Oklahoma Sooners

SoonerNation's Jake Trotter and GigEmNation's Sam Khan Jr. give their thoughts on the AT&T Cotton Bowl matchup between Oklahoma (10-2) and Texas A&M (10-2).

1. What's your initial reaction to the matchup?
OU-Florida in the Sugar would have been one of the best matchups of any bowl outside the title game. But this one is about as good. The Sooners get a chance to face off against the Heisman favorite in Johnny "Football" Manziel, which probably means OU will have seen the top three Heisman contenders (Manziel, Notre Dame LB Manti Te'o and Kansas State QB Collin Klein). The Sooners will have to play well, because A&M is one of the hottest teams in college football, coming off that win at Alabama.

2. Which team in the Big 12 does Texas A&M most resemble?
Can I say A&M? I mean, they were in the Big 12 just last year. If I had to compare them to someone currently in the Big 12, I'd probably say Oklahoma State. A&M's offensive line is tremendous, and Manziel has several playmakers to work with. Manziel is obviously more mobile than anyone OSU has, but the Cowboys present the dual-threat attack with Clint Chelf and J.W. Walsh. That's where the comparisons end. Because the Aggies are much more formidable defensively than the Pokes with Damontre Moore, who is tied for third nationally with 12 1/2 sacks.

3. What's the most intriguing individual matchup?
Mike Stoops vs. Manziel. Stoops has struggled game-planning against prolific, mobile quarterbacks this season, and Manziel figures to be his biggest challenge yet. Will Stoops go back to the dime package, or will he use linebackers Frank Shannon and Corey Nelson to spy Manziel? Either way, Manziel poses plenty of problems for a defense that's been gashed late in the season.

4. Who's the most important player no one's talking about?
How about Landry Jones? All the focus will be on Manziel, and for good reason. But I'm not so sure there's an advantage at QB. Jones has been on fire the last month of the season, throwing for 500 yards twice. Jones is susceptible to interceptions. But lately, he hasn't allowed those plays to phase him. Jones is capable of putting the Aggies defense on its heel, too.

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The key to Kansas State’s success is a rarely talked about side of the ball for the Wildcats -- their defense.

Timely turnovers, pressure on the quarterback, and offensive efficiency were the keys to an upset win over No. 6 Oklahoma last Saturday.

The win was just the second time in 33 tries that Kansas State beat Oklahoma when the Sooners were ranked in the top 10 of the AP poll.

Kansas State had Landry Jones rattled all night, forcing him to throw 10 passes when under duress (six in the second half).

Jones' one interception in the game was under duress on an off-balance, overthrown pass.

Additionally, the Wildcats sacked Jones twice, with both sacks resulting in fumbles. Jones turned the ball over twice, and both led to Kansas State touchdowns.

Kansas State did this while bringing four or fewer rushers on 43 of Jones’ 45 dropbacks.

Jones was off-target all night. Twelve of his 15 incomplete passes were overthrown, underthrown or wide. He has struggled with off-target passes all season. Twenty-five of his 39 incompletions have not reached his receivers.

Oklahoma was held below 20 points at home for only the third time since Bob Stoops became coach in 1999. It was also the first home loss for Sooners in 15 games against ranked opponents under Stoops.

On the other side of the ball, Kansas State relied on an efficient running game and short throws to move the ball.

Collin Klein attempted 13 of his 21 passes within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage, completing 10 of those for 91 yards.

Klein was at his best on third down, completing 7 of 11 passes for six first downs. On third and long (six-or-more yards to go), he completed 6 of 7 passes for five first downs, including two in the fourth quarter as the Wildcats attempted to preserve their lead.

After its win over the Sooners, Kansas State moved up to No. 7 in the AP Poll. That is the highest ranking the Wildcats have attained since September 2003.

NORMAN, Okla. -- Tre Walker climbed the wall in the southeast corner of Owen Field just to reach a few loved ones Saturday. He had to hug somebody, and couldn't wait until his pads were off to do it.

While the Kansas State linebacker took care of his business there, a "K-S-U" chant echoed through Norman after Bill Snyder's Wildcats finished making history. Walker was climbing to get off the field, but the rest of his team never wanted to leave after Kansas State's 24-19 victory over Oklahoma. Coaches and players hugged and high-fived.

