Every play matters in a college football game but some do a better job of explaining what happened than others. Here are the five plays told the story of Oklahoma’s 27-21 win against Iowa State in the Big 12 championship.
No. 10 OU 27, No. 6 ISU 21
Play No. 1: Chandler Morris (?) strikes first
Freshman quarterback Chandler Morris and freshman running back Seth McGowan played one snap in the championship game.
But hey, it’s a touchdown.
On the very first drive at the ISU two yard line, Lincoln Riley went into the bag of tricks and took out Spencer Rattler and Rhamondre Stevenson and replaced them with the freshmen.
Morris used his speed to go out wide and find the end zone to put the Sooners on the board.
It was eerily reminiscent of Baker Mayfield at Ohio State where he faked a limp so Kyler Murray could come in for a change of pace. Rattler, though, didn’t do the best job of selling it.
“I didn't sell it. I was laughing,” Rattler said. “Somebody said they saw me laughing when I was coming off the field. I gotta work on my acting, I guess.”
Play No. 2: Haselwood teaser
You could argue the inclusion of this next play, but it sort of gives you a glimpse of what someone like Jadon Haselwood can do when he rounds back into form.
The talk, most of it rightfully so, has been about dropped touchdown passes. What has been just as glaring has been the lack of competitive catches. This, my friends, is a competitive catch.
With OU up 7-0, Rattler just chunked it up and told Haselwood to go make something happen. In between a bunch of defenders, that’s what he did with an acrobatic grab.
It didn’t lead to points as Gabe Brkic missed the 36-yard field goal, but it’s just a little taste of what OU fans should expect from Haselwood in the Cotton Bowl and beyond.
Play No. 3: Practice makes perfect for Norwood
Said it Oct. 3 and the two months after that ISU quarterback Brock Purdy gives opportunities for the defense to make something happen.
OU didn’t do it the first time, but did Alex Grinch’s guys ever do it in this one with three interceptions. Let us begin with the first that thwarted a scoring drive.
OU is up 17-0 now toward the latter stages of the second quarter when Purdy lobs one up for Charlie Kolar, but Tre Norwood makes the leaping interception in the back corner of the end zone.
“It was just a zone drop,” Norwood said. “Coach Grinch had emphasized the entire week that when we were in that specific zone drop, to make sure we get depth for those routes coming behind us. I trusted that, saw the ball and made a play on it.”
It didn’t help the offense get back on track, but it was a sign that the defense was gonna be locked in the whole way.
Play No. 4: Beamer Ball goes out on top
We’ll get to Tre Brown heroics for play No. 5, but we can’t forget what he did on special teams. Iowa State has now scored to make it OU 17-7 with under two minutes left in the first half.
The Cyclones are getting the ball first to start the second half, and OU’s offense went in the tank after the Rattler touchdown pass to Marvin Mims on the first play of the second quarter.
It’s a short kickoff, No. 1, and then it’s a big-time 43-yard return by Brown to get the offense feeling good about itself.
“We talk about it all week that they were going to give us some returns,” Brown said. “We were gonna have opportunities. Shoutout to everybody that was out there doing their thing. I trusted and believed in it, and I hit both of those. I felt like those were also game-changing plays to help our offense.”
Rattler would run in for the score to close out the half and give OU a comfortable 24-7 lead into halftime.
It was a fitting way to send out Shane Beamer to South Carolina, between the big returns by Brown, the two field goals by Brkic and the play of his guys in Jeremiah Hall, Brayden Willis and Mikey Henderson.
Play No. 5: Tre T&T Stadium
What else could it be? OU up 27-21, but Iowa State trying to mount that championship-winning drive. One last epic moment for Tre Brown in AT&T Stadium. One last championship-clinching interception to give OU its sixth in a row.
“Man, I was seeing the ball,” Brown said. “I seen a guy coming from across, so I’m like, Yo, he’s looking. I know he’s looking to catch the ball and go score. I gotta go get my depth.’ He threw it, and I wasn’t running to the ball, but then I speed turned to it. I jumped and I seen a guy swipe, but it wasn’t enough to throw me off. I caught the ball.
“I speed turned, saw it. I didn’t see him jump, but I saw him swipe at it. I was like, Yo, he missed, now it’s my turn. It felt good.”
