparkled the night sky for a celebratory ending.
Sooners fans could final breathe a sigh of relief.
Upset avoided.
Hopes of a return to the College Football Playoff are still intact.
“It was a tough win tonight but a win nonetheless,” Riley said. “There was some built up frustration from all those 11 a.m. kickoffs and our team fed off the crowd, especially at the end. It was a tough game like I knew it would be.”
OU quarterback Kyler Murray’s play action touchdown pass to CeeDee Lamb, his second of the game, gave OU a 28-21 lead on the opening possession of overtime.
That score finally energized the crowd, which began waving their white towels on second and third-and-long.
Oklahoma’s defense was on the field for 87 snaps, surrendered 331 rushing yards and couldn’t seem to get off the field, with Army controlling the ball for nearly three quarters of the game — for 44 minutes and 41 seconds.
“We had our chances to separate,” Riley said. “Army executed, and as well as they ran the option, they didn’t put the ball on the ground once. They are just so prolific there in third and fourth and shorts.”
Only at the very end, when push came to shove, did the Sooners get off the field — with a ‘W’ in hand.
“They were resilient. They kept fighting even when we didn’t make the plays we normally do,” Riley said. “Our guys weren’t gonna be denied. There’s a fight about this team.”
The Sooners prolific offense, which ran 47 fewer plays than Army in the game, was held scoreless in the second half.
Army discovered the secret on how to beat OU: keep the Sooners offense off the field.
“It was a challenge,” Riley said. “Their success rate is so high. They don’t get stopped by anybody on third and fourth and short. So the pace of the game is so different than what they are used to.”
The Sooners defense remains a mystery.
“It was a tough job to get them in manageable situations,” OU defensive coordinator Mike Stoops said. “Army is a great team. They run that triple option extremely well and have some movement inside on the dive and belly plays.”
OU got its first stop with under two minutes left in the first half and forced an Army 3-and-out to start the second half.
There were glimpses of the Sooners shutting down the triple option, but they were few and far between.
After OU running back Trey Sermon — who racked up 119 rushing yards on 18 carries — was stuffed inside the 1-yard line on third and fourth-and-goal in the fourth quarter, Army took over on downs and threatened to score the go-ahead touchdown while milking the clock.
The Black Knights got 65 yards down the field before nose guard Dillon Faamatau batted a pass which was intercepted by defensive end Kenneth Mann with 2:17 left at the 38-yard line.
The Sooners quick 46-yard offensive drive was all for not with Seibert’s missed field goal, but the stop made sure OU didn’t lose in regulation.
“I’m frustrated we couldn’t get more stops, but I’m proud of the guys,” Stoops said. “We got the stops when we needed them.”
OU sophomore linebacker Kenneth Murray set a school record with 28 tackles in the game while fellow linebacker Curtis Bolton had 23.
Asked if that’s the busiest he’s ever been in the football game, Murray said, “Yea, by far. I’m just glad we got the W.”