Kansas State and Oklahoma players both had glassy eyes, for very different reasons.

"I mean, I was shocked," defensive end Adam Davis said.

Sure, the Kansas State faithful knew they could win. But that they would? History shot disapproving glances the way of anyone who believed otherwise.

Oklahoma was a perfect 14-0 versus ranked teams at home under Bob Stoops, dispatching opponents by an average of 28.2 points dating all the way back to 1999. The Wildcats hadn't beaten the seven-time Big 12 champs in the regular season since 1997.

Those stats, though, hadn't reached Davis. And he was still shocked. So were the raucous 85,276 Sooners fans in attendance who provided the best Big 12 atmosphere to date.

"It feels like you're on top of the world," Davis said of the postgame party on the field.

The big names on Saturday will attract plenty of attention. Landry Jones' shortcomings. Collin Klein's toughness and passing prowess, highlighted by a 12-yard completion on third-and-11 to Tramaine Thompson that all but iced the game in the final minutes.

The real story? A dogged defense that harassed Jones into two game-breaking turnovers and got lucky with a third when a low snap scooted past Blake Bell, leaving the Belldozer broken down on the way back to the sideline instead of into the end zone.

Snyder, ever the exploiter of weaknesses, saw a big one in Jones that plenty of others saw, too.

Asked if Jones was "spooked," Davis replied: "I noticed it in the first half. When we'd get upfield, he'd start jabbing his feet real quick and moving. That let us know that he don't like nobody in his blind side, and we tried to attack it all night."

The Wildcats succeeded. They flushed Jones from the pocket in the first quarter and linebacker Justin Tuggle, playing defensive end on that particular play as part of a specialized package, caught Jones from behind and stripped the ball. Jarell Childs scooped it up just a yard in front of the goal line and scored.

Kansas State's defense believed.

"What we did all week was worked on trying to flush him out of the pocket, because we know he ain't good with pressure," Davis said. "If we get to his blind side, he's going to get jittery and try to move out the pocket and scoot up and stuff. We tried to get our D-tackles to cause pressure on the edge and try to get him."

The Wildcats notched two sacks, but the constant pressure had Jones looking mediocre for most of the night. His second turnover came when tackle Vai Lutui lunged at Jones from his knees. Jones threw off his back foot and promptly sailed a probable completion into the waiting arms of Kansas State safety Ty Zimmerman.

"It was a little bit of a struggle offensively. ... Our defense, I think, created the turnovers that took place, by and large," Snyder said. "I thought they did a heck of a job."

Snyder was a cool customer holding a hot cup of coffee with cream and sugar, taking sips while he answered questions after the victory in his Cotton Bowl windbreaker on a brisk fall night in Oklahoma. At one point during the conference, a cricket flew in and landed an inch from Snyder's left eye. He broke an answer for only a moment to swat away the pest.

Nothing could get to the unflappable SnyderCats on this night.

"When you play somebody as good as an Oklahoma team, it really does mean something special to them, and they feel good about it," Snyder said.

Snyder's demeanor wouldn't have been much different if the 14-point underdogs had gotten waxed by 30, like so many teams at Owen Field before them. Still, his message to the team remained consistent.

"He said he was very proud of us," Davis said with a grin.

Expecting maybe something a little more dramatic?

"Yes, we were, but you never really know what to expect," Davis said.

Well, that just wouldn't be very Snyder. Saturday's win, though? Doing what no team had ever done before and getting outgained in total yardage while doing it?

Could anybody else but Snyder do that?

NORMAN, Okla. -- With a throng of Kansas State fans celebrating in the stands just yards away, dejection and disappointment filled the Oklahoma Sooners as they slowly walked off the Owen Field turf after the No. 15-ranked WIldcats’ 24-19 win over OU on Saturday night.

And when the No. 6-ranked Sooners look back on their first home loss against a ranked team under head coach Bob Stoops, they can look closely at their inability to get key defensive stops when they needed them.

“We kind of broke down a little bit in the fourth quarter,” defensive coordinator Mike Stoops said. “We fought ourselves through the game, but we just got outexecuted in the fourth quarter and that was really the game.”

