Sep 9, 2017; Columbus, OH, USA; Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) runs out of the tackle by Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Malik Harrison (39) in the first half of the game at Ohio Stadium. Photo Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Oklahoma was humbled by Ohio State on its home field a year ago and had to wait nearly 365 days before doing the same to the Buckeyes.
The fifth-ranked Sooners got their payback in full, scoring four second-half touchdowns to break away from a 3-3 halftime tie and stun the second-ranked Buckeyes 31-16 before 109,088 on Saturday night in an early college football showdown at Ohio Stadium.
Baker Mayfield completed 27 of 35 passes for 386 yards and three touchdowns as Oklahoma (2-0) finished with 490 total yards and extended the nation’s longest winning streak to 12 games.
The Sooners’ last loss was that 45-24 humbling in Norman last season.
Jordan Smallwood’s 3-yard touchdown run with 9:26 left expanded Oklahoma’s lead to 31-13 and sent Ohio State fans streaming to the exits.
J.T. Barrett and the Ohio State offense struggled against Oklahoma’s defense. Barrett was only 19-of-35 passing for 183 yards and one interception.
Parris Campbell jump-started Ohio State (1-1) in the second half with a 56-yard kickoff return before the Buckeyes drove 44 yards to a 6-yard touchdown by J.K. Dobbins to open a 10-3 lead 2:23 into the third quarter.
Oklahoma responded quickly, tying the score less than two minutes later when Mayfield found Dimitri Flowers running free in the middle of the field and he outraced Ohio State defenders to the end zone to complete a 36-yard touchdown pass.
Ohio State went back in front with 8:10 left in the third quarter after a 24-yard field goal by Sean Nuernberger set up by runs of 16 and 13 yards by Dobbins and a 31-yard reception by Austin Mack that was ruled a completion after review.
Oklahoma hit Ohio State with a quick counterpunch to take its first lead. Mayfield connected with Mykel Jones for a 42-yard pass and then threw a 18-yard touchdown strike to Lee Morris with 2:17 left in the third quarter to make it 17-13.
The go-ahead drive covered 92 yards in four plays and took only 1:40.
The Sooners came up with key stop to start the fourth quarter, forcing an Ohio State incompletion on fourth down from the Oklahoma 36-yard line to regain possession. From there, Mayfield led a seven-play drive that culminated with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Trey Sermon to expand the lead to 24-14.
Oklahoma moved the ball with more efficiency than Ohio State in the first half. The Sooners had 119 yards in the first quarter to 25 for Ohio State and finished the opening half with a 222-92 total yardage advantage.
But two lost fumbles and a missed field goal attempt as well as Ohio State’s defense kept Oklahoma off the scoreboard until 25 seconds before halftime, when Austin Seibert drilled a 35-yard field goal to tie the score at 3.
Ohio State’s only points in the opening half came on a 24-yard field goal by Nuernberger with 11:11 remaining in the second quarter.
In the marquee quarterback matchup, Mayfield won the first half. He connected on 11 of 18 passes for 158 yards. Barrett completed only 5 of 11 for 25 yards and rushed for 33 yards.
Dobbins, Ohio State’s freshman running back, started the game for the second straight week but was limited to 12 yards on four carries in the first half. He ran for 181 yards in the Buckeyes’ opening win last week at Indiana.
Ohio State sophmore running back Mike Weber, a 1,000-yard rusher last year, entered the game in the second quarter after sitting out the opener with a lingering hamstring injury. He was off to a promising start with 22 yards on two carries but appeared to reinjure the hamstring and left the game.
NOTES: The road team has won the last four meetings. … Oklahoma’s last and only visit to Ohio Stadium came in 1977, when a last-second field goal gave the Sooners a 29-28 victory. … Sooners QB Baker Mayfield blew kisses to the Ohio State “Block O” section during pregame. … Former Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops attended and sat at the press level. He visited with Sooners players on the field before the game. … Oklahoma last played an opponent ranked in the top two on the road in 2000 at Kansas State. … Mayfield and Ohio State’s J.T. Barrett entered the game as the two current winningest quarterbacks in college football.
