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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Sooners enjoy Fiesta

Win over UConn ends five-game BCS skid

Landry Jones passed for 429 yards and three touchdowns. (Associated Press)
John Marshall Associated Press

GLENDALE, Ariz. – No more BCS losing streak for the Oklahoma Sooners. They busted it up in a big way.

Landry Jones threw for a school bowl-record 429 yards and three touchdowns, and No. 9 Oklahoma ended a five-game BCS bowl losing streak with a 48-20 win over Connecticut in the Fiesta Bowl on Saturday night.

Oklahoma (12-2) carried plenty of BCS baggage after losing three straight title games and two Fiesta Bowls. The Sooners avoided the setback six pack behind Jones and Ryan Broyles, who had team records of 13 catches and 170 yards to go with the sealing touchdown.

“Coming out here and winning a bowl game, especially a BCS bowl with our past and losing so many of them, to win one for the program, for coach (Bob) Stoops and all those guys, it’s just a great feeling right now,” Jones said.

Connecticut (8-5) at least kept close for a while in its first BCS bowl.

The hopeful Huskies steadied themselves after an initial barrage from Oklahoma and avoided a complete New Year’s Day desert disaster with hard-nosed running by Jordan Todman and a handful of big plays.

Todman, who declared for the NFL draft after the game, had 121 yards on 32 carries and Robbie Frey returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown, helping UConn provide at least a glimmer of hope that it’s not just a basketball school anymore.

“Our kids did a great job and now know what to strive for so they can do it each and every year,” UConn coach Randy Edsall said.

The Sooners played in the 2007 and 2008 Fiesta Bowls. In both games, Oklahoma came in favored and left embarrassed; first to trick-playing, BCS-busting Boise State, then in lopsided fashion to West Virginia.

Oklahoma followed a businesslike week with a similar approach in the game, jumping out to a 14-0 lead and getting a pair of interception returns for touchdowns to pull away for its first BCS bowl win in eight years.

“I don’t have all that like everyone else is talking about it,” Stoops said about feeling redemption for ending the BCS losing streak. “But in the end, it’s a good win and these guys did a great job.”