The Wildcats were 3 of 3 on third down in the fourth quarter, taking advantage of the Sooners defense in various ways to complete critical conversions.

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Kansas State did it again. Powered by an impressive fourth quarter from quarterback Collin Klein and 130 rushing yards and a touchdown from John Hubert, the No. 15 Wildcats escaped with a stunning 24-19 victory against No. 6 Oklahoma in Norman, Okla.

It was over when: On third-and-3 with 1:59 left in the game and both teams out of timeouts, Klein plowed left on a keeper and picked up five yards for the game-clinching first down. The Wildcats held on to the ball for the game’s final four minutes and ended in the victory formation after their second third-down conversion of the drive.

Game ball goes to: Collin Klein. He threw for only 42 yards in the first half, but he saved his best stuff for the final quarter, throwing for 72 yards on 4-of-5 passing. Klein paced the Wildcat attack with 79 rushing yards and, most importantly, he didn’t turn the ball over once.

Stat of the game: Three Oklahoma turnovers were the difference-maker in the end and doomed an inconsistent Sooner offense. A Landry Jones fumble became a Kansas State touchdown, a Blake Bell fumbled snap at the goal line cost OU a crucial score and Jones’ interception late in the third quarter set up another Wildcats touchdown.

What Oklahoma learned: The Sooners are still very much a work in progress. OU couldn’t make up for a shaky night from Jones, and its run game (27 carries, 88 yards) didn’t provide much help. With Texas Tech and Texas up next, Oklahoma needs to get its act together quickly.

What Kansas State learned: Just as they did last year, the Wildcats proved they can hang with the big boys in the Big 12. The close-game magic that carried KSU to 10 wins in 2011 isn’t gone, that’s for sure. The Wildcats can make their case for being the conference’s top team in three weeks at West Virginia.

NORMAN, Okla. – Thanks to a pair of key Oklahoma fumbles, the Sooners trail Kansas State 10-6 at halftime in a key Big 12 showdown.

Stat of the half: The Sooners entered the weekend having scored touchdowns on all 10 of their red-zone possessions. Tonight, they have scored just six points on three red-zone chances.

Player of the half: Kansas State linebacker Justin Tuggle has only one tackle, but it was a huge one. Deep in OU territory, Tuggle sacked Sooners quarterback Landry Jones and stripped the ball, which was recovered by K-State’s Jarrell Childs in the end zone for the only touchdown of the first half.

What’s working for the Sooners: Spearheaded by free safety Tony Jefferson, who already has 11 tackles, the Sooners have kept quarterback Collin Klein at bay. The K-State offense has only one field goal, and no pass play longer than 12 yards.

What’s not working for the Sooners: The Sooners have moved the ball, but have been unable to capitalize in the red zone. Jones overthrew a wide-open Brannon Green off play-action on OU’s opening possession, forcing the Sooners to settle for a field goal. Then backup quarterback Blake Bell fumbled out of the Belldozer package inside the K-State 5-yard line.

What OU needs to do to come back: If the Sooners can take care of the ball, and take advantage of their opportunities in the red zone, they should be fine. The defense is playing well, and the Sooners are getting sparks at receiver from Sterling Shepard and Roy Finch.

Jake Trotter and Brandon Chatmon break down No. 6 Oklahoma's home test Saturday against No. 15 Kansas State and quarterback Collin Klein.

Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein burst on the college football scene with a stellar 2011 season. He had 317 carries for 1,141 yards and 27 touchdowns including 26 carries for 92 yards and two scores against the Sooners.

But he completed just 57.2 percent of his passes for 1,918 yards, 13 touchdowns and six interceptions.

This season, Klein appears to be an improved passer. The senior is completing 72.9 percent of his throws for 609 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions.

“He’s making better decisions and putting the ball on point,” Sooners cornerback Demontre Hurst said. “It’s going to be a challenge for me, AC (cornerback Aaron Colvin) and the safeties to try to make the window as small as we can so he can’t put it in there.”

If Hurst and Colvin can win their one-on-one battles consistently, the Sooners can play the run much more effectively with more defenders. But if Klein is able to complete accurate passes between Sooners defenders, it will open up running lanes for himself and KSU running back John Hubert.