Oklahoma-Auburn Film Review: How Oklahoma Flipped the Script for Its First SEC Win

With good coaching and clutch plays all around, the Sooners overcame a big fourth quarter deficit and turned in the biggest plays of the year down the stretch.

Oklahoma Sooners linebacker Kobie McKinzie plants the flag. / Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oklahoma jumped back in the win column last week — and that’s pretty much all that matters.

Only, it’s not.

The Sooners lost their early momentum and trailed by double-digits in Saturday’s win at Auburn. A miracle comeback — a little Deep South Sooner Magic — provided the margin for victory.

Zach Schmit nailed two field goals, Michael Hawkins hit J.J. Hester for a 60-yard pass and Kip Lewis returned an interception 63 yards for a touchdown, and OU heads into the open date — and the Red River Rivalry — coming off a incalculably important 27-21 win at Auburn.

No doubt it was a monumental victory in the history of the program. Of course, in the big picture, it's one victory. With one of the most daunting schedules in OU annals, it will only count as one game. The Sooners still face a lot of really good football teams, starting with a 2:30 p.m. kickoff against No. 2-ranked Texas in Dallas on Oct. 12. And while Saturday's performance ended the way everyone in Sooner Nation would have wanted, it also shone a spotlight on continuing areas where OU needs to play much better.

No. 19 OU improved to 4-1 on the season and 1-1 in SEC play. Texas is 5-0 and 1-0 and slipped from No. 1 to No. 2 in this week’s AP Top 25, and remains No. 1 in the AFCA Coaches Poll.

Here’s the Sooners On SI video review of the Auburn game.

FIRST QUARTER

The game couldn’t start any better for Oklahoma. Billy Bowman drags down Malcom Simmons on a screen for no gain, and Danny Stutsman is waiting on Jarquez Hunter for a loss of 2. Then, a harbinger for Oklahoma on third down: beats Kani Walker inside — but drops what should have been a first down ball. OU gets a break, but there’s no doubt early that this defense is up to the task, as the Sooners’ two best players make big-time plays.

Michael Hawkins’ first throw is a quick screen to Brenen Thompson, who follows blocks from Jake Roberts, Michael Tarquin and Branson Hickman and slices through the defense for 15 yards. Immediately, the Sooners get a big play from Thompson, who’s been badly needed for this offense. Jovantae Barnes’ toss sweep to the boundary only picks up 2, and Auburn does a nice job stuffing the middle on an inside handoff for a gain of 3. It’s now third-and-5 — remember the Sooners’ major troubles with third-down conversions? — and Auburn sends five defenders, including two on a twist that are easily picked up. The safeties’ backs are turned, and Hawkins immediately seizes the opportunity to take the space — and then is running so far, no Auburn defenders can keep up. It’s the Sooners’ longest play of the season — 48 yards for the touchdown. 

Zach Schmit’s second kickoff was just like his first: out of the back of the end zone. That’s a skill that can be underrated in its value toward field position. On first down, Auburn QB Payton Thorne throws a soft toss into traffic, and Dez Malone reaches in to deflect the pass while Kobie McKinzie nearly had a diving interception. Auburn is slowing its tempo offensively, a trend it will try to utilize all day. Thorne’s second throw is a screen across the middle, but Ethan Downs bats it down. Thorne’s third-and-10 bubble screen to Jarquez Hunter should be stopped for a gain of 5 or 6, but Danny Stutsman’s missed tackle allows Hunter to push forward for a 15-yard gain and a first down. Billy Bowman gets under his blocker and knocks Hunter backward, and Stutsman and Downs clean it up for a 1-yard gain. On second-and-9, Thorne throws a swing pass to Robert Lewis, who’s uncovered out of the backfield for a gain of 12. Hunter takes a handoff up the middle and then fakes a flea-flicker pitch to Thorne. That fools Stutsman into the wrong gap, and Hunter pushes forward for an 11-yard pickup. Thorne’s intermediate throw to KeAndre Lambert-Smith on the right sideline isn’t a good one, but Lambert-Smith slips, which somehow creates a little separation from Malone. Lambert-Smith catches it falling down for a gain of 20 at the OU 16. Damari Alston takes an RPO handoff up the middle and bounces forward for a gain of 3, and Thorne drops to pass but keeps on a scramble, spinning out of a tackle by McKinzie for the 7-yard pickup and first down at the OU 6. Sam Jackson gets thumped on a wildcat keeper up the middle, then bounces outside and gets dragged down by R Mason Thomas for no gain. On second and goal from the 6, Thorne fakes a toss to the motion man and squeezes into a gap over the left edge for a 3-yard gain. On third-and-3, Hunter gets away from McKinzie in the backfield and smashes ahead for 2 yards before Ethan Downs brings him down. Auburn subs in a jumbo package with wideout Caleb Burton taking the direct snap, but OU subs late and then has to burn a timeout. After the timeout, Jackson comes back in for the wildcat keeper and sprints out to his right, but the OU defense swallows him up. Trace Ford beats him outside and forces him to cut back, Ethan Downs holds the edge, Da’Jon Terry and Damonic Williams change the line of scrimmage and Billy Bowman greets Jackson in the hole for no gain.

