Sooners Rout Maine
Oklahoma's football team racked up 665 total yards in a 59-to-14 rout of Maine at Owen Field in Norman on Saturday.
After falling behind 7-0, OU scored on nine of their next 10 possessions, with eight of those ending in touchdowns.
Oklahoma rushed for 381 yards, with 203 yards coming from Jovantae Barnes to set a career high.
Barnes scored three of OU's six rushing touchdowns.
Jackson Arnold completed 15 of 21 passes for 224 yards and two touchdowns.
The Sooners got the ball first and gained just 12 yards on 5 plays and had to punt.
Maine was stopped after three downs on their first possession, but on the punt formation, OU was called for delay of game for simulating the start of a snap and the drive stayed alive.
The Black Bears then got the ball moving, as quarterback Carter Peevy ran for 40 yards.
Maine finished the 9-play, 68-yard drive as Peevy passed to Cooper Heisey for a 3-yard touchdown and the Black Bears led 7-0 with 7:59 to play in the first quarter.
Oklahoma answered in just three plays.
Jovantae Barnes broke loose and went down the left sideline for a gain of 74 yards to the Maine 1-yard line, the longest run of his career.
Two plays later, Barnes scored from a yard out to tie the game 7-7 with 7:07 left in the first quarter.
Maine had to punt on their ensuing possession after just four plays.
OU then took over 5 minutes off the clock, with a 15-play, 84-yard drive.
The longest play on the drive was a 17-yard run by Taylor Tatum, and Tatum capped the drive with a one-yard touchdown run to make it 14-7 Sooners with 13:44 to play in the second quarter.
Maine gained 11 yards on their next possession and had to punt.
The Sooners then moved the ball into Black Bear territory, but on a pitch play, Sam Franklin couldn't handle the pitch and the loose ball was recovered by Jayden Curry of Maine at the Black Bears' 16-yard line.
Maine couldn't do anything with the turnover, however, losing two yards and punting for just 23 yards.
OU took over at the Maine 37, and took just three plays to score.
Barnes gained 29 yards to the Maine 8, then two plays later, Arnold kept for a one-yard touchdown run to put the Sooners up 21-7 with 6:46 left in the first half.
Maine once again had a possession end in a punt after gaining 24 yards.
It took OU two plays to score, as Arnold scrambled out of trouble in the end zone and passed deep to J.J. Hester for a 90-yard touchdown to put the Sooners up 28-7 with 3:16 to play in the second quarter.
The touchdown ties the second longest pass play in OU history, and is the longest since a 90-yard TD pass from Eric Moore to P.J. Mills in 1995 vs. Iowa State.
Maine lost two yards on their next possession and had to punt.
The Sooners then went 50 yards in seven plays, with Barnes scoring on an 8-yard touchdown run around the left side and OU led 35-7 with 34 seconds left in the first half.
Maine got the ball to start the second half, and on their second snap, Jaharie Martin had the ball knocked out by Robert Spears-Jennings, who recovered the fumble at the Black Bears' 38-yard line.
It took OU just four plays to convert the turnover into points.
Barnes cut outside to the left and went down the sideline for a 19-yard touchdown run to put Oklahoma up 42-7 with 12:40 to play in the third quarter.
Maine's next possession gained just one yard and they had to punt.
The Sooners then marched 67 yards in 12 plays to add to their lead, with their fifth straight touchdown drive.
Arnold threw a pass that was tipped but caught by Kaden Helms for a 9-yard touchdown and OU led 49-7 with 6:20 left in the third quarter.
Maine lost five yards on their ensuing possession and punted.
Oklahoma then took over 6 minutes off the clock, with Michael Hawkins in at quarterback for Arnold.
Hawkins gained 20 yards on a run for the longest play of the drive, which ended with a 24-yard field goal by Zach Schmit to put OU up 52-7 with 12:37 to play.
Maine responded with their first scoring drive since the first quarter, going 75 yards in six plays.
Peevy passed deep to Joe Gillette for a gain of 47 to the OU 5-yard line.
Nick Laughlin scored on a 5-yard touchdown run on the next play to cut the OU lead to 52-14 with 9:30 remaining.
The Sooners responded by going on a 75 yard drive in eight plays.
Hawkins passed to Xavier Robinson for a gain of 46 yards to the Maine 14.
Robinson finished the drive with a four-yard touchdown run and it was 59-14 Sooners with 6:17 remaining.
Maine ate up the rest of the time on the clock, advancing to the OU 8-yard line, but on 3rd and goal, a pass fell incomplete to end the game.
This was the first meeting between the two teams.
OU's three-game losing streak comes to an end, with the Sooners improving to 5-4 overall.
The Sooners return to SEC play by visiting Missouri next Saturday at 6:45 pm on SEC Network.