Sooners start fast, paste Cornhuskers

Sam Bradford threw for 311 yards and five touchdowns and No. 4 Oklahoma capitalized on three disastrous Nebraska pass plays right off the bat Saturday night to rout the Cornhuskers 62-28 in Norman, Okla.

It was the kind of start that would make Nebraska fans long for the power-running days of the past, and the stars of the Cornhuskers’ “Game of the Century” win in 1971 just happened to be on hand for a reunion.

This game was hardly another classic in a rivalry full of them. In fact, the 62 points were Oklahoma’s biggest output against Nebraska.

Dominique Franks intercepted Joe Ganz’s first pass and returned it 18 yards for a TD, and the Huskers (5-4, 2-3 Big 12) also had turnovers on each of their next two passes as the Sooners (8-1, 4-1) raced to a 28-0 lead in the first 41/2 minutes and never looked back.

Bradford went 19 for 27 and cleared 300 yards passing for the seventh time this season. It was the sixth time he tied the school record with five touchdown passes in a game.

Nebraska coach Bo Pelini doesn’t figure to be reminiscing much about the first time he got to face longtime friend and fellow Youngstown, Ohio, native Bob Stoops.

Oklahoma had never scored more than 55 points in 83 previous meetings with Nebraska dating back to 1912, but got more than halfway to that total in no time.

Chris Brown got it started by capping a seven-play, 53-yard opening drive with a 2-yard touchdown run and only 4 seconds ticked off the clock before Franks, a cornerback, stepped in front of Ganz’s screen pass behind the line of scrimmage and took it in for another score.

Dreu Young fumbled after catching Ganz’s second pass, and Oklahoma cashed in three plays later with a 48-yard pass from Bradford to Quentin Chaney.

(2) Alabama 35, Arkansas State 0: Mark Ingram rushed for 113 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries and Rashad Johnson scored on a 32-yard interception return to lead the Crimson Tide (9-0) over the Red Wolves (4-4) in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Alabama can clinch the Southeastern Conference Western Division title with a win over No. 15 LSU on Saturday. It was Alabama’s first shutout since a 17-0 win over Mississippi State on Nov. 5, 2005.

(9) Oklahoma State 59, Iowa State 17: Dez Bryant caught four touchdown passes, Zac Robinson passed for 395 yards and the Cowboys (8-1, 4-1 Big 12) routed the Cyclones (2-7, 0-5) in Stillwater, Okla.

Bryant finished with nine catches for 171 yards.

(10) Utah 13, New Mexico 10: Louie Sakoda kicked two field goals and the Utes (9-0, 5-0 Mountain West) used two late fourth-quarter stops by the defense to hold off the Lobos (4-6, 2-4) in Albuquerque, N.M.

(12) TCU 44, UNLV 14: Andy Dalton threw three touchdown passes to lead the Horned Frogs (9-1, 6-0 MWC) past the Rebels (3-6, 0-5) in Las Vegas. The win sets up a showdown for TCU at No. 10 Utah on Thursday for first place in the Mountain West.

(14) Missouri 31, Baylor 28: Chase Daniel passed for 318 yards and three touchdowns and Jeff Wolfert kicked a 34-yard field goal with 2:31 remaining to help the Tigers (7-2, 3-2 Big 12) escape Waco, Texas, with a victory over the Bears (3-6, 1-4).

(15) LSU 35, Tulane 10: Charles Scott rushed for 114 yards and the Tigers (6-2) scored two touchdowns in a 27-second span late in the second quarter en route to a victory over the Green Wave (2-6) in Baton Rouge, La.

Georgia Tech 31, (16) Florida State 28: Marcus Sims fumbled into the end zone to end the comeback hopes of the Seminoles (6-2, 3-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) and the Yellow Jackets (7-2, 4-2) held on for the victory in Atlanta. Georgia Tech beat Florida State for the first time since 1975.

(17) BYU 45, Colorado State 42: Dennis Pitta caught two fourth-quarter touchdowns, including a 17-yarder with 22 seconds remaining, to lift the Cougars (8-1, 4-1 MWC) over the upset-minded Rams (4-5, 2-2) in Fort Collins, Colo.

Arkansas 30, (19) Tulsa 23: Dennis Johnson returned a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown in the final minute of the third quarter in Fayetteville, Ark., and the Razorbacks (4-5) handed the Golden Hurricane (8-1) their first loss of the season.

Northwestern 24, (20) Minnesota 17: Brendan Smith grabbed a deflected ball and returned an interception 48 yards for a TD with 12 seconds left to send the Wildcats (7-2, 3-2 Big Ten) to a victory over the stunned Golden Gophers (7-2, 3-2) in Minneapolis.

(22) Michigan State 25, Wisconsin 24: Brett Swenson kicked a 44-yard field goal with 7 seconds left to give the Spartans (8-2, 5-1 Big Ten) a victory over the Badgers (4-5, 1-5) in East Lansing, Mich.