It’s a massive momentum surge back to the Sooners, who now face the task of coming off the goal line in noisy Jordan-Hare Stadium. At least OU is on the end where most of the Sooner Fans are located, so the noise isn’t overwhelming, although some of the linemen seem to have trouble hearing Hawkins. The offensive line of Michael Tarquin, Jacob Sexton, Branson Hickman, Febechi Nwaiwu and Jake Taylor — the starting o-line when training camp ended — is joined by two tight ends as Hawkins hands to Jovantae Barnes up the middle. It’s much the same situation, grouping and play that Barnes was caught for a safety last week against Tennessee, but the execution is much better as Barnes cuts right and slams ahead for 3 yards. Barnes slices off Jake Roberts’ collapsing block on the right edge for 2 more, but Hawkins drops to pass and can’t find a receiver open. His scramble is stopped for no gain, and Luke Elzinga steps in for his first heroic act: a 56-yard punt off his own end line, where Jacobe Johnson and Lewis Carter force Keynote Scott out of bounds for a 2-yard runback.

Ethan Downs pressures Thorne out of the pocket on first down, and he wisely dives for the grass to avoid a big hit from Trace Ford at the end of a 3-yard gain. A false start pushes Auburn into a second-and-12, and Thorne’s throw to Camden Brown is off target. On third-and-12, OU brings out its 3-man front of Caidem Woullard and R Mason Thomas at end and Gracen Halton in the middle, with Stutsman and Ford at linebacker and Woodi Washington at cheetah. Thorne tries another quick throw to his left, but Caiden Woullard reaches up and bats it down to force the punt.

Auburn is flagged for illegal formation as the punt sails into the end zone, giving OU the ball at the 25. It’s a solid opportunity to create some more positive momentum, but Barnes gets thrown down for a gain of 1 as Auburn stuffs the right edge, and Hawkins gets only 2 as he slides down on a QB draw up the middle. On third down, Hawkins zips an inside screen to Bauer Sharp, who turns upfield and gets away from the Tigers for a gain of 48 yards. But Roberts is flagged for offensive pass interference as Sharp cuts off what’s supposed to be a simple rub route that he probably didn’t even need. Instead of just getting in the defender’s way, Roberts stops, turns and reaches out to hook the DB, a 14-yard penalty and 62-yard swing that is absolutely crushing for an OU offense needing a break. Third-and-21 is another quick screen throw to Sharp, who plows for just 1 yard.

SECOND QUARTER

Elzinga’s 57-yard punt hits the Auburn sideline, again flipping the field. But it doesn’t matter this time, as Cam Coleman catches an intermediate over route in front of Washington, the breaks Washington’s tackle for a 34-yard gain. Thorne keeps off the left edge for a gain of 4, but Auburn should have been flagged for a blatant holding penalty on Kobie McKinzie. Instead, it’s second-and-6, and Hunter takes a quick pitch to the field side and is cut down by Washington for a gain of 3. On third-and-3, Thorne finds Lambert-Smith again deep down the right sideline for a 31-yard touchdown. Lambert-Smith’s release turns Malone completely around, and Malone’s catch-up at the goal line is late as Lambert-Smith fights off the contact and makes an over-the-shoulder TD grab. That sends the crowd into a pom-pom pumping frenzy with 12:52 until halftime.

