Mistake-Prone Sooners Fall on Road Again to Texas A&M

OU has had consistent problems in the fourth quarter and on the road, and both trends continued Saturday.

Thursday, May 26th 2011, 12:01 pm

By: News On 6

Mistake-Prone Sooners Fall on Road Again to Texas A&M

Originally Published: Nov 6, 2010 10:29 PM CDT

Corey DeMoss
Oklahoma Sports Staff Writer

COLLEGE STATION, Oklahoma – The Oklahoma Sooners’ problems on the road and in the fourth quarter both continued Saturday in a 33-19 loss to the Texas A&M Aggies.

The Sooners (7-2, 3-2) committed costly mistakes all night, and it began on the first play of the game. After committing a penalty on the opening kickoff, OU started its first drive inside the 10-yard line.

The first snap then sailed over Landry Jones’ head and out the back of the end zone, giving Texas A&M (6-3, 3-2) a 2-0 lead less than 15 seconds into the game. The Aggies then broke a 48-yard run on their first play, leading to a 1-yard touchdown pass for a quick 9-0 lead.

OU regained some momentum with an interception by Jamell Fleming, and the Sooners drove inside the 5-yard line. They eventually had fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line, and elected to go for it. They did not get it, which became a running theme.

Texas A&M added a field goal later in the second quarter and took a 12-0 lead into halftime. The Aggies then opened the second half with another big play, this one a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to extend the lead to 19.

The Sooners responded with a 15-play drive on their next possession and finished it with a 1-yard touchdown run by DeMarco Murray to get on the board and cut the lead to 12. That began a run of 17 unanswered points for OU to pull to 19-17 heading into the fourth quarter, but the Sooners collapsed from there.

On their first drive of the fourth quarter, the Sooners lined up for a long field goal that could have given them their first lead of the game. But OU pulled a fake, and holder John Nimmo lofted a perfect pass toward the goal line, where James Hanna dropped it to give the ball back to Texas A&M. That was the last time OU came close to taking the lead.

The Aggies dominated the rest of the fourth quarter, scoring two touchdowns while stifling OU once it got inside the red zone. The Sooners had two long drives end with failed fourth down conversions, and finished the game with three drives inside the 5-yard line resulting in zero points.

OU has now lost its last two games on the road, and has been outscored in the fourth quarter this season by a combined total of 102-56. The Sooners have given up at least 10 points in the fourth quarter in seven of their nine games this year.

The road will not get any easier for OU, as it will hit the road in its final two games of the season against Baylor and Oklahoma State. Next week, the Sooners will return to Norman to host Texas Tech.