great insight into some of the game changing plays that led to BYU's improbable upset.
--Oklahoma takes over at the BYU 35 yard line following a muffed punt return by BYU WR McKay Jacobsen. The ball was tailing away from Jacobsen as he came closer and closer to the sideline. Tough break. At the time it felt like BYU had just made the mistake of all mistakes.
-- Oklahoma converts a 3rd & 12 as Bradford finds a receiver near the sideline for the First Down. 2 BYU Defenders fell down on the play. Even with a 35 yard field the BYU defense had a chance to stop the drive but failed to convert.
-- Bradford finds Broyels in the endzone on the very next play to take the lead.
OKLAHOMA 7 BYU O
--On BYU's next possession they begin to implement a silent count that seems to be allowing Max Hall to read the defensive pressure before the snap. BYU comes to line...set...and Hall will lift his leg to call for the snap. The ball is not snapped but Oklahoma continues to show blitz too early and allows Hall to complete a pass to Brian Kariya for 16 yards.
-- Ryan Reynolds ends BYU's drive by picking off Max Hall...he returns the ball to the 31 yd line. The momentum seemingly will not switch to the Cougars as they look in over their head.
-- 2 gashing Oklahoma runs bring the Sooners down to the BYU 16 yard line.
-- DeMarco Murray gets to the 2nd level and looks to have a 1st down...BYU Safety Andrew Rich puts his helmet right on the ball and jars it loose. BYU recovers the fumble. BYU, who had been shooting themselves in the foot all evening, finally has a break. And the timing could NOT have come at a better time. Oklahoma was knocking on the door, beginning to gain some traction in the running game, and were a mere 5 yards from taking a 2 TD lead early in the 2nd Quarter. Game Changing.
--BYU 3 and Out
END OF THE FIRST QUARTER OKLAHOMA 7 BYU O
-- Oklahoma had outscored their opponents 225-30 in the 1st Quarter last season.
-- Oklahoma takes over again with great field position at the their own 48. BYU Defense steps up and stops OU 3 and Out on a great play by Scott Johnson.
-- BYU begins their 4th possession with awful field position once again. The 4 drives begin on the BYU 20, 20, 5, and 11. The Cougars manage a couple of first downs to change the field and allow their defense to breathe. A great punt by Riley Stevenson pins OU on their own 1 yard line.
-- Oklahoma tries a running play on 3rd Down for the 3rd Straight possession...and they do not get it. BYU's Defense has held the OU Offense to 4 Three and Out's in 6 total possessions.
-- BYU has its first highlight play of Offense as Max Hall finds McKay Jacobsen on a 49 yd vertical route down the sideline. The ball is badly underthrown. If Hall had been on the money, BYU would have tied the game. This would come back to haunt the Cougars.
-- On a 2nd & Goal from the 19 Robert Anae draws up possibly the first WR screen play in three years...it is executed perfectly as O'Neill Chambers takes the ball all the way to the goaline. Chambers is stripped and fumbles into the endzone...Oklahoma recovers. The Upset is not sure you can deliver a bigger blow to a team...from tying the football game to giving it away at the goaline.
-- Both teams fumbled inside the 10 yard line in the 2nd Quarter...
-- Oklahoma takes over on their own 20 yard line...move methodically down the field..aided by a weak roughing penalty on Colby Clawson. Bradford throws to Broyles, who is stood up by one BYU defender and finished off by LB Jordan Pendleton forcing a fumble...the second time the Sooners had fumbled inside the BYU40.
-- BYU marches down the field to capitalize off of the turnover. A holding call on 1st down moves the ball back to the BYU 27. 2 catches from Pitta brings up a 3rd &1. Oklahoma again shows blitz early, Hall sees it, and delivers a short toss to Brian Kariya. Kariya rumbles down the sideline for 50 yards, settling on the OU 5 yard line. Two plays later Hall finds an open Andrew George at the pylon to tie the game at 7. A great 73 yard drive by the Cougars.
OKLAHOMA 7 BYU 7
--Oklahoma takes over the ball and moves via penalty, Interference on Brian Logan and a Face Mask on Terrence Hooks. Bradford is hit by Colby Clawson on yet another blitz. With 12 seconds left and the Sooners trying to punch it in Bradford is injured on the exact blitz as Clawson used before. Bradford knocked down 3 times and hit 3 more in the 1st Half. Oklahoma knocks in a gimmie FG for a First Half lead.
-- As Max Hall trots off the field he is heard by ESPN microphones yelling, "We're Going to Win"
END OF THE 1ST HALF
OKLAHOMA 10 BYU 7
-- BYU's first possession of the 2nd Half almost ends in disaster as the ball is snapped over Hall's head...he recovers on a friendly hop and throws the it out-of-bounds and out of harm. HUGE bullet dodged by the Cougars. Thanks to the new field turf at the new Cowboys Stadium.
-- Oklahoma's first possession ends in a 3 and Out...Landry Jones is roasted by Jordan Pendleton on the same exact blitz that BYU has been drawing up all game. After the game BYU Defensive Coordiator tells a local radio station that they were trying to take advantage of the OU Center, who was a converted TE. The Center calls out the protection for the rest of the line, and he looked confused all game long. Great scheme by Coach Hill.
-- Two possessions later BYU CB Brian Logan saves a TD with a great open field tackle on Chris Bowl. Oklahoma will eventually punt.
-- Hall forces another throw into Pitta and is intercepted. Oklahoma takes over yet again inside the BYU 30. Gut check time for the BYU Defense.