This would be a good time for a response from the OU offense, and Hawkins eludes pressure and delivers quick throw to Brenen Thompson on the right sideline to get it started as Thompson cuts upfield for another tough, 15-yard completion. The Sooners have maintained a lot of two-tight end packages to help with pass protection, and it’s paid off so far. Jaquaize Pettaway comes in for Roberts, and Sharp catches a quick screen from Hawkins, then bullies through the Auburn defense for an 8-yard pickup. On second-and-2, Barnes smashes through the middle for 3 yards. Hawkins avoids two tacklers and gets away from a quarterback sack, but offsetting penalties (Zion Ragins is held, and Hawkins is called for intentional grounding) negate the play. Hawkins scrambles again, this time for 1 yard, and on second-and-9, Hawkins’ quick screen to Pettaway picks up 2 yards. On third-and-7, Hawkins tries to connect with Jake Roberts on a delayed slant across the middle, but Kaleb Harris arrives air the same time as the throw and it’s incomplete.

This time Elzinga tries to pin his punt inside the 20, but it hits the 15 and bounces backwards to the 19. Auburn comes out in a heavy formation and starts out with a toss sweep to Alston, but freshman safety Michael Boganowski comes from deep in the secondary and blows up the blocking for a 3-yard gain. Alson’s handoff up the middle is stuffed, and after Danny Stutsman knifes through unblocked and redirects him, Kip Lewis brings Alston down in the backfield for a loss of 2. On third-and-9, Zac Alley is back in his 3-2 front, and Auburn takes advantage of the light box with a handoff up the middle to Alston. P.J. Adebawore slides down the line the line as David Stone and Gracen Halton are blocked out of the play, and R Mason Thomas and Trace Ford are both shielded downfield as Alston smashes forward and picks up exactly 9. Ford goes down with what looks like a hamstring cramp, and after he’s taken care of, Jeremiah Cobb takes a jet sweep to the boundary for a 3-yard pickup. Thorne executes an RPO and finds Lambert-Smith in front of Kani Walker for an 8-yard gain and another first down. Again versus Alley’s 3-man front and another light box, Auburn runs power to Alston right at Stutsman and Billy Bowman, who both get knocked backward for a gain of 12. Now the Oklahoma defense seems to be reeling as Hugh Freeze is dialing up the right plays against the right defenses. It all comes together as Thorne again finds a deep receiver behind the OU secondary. This time it’s Malcom Simmons running past Walker on a deep post for a 48-yard touchdown and Auburn has seized a 14-7 lead with 5:41 left in the half.

Sam Franklin returns the kickoff 21 yards to the OU 23, and Auburn rides the momentum when Hawkins breaks out of a two-back formation with a read-option keeper to the right — but only for 2 yards. Gavin Sawchuk stays in the game and lead-blocks for Barnes on a 5-yard gain. On third-and-3, however, Hawkins can’t find a receiver open, and as he scrambles toward the left sideline, Keynote Scott drags him out of bounds for a 2-yard sack. 

Elzinga’s 50-yard bunt is returned 10 yards before snapper Ben Anderson wraps him up with 3:35 to play. Woullard bangs Hunter down for a 1-yard gain, and Thorne is forced to scramble for a short gain, but Halton is flagged for offsides, and it’s second-and-4. Thornton rolls out right keeps for 5 yards and a first down before Williams brings him down on the sideline. After the two-minute stoppage, Thorne rolls left and gets away from Downs, keeping again for a 9-yard pickup. Thorne then scrambles through a big gap up the middle for a gain of 7. Thorne hits Lambert-Smith on a quick out in front of Malone for 12 yards, then Hunter finds a huge hole off the left edge for 7 yards. Auburn calls timeout with 37 seconds left, and Thorne drops to pass on second-and-3. Ford — back with a force from his hamstring cramp — beats his blocker, reaches out and strips Thorne, but the ball squirts forward and Thorne hops on it for a crazy first down. Thorne drops back again, but this time he’s swarmed by Woullard (gets away) and McKinzie (doesn’t) for a 6-yard sack. Auburn calls time again with 37 seconds left, and the overhead camera shows that Thorne’s left hand is bloodied. A handoff to Hunter gains 6 yards as Ford and McKinzie are blocked at the point of attack. Freeze calls his third timeout with 20 seconds. OU blitzes and pressures Thorne with seven, but he slips a quick slant to Lambert-Smith for a gain of 6. Malone reacts immediately and gets his man to the ground inbounds, which keeps the clock running, with 16 seconds left. Auburn rushes on its field goal unit, and Oklahoma — which is allowed to substitute because of the offensive subs — mistakenly rushes its field goal defense on the field at the 13-yard line. The Sooners should have taken their time to sub, and it’s likely the clock would have expired. Instead, the Sooner defense is scrambling and confused, and there are too many men on the field as Towns McGough’s 31-yard field goal snaps wide left. OU is flagged for having 12 defenders, and McGough gets to kick again, this time an untimed down from 27 yards. Luckily for the Sooners, the mistake isn’t costly as McGough misses again. Brent Venables appears flabbergasted as he realizes his team’s substitution mistake, and Freeze appears equally flummoxed by his freshman kicker’s two misses. Venables tells ESPN’s Katie George the defense was “not very good” and that Hawkins “has done some really good things.” OU had just 34 yards and two first downs in the quarter, while Auburn had 243 and 11.

