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- Dean's Blog: Sooners Pull Out Another Close Win 

Corey DeMoss
OKBlitz.com Staff Writer

CINCINNATI, Ohio – The Oklahoma Sooners needed two late turnovers, but still managed to escape their third close call of the season Saturday in a 31-29 victory over Cincinnati.

The Sooners (4-0) carried a 24-12 lead into the fourth quarter, but allowed 10 consecutive points to cut the lead to two. The Bearcats (1-3) forced a punt and regained possession with a chance to take the lead, and advanced near midfield.

OU defensive end Jeremy Beal forced a fumble on a sack on the next play and the Sooners recovered to end that threat. After going three and out, OU punted the ball away to give Cincinnati another chance. But return man D.J. Woods muffed the kick inside his own 10-yard line and OU recovered.

The Sooners capitalized with a touchdown pass from Landry Jones to freshman Trey Millard to extend their lead to 31-22. But Cincinnati would not go away.

The Bearcats mounted another long drive that ended with an 18-yard touchdown pass from Zach Collaros to Adrien Robinson to draw within two again with less than one minute remaining. Cincinnati followed with a soft onside kick that barely rolled 10 yards, and a scramble for the ball ensued. OU came out of the pile with it and ran out the final seconds to secure the win.

The Bearcats were cursed with bad luck and poor execution throughout the night, ruining their chances for a victory. After their first touchdown of the game in the second quarter, kicker Jake Rogers missed the extra point. Had he made it, Cincinnati would have had the opportunity to convert a two-point conversion in the final minute to tie the game.

In the second quarter, Woods broke free on a long pass play and was on the verge of scoring a touchdown. But safety Jonathan Nelson caught him from behind and knocked the ball out of his hands and into the end zone for a touchback, effectively wiping points off the board.

Then in the third quarter, Cincy running back Isaiah Pead originally appeared to break an 80-yard touchdown run. But an official review revealed Pead’s forearm touched the ground, which erased the score and brought the ball back on the Bearcats’ side of the field. They settled for a field goal later in the drive.

Cincinnati’s near-comeback continued a dangerous trend for the OU defense. The Sooners have now been outscored 41-10 in the fourth quarter this season, which resulted in close games against Utah State and Air Force as well.

Landry Jones finished the game completing 36 of 51 passes for 370 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. His leading receiver was once again Ryan Broyles, who caught 10 passes for exactly 100 yards, his seventh consecutive triple-digit effort.

While D.J. Woods’ day was ruined by two costly turnovers, he also gave the OU secondary fits for most of the game. He broke three different plays of longer than 35 yards, and finished with seven receptions for 171 yards, an average of 24.4 yards per catch.

Saturday marked the Sooners’ first road test of the season, and they will now travel to Dallas to face rival Texas in the annual Red River Rivalry next week. The Longhorns suffered the upset of the week Saturday, losing 34-12 to UCLA.