-- Murray run for 14 yds. Murray for 6 more. 2nd & 4 on the BYU 8
END OF THE THIRD QUARTER
OKLAHOMA 10 BYU 7
-- Brown for 4 yards. The BYU Defense looks like it might be getting worn down. This is where the game hinges. Does the BYU D give in? Oklahoma had just ran 8 straight running plays. They were beginning to gain traction and it looked like the hopes of an upset were slipping out the window.
-- 1st & Goal from the 3. Handoff to Brown...Jan Jorgensen's name is mentioned for the 1st time all game...He makes a tackle behind the line.
-- 2nd & Goal from the 6. Handoff. Pendleton spins off his blocker and makes a fantastic play.
-- 3rd & Goal from the 5. A truly atrocious pass interference call on Brian Logan. Automatic 1st Down...ball placed at the 2.
-- 1st & Goal from the 2. Jordan Pendleton breaks up a Play Action Pass to the FB.
-- 2nd & Goal from the 2. Murray stuffed for a 1 yd gain.
-- 3rd & Goal from the 1. QB Sneak from Jones is ineffective. Great push up front from the Defensive Line.
--4tth & Goal from the 1. Oklahoma comes to the line with 13 seconds on the play clock...and the "sideline audible" backfires and the play clock expires.
-- 4th & Goal from the 6. Oklahoma settles for a FG. What a defensive stand by the BYU stand. They successfully defended 6 snaps inside their own 6 yard line. When the game was on the line...BYU stood firm.
OKLAHOMA 13 BYU 7
-- With 11:41 remaining in the 4th Quarter Max Hall took the reigns of the BYU Offense once again. Two short passes to Tonga and George set up a 3rd & 6 from the 24. BYU uses 5 lineman...splits both TE wide and Hall finds Pitta in a seam for 7 yards. Both TE were open on the play.
-- Hall sacked for the 4th time on 1st Down. A screen to Kariya for 5 yds on 2nd Down sets up a 3rd & 10. Hall rolls right and find Pitta for a big play. A great call to get Hall out of the pocket and he delivered on the money.
-- An incompletion on a slip screen on 1st down is followed by yet another connection between Hall and Pitta. This one again yields a 1st Down.
--1st & 10 from the 35. Kariya is stuffed for a 3 yard loss. A strange play call. BYU was not successful all evening in running east and west...the Oklahoma D was just too fast.
-- 2nd & 13 from the 35. Hall completes to DiLuigi for 5 yards.
-- 3rd & 8 from the 30. Mendenhall is seen covering his headset and Hall is seen calling out what looks to be two plays. The first: a draw to DiLuigi gains 4 yards.
-- 4th & 4 from the 26. BYU quick snaps...Hall under Center...Diluigi in motion to the right...Hall looks off the Safety and finds Pitta in the tightest of spaces. Pitta rumbles all the way to the 3 yard line. Wow. The play of the game up that point. BYU knew they were going for it and took advantage of the Oklahoma defense just as the OU Offense has done so many time in their own version of the hurry up.
-- 1st & Goal from the 3. Kariya is stuffed for no gain. The OU Defense really stepped up in short yardage situations. BYU was unable to open any holes between the tackles.
- 2nd & Goal from the 3. Hall looks to call an audible...he splits his TE out wide....and looks to Andrew George on a slant... George is there and makes a valiant effort...but he is interferred with. 1st & Goal on the 2
-- Kariya is met in the hole on back to back plays...
-- 3rd & Goal from the 1. BYU is up to the line with 10 seconds to spare on the play clock. They do not get the play off in time. The play, which was yet another plunge by Brian Kariya, probably would not have worked.
-- 3rd & Goal from the 6. Hall rolls right and finds McKay Jacobsen in the back of the endzone. Jacobsen was WIDE open. The OU Corner keyed for just a split second on Dennis Pitta, who had 4 catches on the drive...and that mental breakdown allowed #6 to sneak behind the D. A BYU receiver had not had a catch since the 2nd Quarter.
BYU 14 OKLAHOMA 13
-- BYU kicker Mitch Payne kicks the ball out of bounds. At this time in the game...had that ball stayed in bounds that could have been the dagger. The Oklahoma Offense had not had a sustained drive ALL game. With the penalty...Oklahoma started its drive on the 40 yd line.
-- Two straight incompletions for Jones leads to a 3rd & 10. Jones makes a great throw and moves the chains.
-- Murray has a 3 yd catch...OU dials up a great play as Jones rolls left with the pocket and throws across his body to find his TE. Great Play. Great Call. OU now has a 1st down on the BYU 33. OU would have a 50 yard FG at this point.
-- OU runs and Pendleton blows the play up in the backfield for a gain of 1.
-- 2nd & 9 from the 32. Pass looks to be complete but BYU CB Brian Logan, who had been on the tail end of two unfortunate Interference calls, makes a great play to break it up.
-- On 3rd & 9 from the 32...OU is called for yet another False Start. The size of this mistake is hard to fathom. The penalty moved the Sooners to 50+ FG range...and when the FG is finally attempted...it will be about 5 yards short of the cross bar.
-- 3rd & 14 from the 37... Yet another blitz from the BYU linebacking core has Jones on the run and he throws incomplete. Great defensive play calling all game long by BYU DC Jaime Hill. Oklahoma was never in sync offensively.
-- 4th & 14 from the 37. The desperation 54 yard FG is not only wide...it is short and BYU can now enter the victory formation.
The Upset commends the BYU Cougars for game planning and looks forward to seeing just what they can accomplish throughout this 2009 campaign.
A second viewing of the BYU-Oklahoma match up provided The Upset great insight into some of the game changing plays that led to BYU's improbable upset.
photo: Jack Dempsey, AP
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