THIRD QUARTER 

Oklahoma won the coin toss and deferred, so the Sooners get the ball to start the third quarter. OU needs something good — but is going to have to wait a little longer. Barnes gets bushwhacked by safety Eugene Asante for a 1-yard gain, and Hawkins’ throw to Thompson after a play-action fake sails on him and ends up out of bounds beyond Thompson’s reach. Still, it’s Hawkins’ first deep ball, and Thompson was wide open. That portends good things for the near future. Hawkins scrambles out of trouble for a 5-yard pickup on third-and-9 and takes a really big hit from two Tiber defenders, but Auburn’s Keynote Scott is whistled for holding  Pettaway, a 10-yard penalty and an OU first down. Pettaway can’t bring in Hawkins’ high screen pass on first down, and Hawkins’ inside screen to Sharp is blown up for a 1-yard loss. On third-and-11, Hawkins can’t find a receiver open, drifts out of pressure and throws it out of bounds. 

An Auburn holding penalty adds to Elzinga’s 48-yarder as the Tigers take over at the 6-yard line, but Hunter gets the Auburn drive started right, running up the middle through a gaping hole and plowing over Robert Spears-Jennings for 11 yards. Hunter and his blockers bully the middle of OU’s defense for a 5-yard gain, and Thorne finds Coleman in front of Walker for a 6-yard completion and another first down. Hunter hits another big hole and drags Spears-Jennings for a 7-yard run, but then Auburn is hit with a substitution penalty. After Alston is trucked by Boganowski and Kip Lewis for a 1-yard gain, Thorne’s throw to an open Coleman is incomplete. 

More momentum is heading Oklahoma’s way as Peyton Bowen fair catches the punt and gets hit by Demarcus Lawrence for a 15-yard penalty, setting the Sooners up with field position at the OU 43. The first play is Barnes’ best of the day, a 16-yard run on which he breaks a tackle and bounces outside. OU runs tempo and Barnes gets 3 and 2 against a crowded Auburn box, and on third-and-5, Hawkins scrambles for 6 yards, running over a tackler to pick up the first down. The play clock is running down, so Hawkins burns a timeout with 6:40 on the clock. Barnes gets only 2 yards as Auburn crowds the line of scrimmage again. On second-and-8, Barnes commits a false-start penalty with an almost imperceptible twitch as the snap arrives just a count late. Hawkins scrambles for 8 yards, but Pettaway is flagged for a questionable illegal block in the back penalty. On second-and-18, Hawkins again has a clean pocket, but he scrambles away and finds J.J. Hester on the right sideline. Hester cuts inside and spins, breaking three tackles on a 21-yard gain to the Auburn 17. Replays appear to show Hester’s right knee grazed the top of the grass, but officials can’t find enough evidence to overturn the call on the field, and the play stands. Hawkins rolls right, then gets away from pressure as he tries to fit a throw to Thompson in the back corner of the end zone that falls incomplete. Kayin Lee is flagged for pass interference, however, setting up the Sooners at the 2-yard line. Barnes gets hammered for a 1-yard loss on first down, and Hawkins rolls right and appears to have Jake Roberts open underneath for just a microsecond, but he keeps and cuts it up for a 1-yard gain. On third-and-goal from the 3, Barnes lines up to Hawkins’ right, and Sharp lines up in the slot to the left. Sharp comes in motion, and on the snap, Hawkins drops back to pass as Barnes drifts in front of him and finds himself wide open for a touchdown throw from Hawkins. It’s a brilliant goal line design and a perfectly timed call by offensive coordinator Seth Littrell, but Sharp’s motion drifted upfield at the last second instead of staying parallel to the line of scrimmage. The illegal motion penalty on Sharp wipes out the touchdown and pushes the ball back 5 yards to the Auburn 7, where Hawkins’ desperation scramble up the middle gains only 1 yard and brings on Schmit for his first field goal of the year. The kick is just inside the right upright and gives OU its first score since Hawkins’ run early in the first quarter, cutting it to 14-10 with 2:26 to play. 

