Oklahoma-Missouri Series Hasn't Been Close, But it Has Been Entertaining

As the Sooners have dominated the Tigers, OU coach Brent Venables recalls "nothing easy" whenever the teams met during his first stint in Norman.

Oklahoma Sooners linebacker Curtis Lofton (40) celebrates his INT of Chase Daniel in San Antonio / Jerry Lai-Imagn Images

NORMAN — This new SEC has rekindled some classic rivalries. 

With Texas and Oklahoma now in the Southeastern Conference, the Longhorns' long-standing rivalry with Texas A&M is at the top of the list.

So is UT’s old Southwest Conference rivalry with Arkansas.

Oklahoma and Missouri? It’s down the list. Way down the list.

“We’re aware of it,” Mizzou coach Eli Drinkwitz said Tuesday. “Every time we introduce a team, we talk about how many times we’ve played and what that series history is. We realize there’s been a few matchups here in the past, whether it’s Big 8 or Big 12. So we’re aware of it.”

Rather than a ringing endorsement, that’s about as bland a summary as the OU-Missouri series deserves.

Oklahoma leads the all-time series 67-24-5 — and it hasn’t been that competitive lately.

Since 1970, OU has won 32 of the last 36 meetings. 

Oklahoma played Missouri nine times with current head coach Brent Venables on staff from 1999 to 2011. Bob Stoops’ Sooners were 8-1 in those nine games.

Two of those meetings were in the Big 12 Championship game. Three were played in Columbia, four in Norman.

OU was ranked No. 1 in the nation twice, Missouri was ranked No. 1 once — and the Sooners won all three of those.

But Oklahoma’s only loss to Gary Pinkel’s squad was when the Sooners were ranked No. 3 and a heavy favorite, a 36-27 loss in 2010, during a stretch when the Sooners were famously impossible to beat at home and yet always vulnerable on the road.

On Saturday at Faurot Field in Columbia, in a 6:45 p.m. kickoff, the Sooners and Tigers renew their “rivalry” — such as it is.

Venables recalls some good times when he was Stoops’ defensive coordinator and co-defensive coordinator.

“Just really competitive,” Venables said. “Wasn't nothing easy about any of 'em.” 

Actually, OU dominated 37-0 in 1999, 34-13 in 2003, 26-10 in 2006, 38-17 in the 2007 Big 12 title game and 62-21 in the 2008 Big 12 title game. Seven of the Sooners’ eight wins were by double-digits.

Venables “fondly” recalls the two conference championships, which were blowouts. The one in San Antonio, Mizzou was ranked No. 1. The one in Kansas City, OU was ranked No. 4. The Sooners won by a combined 110-38.

In Venables’ memory, the series with Missouri included “ a lot of competitive games … a lot of really good games, and it was always a challenge to go over.”

He recalled Brad Smith and Corby Jones and Chase Daniel and Jeremy Maclin among the Tigers who gave him fits as a defensive coach. He recalled Stoops’ fake field goal in Columbia in 2002 where safety and holder Matt McCoy threw a fourth-quarter prayer to then-tight end Chris Chester for the winning touchdown, putting OU up 29-24 with 6:33 to play. He recalled Curtis Lofton’s epic beatdowns of Daniel in Norman and San Antonio in 2007.

Some other highlights from the recent meetings: In 2006, Allen Patrick replaced an injured Adrian Peterson and ran 36 times for 162 yards and Paul Thompson threw two touchdowns. In ’07, Reggie Smith, D.J. Wolfe and Nic Harris had interceptions and Lofton returned a fumble by Daniel for a touchdown. In that year’s title game, Lofton intercepted Daniel and sacked him too. In 2008, Sam Bradford had 382 yards passing, the Sooners compiled 627 yards and 39 first downs on offense and three takeaways on defense — and DeMarco Murray hurt his knee. In 2011, Landry Jones threw for 448 yards and Ryan Broyles scored three touchdowns.

“A lot of good, fond memories,” Venables said, “and again, two good programs going at it. And it'll be another great challenge for us this week.”

“I have a lot of respect for the history of that program,” Drinkwitz said.