Cowboys outlast Sooners in overtime

NORMAN, OKLA. » Injuries finally caught up with Oklahoma.

Samaje Perine ran for 151 yards and two touchdowns before leaving Saturday’s game against Oklahoma State with a severely sprained left ankle, and he didn’t return.

The Sooners squandered a two-touchdown lead after the injury, and Oklahoma State rallied for a 3835 win in overtime.

The Sooners also were without quar t erba ck Trevor Knight for the third straight game with a neck injury. Top receiver Sterling Shepard, who has been in and out of the lineup with a groin injury, left the game early again.

“When some of your better players aren’t in there, it changes you a little bit,” Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said. “You’re not quite as effective.”

Perine, who ran for a major-college record 427 yards in his previous game, was hit and fumbled with 5:51 left in the third quarter.

A hush fell over the crowd as he remained on the ground after the play. He got up and put pressure on his right leg as he was helped off the field. An Oklahoma medical staff member put ice around Perine’s left ankle once he went to the sideline.

The Sooners still had a chance, but with about a minute to play and Oklahoma leading 35-28, Oklahoma State’s Tyreek Hill fielded a punt at the Cowboys 8-yard line. The track sprinter cut toward the left sideline, beat two defenders, picked up a block at the Oklahoma State 45 and was gone all the way to the end zone.

His 92-yard touchdown tied the score with 45 seconds remaining and forced overtime.

Perhaps the most disappointing thing about Hill’s punt return for the Sooners is that Oklahoma (8-4, 5-4 Big 12), re-kicked after Oklahoma State was called for roughing the kicker, giving Hill a chance.

“In hindsight, you don’t kick it again,” Stoops said. “I thought we could cover 35 yards in positive territory where we’ve poochpunted it. That didn’t happen. We always pooch it left and it went right. You saw the rest of it — he made a great play. Credit him for that.”

On the first overtime possession, Oklahoma’s Michael Hunnicutt missed a 44-yard field goal attempt. Oklahoma State took over and pounded the ball with Desmond Roland to set up the winning kick.

Ben Grogan’s 21-yard field goal completed the comeback

Mason Rudolph passed for 273 yards and two touchdowns, and Brandon Sheperd caught seven passes for a career-high 156 yards and two touchdowns and Hill had 186 allpurpose yards for the Cowboys (6-6, 4-5).

Aaron Ripkowski ran for two 1-yard touchdowns and caught a 2-yard touchdown pass for the Sooners, who lost their third home game this season.

The game started off in grand fashion for Perine. He had five carries for 50 yards and a touchdown on the game’s opening drive to put the Sooners up 7-0.

Oklahoma State came right back, as Roland’s 1-yard touchdown run tied the game midway through the first quarter.

Ripkowski punched it in early in the second quarter to put the Sooners up 14-7.

The Cowboys responded again when Rudolph connected with Sheperd for a 39-yard touchdown that tied the score.

Perine scored again, this time from 9 yards, to put the Sooners up 21-14. On Oklahoma’s next possession, Ripkowski carried four Oklahoma State defenders into the end zone for a 2-yard touchdown catch that put the Sooners up 28-14.

Oklahoma State seized momentum, and Roland’s 3-yard touchdown run cut Oklahoma’s lead to 28-21 early in the fourth quarter.

Oklahoma’s other backs filled in nicely for Perine at first. Keith Ford had a 56-yard run, and Ripkowski plowed into the end zone again to put the Sooners up 35-21 with 7:54 to play.

Oklahoma State wasn’t done. A 43-yard touchdown pass from Rudolph to Sheperd cut Oklahoma’s lead to 35-28 and set up Hill’s dramatic play.

“All the losses this year have hurt,” cornerback Zack Sanchez said. “But this one at home, and it being Bedlam, to a team we shouldn’t have lost to, adds even more to it.”

Temple 10, Tulane 3

NEWORLEANS» P.J. Walker hit Romond Deloatch with an 8-yard pass at 8:39 to play, lifting Temple past Tulane 10-3 on Saturday night.

The Owls (6- 6, 4-4 American Athletic) earned bowl eligibility in the season finale.

But it was a struggle where each team saw big plays — apparent scores, long gainers, interceptions, fumble recoveries for TDs — offset by penalties.

Even though Austin Jones hit only one of three field goal tries, and three players combined for 260 yards punting, Temple slowly won good field position — pinning Tulane at its 1 in the final quarter, resulting in the 25-yard game-winning drive.

The Green Wave (4-9, 2-6) needed 14 plays to score on a first-quarter drive aided by two personal fouls against Temple only to have an apparent TD nullified by a chop block, settling for Andrew DiRocco’s 28-yard field goal. Each team had defensive scores — Tulane a fumble recovery, Temple an interception — called back.