South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
Rattler leads Sooners by Cyclones
Oklahoma wins 6th straight Big 12 title, 7th straight game
ARLINGTON, Texas — Spencer Rattler
threwa45-yardtouchdowntoMarvinMims and also ran for a score asNo. 12 Oklahoma won its sixth consecutive Big 12 title, holding on to beat No. 8 Iowa State 27-21 in the conference championship game Saturday.
That impressive title streak probably won’tbeenoughto get the Sooners (8-2, No.
10 CFP) back in the College Football Playoff for the fourth year in a row, even when paired with their seven-game winning streak. Oklahoma lost at Iowa State on Oct.
3 andwas0-2 in Big 12 play for the first time since 1998.
Big 12 rushing leader BreeceHall ran for two touchdowns for the Cyclones (8-3, No.
6 CFP) in the second half, when Oklahoma punted on its first five drives before Gabe Brkic’s 32-yard field goalwith 2:01 left. The Sooners finally clinched the game when Iowa State quarterback Brock Purdy was under pressure and threw his third interception, a fluttering pass picked off by Tre Brown inside the 10.
The Sooners will play in aNewYear’s Six game, probably back atAT&TStadium, after winning their fourth Big 12 championship in a rowsince the title gamewas reinstated — with four different starting quarterbacks. Rattler, who finished 22-of-34 passing for
272yards andhis25thTD, is the first of those
QBs who went to Oklahoma as a freshman instead of transferring into the program.
Iowa State played in a conference championship game for the first time in school history, thoughfifth-yearcoachMattCampbellwas incensed at times. Standout defensive back Isheem Young was ejected after a questionable targeting call in the opening minute, and the Cyclones later didn’t get a fourth-downcall when trying to draw Oklahoma offside even when two Sooners appeared to jump over the line.
Rattler hit Mims in stride behind two defendersonthe opening playof the second quarter to putOklahomaup14-0. Thatcame after a 16-yardcatchbyMimstoendthe first quarter on a pass that first deflected off two
defenders. Campbell lost it on the sideline, pointing and screaming, but like his team calmed downand got back in the game.
After Iowa State finally scored with 1:34 left inthe firsthalfonPurdy’s 10-yardtouchdown pass to tight end Charlie Kolar, the Sooners got a 43-yard kickoff return from Brown. That set up a quick four-play drive capped by Rattler’s 9-yard keeper for a 24-7 halftime lead.
Oklahoma led throughout, scoring on the game’s opening drivewhen third-string freshman quarterback Chandler Morris came in for a 2-yard TD keeper. Brkic, who was just wide right on a 43-yard field goal attempt, was later good on a 54-yarder that was the longest for the Sooners since 1990.