Oklahoma rebounds from slow start to compete with nation's elite

SAN DIEGO (AP) _ Oklahoma's Holiday Bowl win over sixth-ranked Oregon has helped resurrect a season of shattered expectations. <br/><br/>The Sooners started the season as the seventh-ranked team in

Wednesday, December 28th 2005, 6:28 am

By: News On 6

SAN DIEGO (AP) _ Oklahoma's Holiday Bowl win over sixth-ranked Oregon has helped resurrect a season of shattered expectations.

The Sooners started the season as the seventh-ranked team in the nation, But O-U fell out of the polls after losing two out of three nonconference games.

They bottomed out with a 45-to-12 loss to Number Two Texas that snapped their five-game winning streak in the Red River rivalry.

But Oklahoma won six of their final seven games, including last night's 17-to-14 victory against sixth-ranked Oregon in the Holiday Bowl.

Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson recovered from a high ankle sprain to run for 710 yards in the final five games. He's the first Oklahoma back with three-thousand yards in his first two seasons.