Sooners outrun trouble to score in final seconds
They rally from 21-10 halftime hole to keep alive hopes for a spot in the playoffs.
MANHATTAN, Kan. — Oklahoma has made a habit of squandering early leads much of this season. The Sooners went the other way Saturday night.
Rodney Anderson ran 22 yards for the go-ahead score with seven seconds left, Baker Mayfield threw for 410 yards and accounted for four touchdowns, and the nation’s ninth-ranked team overcame a 21-10 halftime deficit to beat Kansas State 42-35 and keep their playoff hopes alive.
Anderson finished with 147 yards rushing and also caught a touchdown pass for the Sooners (6-1, 3-1 Big 12), who shredded the overmatched defense of the Wildcats (3-4, 1-3) over the final 30 minutes.
“Our guys at halftime had a great look in their eye. They were determined to come out and play a lot better,” Sooners coach Lincoln Riley said.
Kansas State sophomore Alex Delton’s first career touchdown pass with 2:25 left it tied at 35, but Mayfield and Anderson calmly went to work. The Heisman Trophy candidate hit a series of throws down field before Anderson took a carry around the left side for the decisive score.
“As a leadership group, we took care of it and handled it,” Mayfield said. “That’s a huge win for us, considering we haven’t played well in the second half most of the season.”
Making his second career start, Delton finished with 161 yards rushing and three scores while going 12 of 14 for 144 yards through the air. Alex Barnes added 108 yards and a touchdown on just six carries.
It was the Sooners’ nation-leading 14th consecutive true road victory, and it extended their run of dominance in Manhattan, where they haven’t lost since 1996.
“I’m tired of coming into the locker room under such circumstances,” said Kansas State coach Bill Snyder, whose team has lost three straight to the Sooners. “We’ve lost far too many games. You have to play complete games in this conference. One half won’t do it.”