Sooners’ offffffffffffensive stars shine in win over Tigers
NEW ORLEANS — Heisman Trophy fifinalists Baker Mayfifield and Dede Westbrook connected one last time for a touchdown. Joe Mixon emerged from his recent controversy with big plays that had teammates lifting him offff his feet in celebration. Samaje Perine put his name in Oklahoma’s record books.
Seventh-ranked Oklahoma (11-2) had plenty to celebrate after a 35-19 triumph over No. 17 Auburn in the Sugar Bowl on Monday night, including a 10th straight victory.
“We’re a prideful team,” Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said. “And we’re confifident, regardless of the people that try to rattle the c age and shake your confifidence. ... We improved as we went through the end and we fought through the outside noise.”
M a y f i e l d p a s s e d f o r 296 yards and two touchdowns. Mixon heard boos from Auburn fans, who also shouted derisive comments regarding a recently publicized video of him punching a woman in the face in 2014. Mixon, who served a season-long suspension in 2014 and has apologized for the assault, also drew cheers from crimson-clad Oklahoma fans with his play. His two short touchdown runs were among the highlights of a performance in which he gained 180 yards from scrimmage — 91 rushing on 19 carries and 89 receiving on fifive catches.
“He has a second chance and making the most of it,” Stoops said. “He is a great teammate to these guys and one of the most popular guys in the locker room.”
Mixon didn’t answer questions about the boos or the reasons for them, saying only he wanted to celebrate with his teammates.
Perine, who announced on Tuesday he would enter the NFL draft, rushed for 86 yards, three more than he needed to set Oklahoma’s career rushing record. The previous record of 4,118 was set by Billy Sims back in 1979.
“Our backs pound people and it wears on people,” Mayfifield said.
A u b u r n ( 8 - 5 ) , w h i c h wo u n d u p i n t h e S u g a r Bowl despite dropping its last two Southeastern Conference games to Georgia and Alabama, entered the game hopeful that it would be buoyed by the return of quarterback Sean White, who’d missed the Tigers’ fifinal two games with a throwing shoulder injury.
White led Auburn to a touchdown on its fifirst series — Chandler Cox’s 3-yard run on fourth down — but the quarterback left the game for good in the fifirst half with a broken right forearm.
“Obviously, it’s a big blow. We were exc ited he was back” for the bowl game, Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said. “Overall it was a tough night at the quarterback position.”
John Franklin III backed up White but also hurt his throwing arm, Malzahn said, so Jeremy Johnson got into the game.
The Tigers’ offense was i nc o ns i s t e nt , i nc re a s i ng pressure on Auburn’s 20thranked defense to keep the Sooners’ fast-paced, highpowered attack in check.
“That’s tough. They ’re ( a mong t h e b e s t ) i n t h e nation,” Auburn defensive back Josh Holsey said of Oklahoma’s offffffffffffense, which came in averaging 557.3 yards and 44.7 points per game. “They came out and showed that tonight.”