OU-TCU, Q4 report: Sooners win 33-14

Oklahoma 33, TCU 14

FORT WORTH — As usual, Oklahoma was talented enough to get an early lead.

This time, the Sooners were mature enough to hold it.

Lincoln Riley’s young Sooners grew up two weeks ago in the overtime fires of the Cotton Bowl against Texas, and Saturday against TCU, the team showed its usual playmaking ability — but this time finished the game with uncommon poise.

A blown double-digit lead? Not this time. Not against the 1-3 Horned Frogs. Not at Amon G. Carter Stadium. OU overpowered TCU from the beginning, and this time held on for a 33-14 Big 12 Conference victory.

The Sooners — who watched 21-, 11- and 14-point leads melt away against Kansas State (a loss), Iowa State (a loss) and Texas (a four-overtime win) — this time showed resilience through a brief TCU rally that ultimately went nowhere because Riley’s crew refused to wilt.

The Sooners have just eight seniors on their two-deep, with only four of those in Norman for the duration of their careers. It’s a young roster that has needed time on task, and through five games — OU is now 3-2 overall and 2-2 in Big 12 Conference play — they may finally be getting it.

Spencer Rattler completed just 13 passes but managed 322 passing yards thanks to deep balls to Marvin Mims (61-yard and 50-yard touchdowns), Theo Wease (44 and 33 yards) and Seth McGowan (43 yards).

Mims finished with four catches for 132 yards, while Wease caught three for 87.

Mims’ second TD, the 61-yard bomb, gave OU a 27-7 lead late in the third quarter. He caught a 50-yarder — more the intermediate catch-and-run variety — in the second quarter to give the Sooners a 17-0 lead.

After Mims gave OU a 17-point lead, the Horned Frogs took advantage of more mounting mistakes in the OU secondary. A missed tackle by Justin Broiles that produced a 47-yard reception by Pro Wells that set up a TCU touchdown to cut it 17-7, and penalties against Pat Fields and Brendan Radley-Hiles put Max Duggan and the Frogs back in scoring position on their next drive.

But what looked like a touchdown catch in the back of the end zone over Jaden Davis was instead called incomplete, then reviewed and comfirmed, and two plays later the Horned Frogs punted.

The Sooners defense forced a three-and-out to start the second half, and Gabe Brkic’s second of four field goals —tying a school single-game record — made it 20-7.

That swing — from what was nearly a three-point game to what became a 13-point game — gave Oklahoma a surge, and after another defensive stop and TCU punt, Rattler found Mims behind his man down the right sideline for a 27-7 cushion that was enough to hold up.

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