Even stealing signals (allegedly) can't help mistake-prone Sooners in loss
FORT WORTH, Texas -- It's been 10 years since Bob Stoops and Oklahoma escaped Big 12 play without a loss.
That streak won't end this year. TCU earned its biggest win yet as a Big 12 member, knocking off the No. 4 Sooners with a 37-33 win at Amon G. Carter Stadium on Saturday.
Three times since that 2004 season, the Sooners have lost just one Big 12 game. On four other occasions, just two. Most often--and perhaps this year--Oklahoma is the Big 12's most talented team but trips up somewhere.
Two weeks ago, the Sooners ran over West Virginia in its home stadium and staked a claim as the nation's No. 1 team.
Saturday, a hungry Frogs team outplayed the Sooners and sent a message throughout the Big 12. In the process, they forced Oklahoma to dedicate its remaining seven games to convincing the College Football Playoff committee that it deserves a slot among in the inaugural four-team bracket.
With the Big 12 as deep as it is -- eight teams look bowl worthy and five were in this week's AP Top 25, including No. 25 TCU -- that loss was probably coming.
But this early? Before a showdown with fellow Big 12 favorite Baylor? Against a team that was 1-7 on its home field in Big 12 play since joining in 2012?
"We made too many mistakes," Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said.
TCU's new-look offense combined with an always shifty, well-schemed defense caught the Sooners by surprise. The Frogs led 14-0 after their first two drives, opening up their playbook with route combinations and formations Oklahoma hadn't seen on tape.
TCU players (and coach Gary Patterson) alleged that OU backup quarterback Baker Mayfield was relaying offensive signals from TCU co-offensive coordinator Sonny Cumbie (his former coach at Texas Tech). Stoops denied it after the game, saying Mayfield wasn't wearing a headset. During TCU's offensive possessions, though, Mayfield stayed with defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery, who did have a headset.
Regardless, it didn't do much to help the Sooners defense, which let Boykin throw for 318 yards and two scores while running for 77 more yards.
"We played him before, but (today) he was much more calculated, controlled," defensive coordinator Mike Stoops said. "They showed a lot more tonight than they'd shown previously. They had a good plan. ... He put a lot of stress on us."
TCU broke a 31-all tie when Knight thought linebacker Paul Dawson was blitzing but Dawson dropped into coverage as Knight wound up.
"It was a low ball, and I just caught it," Dawson said.
Knight threw his second interception two drives later to TCU safety Chris Hackett, rendering irrelevant a fumble the Sooners' defense had forced two plays earlier.
"Some was a little bit of them making plays and some was his eyes not being in the right spot," Oklahoma offensive coordinator Josh Heupel said. "He had a pretty good grasp on what they were doing, but they made some adjustments in the second half and played some different formations differently than we had anticipated."
On TCU's next play, running back B.J. Catalon fumbled and the Sooners got another chance on the Frogs' side of the field. TCU stuffed Samaje Perine on a 4th-and-1. Perine said later he had nowhere to go.
Chalk that mistake up to the offensive line.
In the fourth quarter, Oklahoma had six possessions where it was either tied or within a possession of TCU. The Sooners had two turnovers, one turnover on downs, one three-and-out, one punt, and ended the game with a failed Hail Mary.
"The (defense) gave us a chance," Heupel said.
The Sooners trudged out of a quiet locker room and up the stairs to the team bus. Those who stopped to talk to reporters were left to talk about not letting a single loss define a season and looking forward to Texas next weekend at the State Fair of Texas.
Another year, another Sooner slip-up.
"Who knows what's going to happen, how this plays out?" Mike Stoops said. "It's hard to win 'em all."
