Riley impressed with trick punt return, Page

NORMAN — North Texas pulled off the play of the season Saturday against Arkansas, a play that made Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley jealous, he said Monday afternoon.

North Texas punt returner Keegan Brewer managed to dupe 11 Arkansas players into thinking that he called a fair catch on a punt midway through the first quarter.

But that’s the thing, Brewer never waved his hand.

Instead, Brewer caught the punt and stood almost still for five seconds. His North Texas teammates peeled back toward their sideline, and the Arkansas players started to do the same, thinking the play was dead.

And that’s when Brewer sped off, leaving behind Razorbacks in a cloud of confusion. He raced down the North Texas sideline for a 90-yard punt return touchdown.

“It was good. It was smart. I'll tell you what it was, it was gutsy,” Riley said. “By the coaches for sure, and obviously a great job for them, but if you tell a kid you've gotta stand back there and not wave for a fair catch, if one of the guys doesn't see you and just plows you into the ground, there's gotta be some trust on that guy's part.”

Two Arkansas players stood in front of Brewer as he caught the punt, and as Riley said, nothing kept them from plowing the returner. But Brewer stuck to the deceptive plan, and it worked brilliantly.

“It was a great design,” Riley said.

North Texas coach Seth Littrell has the Mean Green off to a 3-0 start after stomping Arkansas 44-17.

Littrell, a Muskogee native, played fullback on Oklahoma’s 2000 national championship team. This is his third season at the helm, and he’s sure to be a candidate for more prominent jobs come December.

Littrell worked with Riley under Mike Leach at Texas Tech from 2005-08.

Murray, Seibert win weekly awards

Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray has been named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week for the second consecutive week, the conference announced Monday.

The junior from Allen, Texas was 21 of 29 through the air for a career-high 348 passing yards and three touchdowns in Oklahoma's 37-27 win against Iowa State on Saturday.

Murray, as he was in OU's win against UCLA, was the team's leading rusher with 77 yards.

Murray is one of four quarterbacks who have averaged at least 200 passing yards and 50 rushing yards per game this season.

He wasn't the only Sooner to pick up an award Monday.

Senior kicker/punter Austin Seibert was named Co-Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week.

Seibert made all three of his field goal attempts, including a 42-yard try that put the Sooners up 10 with 2:51 left in the game against Iowa State.

He punted twice, averaging 48.5 yards per kick, and all eight of his kickoffs sailed into the end zone for touchbacks.

"I hope people appreciate him for what he has done and for what he’s going to continue to do for this team this year," Riley said. "It’s hard to do. It’s very rare, and he’s done it at a very high level."

Seibert has collected four Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week awards in his career.

Kickoff time announced

The kickoff time for Oklahoma's Sept. 29 game against Baylor has been announced.

The Sooners and Bears will kick off at 2:30 p.m. ABC will have the broadcast.

It'll be the Sooners' first 2:30 p.m. kickoff of the season.

Oklahoma hosts Army this Saturday at 6 p.m. Baylor hosts Kansas at 2:30 p.m. Saturday.