Schmit’s kickoff settles at the 1-yard line, and Reggie Powers gets a big hit on Jeremiah Cobb’s kickoff return but doesn’t bring him down. That missed tackle is costly as Schmit commits a facemask penalty on the tackle, giving Auburn the football at its own 42. Thorne’s swing pass to Simmons out of the backfield goes for 4 yards before freshman corner Eli Bowen comes up to make the tackle. But as Eli Bowen blitzes off the right edge, Coleman gets wide open behind Peyton Bowen for a 42-yard completion to the OU 9-yard line. Thorne’s next throw is an RPO over the middle and is nearly intercepted by Kobie McKinzie. Thorne throws another swing pass to the left side to Malcolm Simmons, who takes the screen up the sideline for 9 yards before McKinzie saves the touchdown. Thorne keeps a read-option to the right on third-and-1, but he’s dropped for no gain by Sammy Omosigho and McKinzie. 

FOURTH QUARTER

On the first play of the period, Thorne gets under center and takes a tush-push quarterback sneak for a first down to the 1-yard line. Thorne then fakes a handoff and throws a pop-pass over the middle to tight end Luke Deal for the touchdown. Billy Bowman’s pass interference doesn’t keep Deal from making a full-extension, fingertip grab, giving Auburn a 21-10 lead with 14:12 to play.

The Sooners are down 11 and now face an urgency — they can’t keep producing empty possessions. This one starts off right when Hawkins play-action fakes, bootlegs right and feathers a perfect throw to Sharp, who races up the sideline and cuts inside for a 35-yard gain. The OU offensive line surges with some outside zone blocking (Hickman smothers his man at the line while Nwaiwu and Taylor are downfield clearing a path) as Barnes takes a quick toss and gains 9 1/2 yards. More good blocking up front as Gavin Sawchuk slices through a huge hole on the left side for a 16-yard run, but Roberts is caught holding his defender and penalized 9 yards. On second-and-10, Kade McIntyre is whistled for false start, and a once-promising drive is beginning to wither. Pettaway motions out of the backfield, but Hawkins can’t find a receiver on second-and-15 and has to throw it away. On third-and-long, Hawkins flips a quick screen to Hester, who smashes ahead for 5 yards. On fourth-and-10 from the Auburn 45, Brent Venables’ risk is not rewarded as Auburn’s Jalen McLeod beats Tarquin around the left edge and drops Hawkins for a 5-yard sack. 

At this point, the game seems over. OU is 11 points down, has just one field goal drive in the past 2 1/2 quarters and the Tigers are playing well on defense. Also, the crowd is fired up. Hunter adds to the Sooners’ misery with he breaks three tackles on a 22-yard run on the first play of the drive. Auburn’s next snap comes with 11:02 to play, and Freeze calls an RPO against a heavy OU box, meaning Thorne throws — and it’s incomplete (and stops the clock) as Billy Bowman nearly intercepts the slant pass. On second-and-10, Freeze calls another run-pass option, and Thorne throws it again, and again it’s incomplete as his receiver didn’t read it and ran a different route. On third-and-10, Freeze and Thorne aren’t on the same page and Auburn burns a timeout as the play clock is running out. Then Hunter gets smashed for no gain by Kip Lewis, and, with the ball snapped at 10:15 on the clock, Towns McGough’s 51-yard field goal try has no chance, giving Oklahoma possession at its own 33. 

Barnes gets just 2 yards on a physical run up the middle on first down. But on second-and-8, lighting strikes: J.J. Hester lines up wide right, Sharp is flanked to the right inside of Pettaway, and Barnes is behind Hawkins to his right. Hawkins sees man-to-man coverage on the outside, play-action fakes to Barnes, and sees Hester break free wide open behind Kayin Lee. Hawkins’ throw is perfect, and as Hester receives an over-the-shoulder ball, Lee dives and grabs Hester’s right foot to keep him out of the end zone. It’s OU’s new longest play of the season, 60 yards, and it’s the Sooners’ first true deep ball this year. From the 5, Barnes slashes ahead for 3 yards, and then he follows Tarquin and Sexton off the left edge and gets into the end zone untouched. That cuts it to 21-16 with 8:32 to play, but on the 2-point conversion, Hawkins gets pressure, scrambles to his right and, with a defender hanging off him, throws a desperation heave in the back of the end zone to Sharp — who nearly makes a diving catch. 

