Sooners Smash Huskers in Big Red Rout
Oklahoma's football team scored touchdowns on seven of nine drives spanning from the first quarter to the third and routed Nebraska 49-14 at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska, on Saturday.
The Sooners point total was the most they've scored against Nebraska in Lincoln, and it was OU's third largest victory margin in Lincoln.
OU's 35-point win was Nebraska's second worst non-conference home loss in history, behind a 61-7 loss to Minnesota in 1945.
Nebraska was playing under new interim head coach Mickey Joseph, who was elevated after the firing of head coach Scott Frost last Sunday.
Oklahoma racked up 580 total yards, with a nice balance, with 312 rushing yards and 268 passing.
Dillon Gabriel was 16-for-27 for 230 yards and two touchdowns.
Eric Gray had 113 yards rushing on just 11 carries and scored twice.
The Sooners got the ball first and had to punt after just five plays.
Nebraska then took their opening possession 77 yards in six plays, with Casey Thompson passing to a wide open Trey Palmer for a 32-yard touchdown to put the Cornhuskers up 7-0 with 11:19 to play in the first quarter.
Thompson was 14-for-20 for 129 yards passing, but was sacked four times.
The Sooners responded with a big play touchdown, with Dillon Gabriel keeping on a run and scoring from 61 yards out for his longest college run, capping a 75-yard drive in 5 plays to tie it at 7 with 9:30 left in the first quarter.
The next three possessions ended in punts, with the OU defense getting back-to-back sacks by DaShaun White and Jonah Laulu to force the second Husker punt.
Oklahoma then went 63 yards in seven plays, with Gabriel passing down the right sideline to Jalil Farooq, who made the catch at the two-yard line and went in for the 25-yard touchdown, giving OU a 14-7 lead with 1:57 to play in the first quarter.
Farooq had 3 catches for 58 yards.
The Sooner defense forced their first three-and-out possession, with Jalen Redmond sacking Thompson to force the punt, which was returned 34 yards by Marvin Mims to the Huskers' 23-yard-line.
Oklahoma apparently scored on the first play of the second quarter when Gabriel passed to Mims for a 9-yard score.
The play was reviewed, and officials ruled Mims was a half yard short of the goal line.
Mims had four catches for 66 yards.
OU scored on the next play on a one-yard touchdown run by Marcus Major to make it 21-7 Sooners with 14:48 left in the second quarter.
Nebraska's offense had to punt again after just three downs and minus five yards.
The Sooners went 63 yards in six plays, with OU scoring on a trick play.
Gabriel threw a lateral pass in the left flat to Brayden Willis, who then passed to a wide open Major for a 24-yard touchdown to give OU a 28-7 lead with 11:35 to play in the first half.
Nebraska moved the ball into OU territory on the next drive, but on 4th and 2 from the Sooner 19, Anthony Grant gained just one yard and Oklahoma took over on downs.
The Sooners got runs of 25 and 15 yards from Eric Gray, but after a sack on 3rd and 10, OU had Zach Schmit on for a 39-yard field goal, which he pushed wide right with 4:58 left in the second quarter.
Nebraska had to punt back to OU after just four downs, then the Sooners responded with a quick touchdown drive.
OU went 65 yards in just five plays, with Gabriel passing to Mims for 40, then Eric Gray scoring on a 16-yard touchdown run to take a 35-7 lead with 1:44 to play in the second quarter.
On the first play of the second half, Casey Thompson passed to Trey Palmer, who gained 21 yards, but had the ball stripped by OU's Jaren Kanak, who recovered the fumble at the Nebraska 46.
It took OU seven plays to convert, with Gray scoring from 21 yards out to make it 42-7 Sooners with 13:13 left in the third quarter.
After another punt following a three-down possession, OU went 60 yards in nine plays to add to their lead.
Gabriel threw to Theo Wease for a gain of 31, then zipped another pass to Wease for a 15-yard touchdown to put the Sooners up 49-7 with 8:59 left in the third quarter.
Oklahoma forced another Husker punt, but the Sooners turned the ball over on their next possession.
Davis Beville replaced Gabriel at quarterback, and a mishandled handoff between Beville and Gavin Freeman was fumbled and recovered by Garrett Nelson of Nebraska at the Huskers' 24-yard line.
The next four possessions resulted in no points for either team, with OU's Key Lawrence intercepting Chubba Purdy in the end zone on one drive.
Nebraska ended their scoring drought by going 82 yards in 13 plays, with Purdy scoring on an 8-yard run to make it 49-14 with 3:17 to play.
Nebraska had won seven of the last eight meetings in Lincoln dating back to 1989, but OU has won seven of the last eight meetings overall.
OU improves to 3-0 and will open Big 12 play next Saturday at home against Kansas State at 7:00 pm.
Nebraska drops to 1-3 on the season.