Schmit’s kickoff is another touchback, and Trace Ford stones Hunter for a 1-yard loss on first down. Thorne, however, scrambles away from Halton for 5 yards and throws a quick swing pass to Hunter for 6, a big third-down conversion. Hunter slams up the middle, breaks a tackle from Danny Stutsman and cuts outside for a 16-yard gain, and the stress is beginning to build on the Sooner defense. Thorne keeps a read-option for an 8-yard gain as the clock trickles under 5 minutes. On second down, Hunter takes the handoff up the middle and is dropped for a 2-yard loss by Omosigho. On third-and-4, another lightning strike: OU shows an all-out blitz, but as Thorne receives the shotgun snap, only the defensive ends are crashing. On another of Freeze’s RPO, Thorne reads pass and fires a quick slant to slot receiver Sam Jackson, who has released inside and has Spears-Jennings beat for a potential first-down catch and maybe a touchdown. But what Thorne didn’t read was the tackles and linebackers both dropping into coverage, an unusual zone blitz that completely covers the short zones. Thorne’s throw to Jackson is cut off by Kip Lewis, who bobbles the football and brings it in for an interception. But Lewis isn’t stopping there. He’s headed up the Auburn sideline with nothing but green grass in front of him. As OU fans are losing their minds, Lewis outraces the Auburn offense and barely beats Cam Coleman to the end zone, giving the Sooners a 22-21 lead with 4:01 left. Hawkins scrambles for his life on the 2-pointer, first dodging up into the pocket, then escaping to the right. At one point, with all his receivers covered, he realizes he can run it, and heads for the pylon. Hawkins gets a block at the goal line from Sawchuk and launches himself into 323-pound defensive tackle Isaiah Rakes, who helicopters Hawkins just over the goal line to give the Sooners a 24-21 lead. 

Against OU’s 3-man front, Hunter gets an option pitch from Thorne for 4 yards, then Thorne hits Robert Lewis on a slant to the left for 10 yards. Trace Ford hangs on to limit Hunter for a 4-yard gain, and now Auburn is feeling the heat and going fast. Danny Stutsman and Ethan Downs knock down Thorne on a 1-yard scramble. On third-and-4, R Mason Thomas comes off the right side past left tackle Percy Lewis to sack Thorne. Then on fourth-and-11, after the 2-minute timeout, Thomas comes off the left side past right tackle Dillon Wade and nearly gets to Thorn again. Thorne escapes to his right, but Gracen Halton is there, forcing him back left. That’s where he finds Thomas, who obliterates Thorne for another sack that gives OU the football at the Auburn 25 with 1;54 to go.

The game is over, but there’s still more drama ahead. Hawkins keeps for 2 yards, but on second down, Brenen Thompson commits a false start penalty that stop the clock. Barnes gets 3 yards, forcing Auburn’s second timeout with 1:04 left. Then Hawkins keeps on an option play, and Auburn burns its final timeout with 58 seconds to go. On fourth-and-7, as the clock runs down, holder Josh Plaster rushes up under center as if he’s going to take the snap and run a play with Schmit as his tailback. Instead, OU calls timeout, and Schmit drills a 39-yard field goal from the right hashmark, arguably the biggest kick of his career.

After Schmit’s kickoff goes through the end zone, Auburn gets the football with 54 seconds left at its own 25. Thorne throws to Rivaldo Fairweather for 10 yards over the middle, and Peyton Bowen makes the tackle. On first down, Spears-Jennings comes free on a blitz from the right side of the OU defense, pounding Thorne for a 9-yard loss. On second-and-19, Thorne hits Fairweather for an 18-yard completion, and replay review shows Bowen dropped Fairweather short of the first down with 19 seconds left. A 10-second runoff ensues because the officials stopped the clock to review the spot. Thorne’s next throw over the middle is incomplete, and the final play of the game — a 43-yard heave from Thorne to Fairweather to the OU 13-yard line — ends with zeros on the clock.