Oklahoma Sooners win Alamo Bowl in interim coach Bob Stoops’ return to sideline
Bob Stoops and Oklahoma were winners together again, just like old times.
Kennedy Brooks ran for 142 yards and three touchdowns, Caleb Williams passed for three more scores and the 14th-ranked Sooners rode a dominant first half to a 47-32 win over No. 15 Oregon in the Alamo Bowl on Wednesday night.
The victory marked a brief and happy reunion for the coach and school he led to a national championship and 10 Big 12 titles from 1999 to 2016. Stoops was called off a golf course to come out of retirement to coach the bowl game after the abrupt departure of Lincoln Riley for Southern California.
“I’ve been out of it, came back,” Stoops said. “It was fun. More than anything, I appreciate the young people, the guys in the program, embraced me, were all in, and worked hard.”
Stoops earned career win No. 191 and boosted his bowl record to 10-9. Getting the latest victory was maybe the easiest part in all this.
Just as important were the tasks of steadying the program overall after Riley’s bolt west turned it upside down. And Stoops had to build a stable bridge to the new era under incoming coach Brent Venables, his former Oklahoma assistant who has spent the past nine seasons at Clemson.
“They’re getting a guy with passion, a guy that loves the game,” Stoops said. “A winner.”
And the coach who once earned the nickname Big Game Bob also turned into Big Hug Bob when he got to embrace son and Sooners receiver Drake Stoops after a second-quarter touchdown catch. Drake walked on at Oklahoma in 2018 after Bob had retired.
Oklahoma (11-2) raced out to a 30-3 lead as Brooks and Williams sliced up the Oregon defense. Brooks had 127 yards on just 10 carries in the first half with scoring runs of 16 and 29 yards, and another 40-yard run that set up Williams’ first touchdown pass to Drake Stoops.
Williams’ 55-yard TD pass to Marvin Mims Jr. hit the receiver perfectly in stride behind two Ducks defenders who were two steps late. Brooks then punched in the final score of the half.
The Sooners were so dominant at that point they looked like some of Stoops’ old teams of bulldozing running backs, defense and Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks.
But Oregon (10-4) didn’t quit and made a game of it in the second half. The Ducks scored three touchdowns in the third quarter, two coming on long throws by quarterback Anthony Brown, to get within 44-25 by the start of the fourth. Brown finished with 306 yards passing, and Travis Dye rushed for 153 yards and a touchdown for Oregon.
Oregon was led by assistant coach Bryan McClendon, elevated to interim head coach for the bowl game after Mario Cristobal left for Miami. Oregon has hired Georgia defensive coordinator Dan Lanning, who will take over the Ducks after the College Football Playoff.
“It hurts,” McClendon said. “As well as we played in the second half, it’s not a consolation prize.”
Riley’s sudden departure and several players bolting early for the NFL or transferring had the program’s fan base in a bit of a panic. Venables was at the game and was around the team during bowl practices. He should have a keen handle on where the Sooners are headed next season.
Venables’ biggest job is building a potential future with Williams, who hasn’t said definitively whether he plans to stay with the Sooners next year.
Williams did not settle the issue after the game. He called the last few weeks a “roller coaster” and said he will be taking a vacation with his family.
“Oklahoma chose the right guy to come in here,” Williams said of Venables.
Oklahoma Sends off Bob Stoops With an Alamo Bowl Rout
Twenty-three years after breathing new life into a dead program, Stoops reached into the darkness left behind by Lincoln Riley’s sudden and shocking departure and pulled the Sooners into a promising future.
It was just one game, but Wednesday night’s Alamo Bowl underscored Stoops’ first and lasting legacy at OU: No excuses. None whatsoever.
Anyway, who needs Lincoln Riley and Alex Grinch with coordinators like Cale Gundy and Brian Odom calling plays?
The No. 16-ranked Sooners were both artfully masterful and physically dominant over No. 14 Oregon in a 47-32 victory inside the Alamodome.
Afterward, Stoops got his first Gatorade bath since 2016, then passed the ceremonial torch — his visor this time — to incoming head coach Brent Venables.
“Yeah, it was great,” Stoops said. “I loved the beginning. I kind of – you get addicted to the to the anxiety and the excitement of playing and not knowing what’s going to happen, you know, coming out on the field and getting ready for it. I missed it. I missed that energy.
“And and then, you know, once you’re in it, you’re fighting your way through it. And that was fun. And yeah, yeah, it is fun when it’s over. You can take your headset off and enjoy the moment, you know? So it was it was fun. It was exciting.”
Like Oklahoma (11–2), the Ducks’ two-deep was depleted by injuries, opt-outs and other issues, but the way Caleb Williams, Kennedy Brooks, Marvin Mims and the OU offensive line played, it might not have mattered if the Ducks had projected first-round draft pick Kayvon Thibodeaux and two starting defensive backs in the lineup. And the way a reshuffled Oklahoma defense played, it probably wouldn’t have made a difference if Oregon’s offense was at full strength either.
And like Oklahoma, Oregon (10-4) also was dealing with a change of the guard at the top: head coach Mario Cristobal picked up and went home to coach his alma mater, the Miami Hurricanes.
But where Oregon inserted receivers coach Bryan McClendon into the interim head coaching post — he was 1-0 as a head coach, with a 2015 bowl victory at Georgia in an interim role — OU countered with Stoops.
Owner of 190 career victories, 10 Big 12 Conference championships, a national title, victories in every New Year’s Day bowl and a spot accorded just this month into the College Football Hall of Fame, Stoops laid his hands on a hurting OU program and brought it safely into the Brent Venables era.
His immediate contribution when athletic director Joe Castiglione literally called him off the golf course on Nov. 29—Stoops had spent the previous five years as Joe C’s “special assistant”—was to soothe the heartache and fury over Riley’s unexpected departure for USC.
Within a week, Venables was hired, and Stoops quickly refocused on being a head coach again in the Alamo Bowl, a game that added a win back in his ledger that was stolen by Pac-10 Conference officials in a controversial 34-33 loss to the Ducks in Eugene way back in 2006.
That one was a close game all the way, but there was an obvious talent mismatch this time. Even more pronounced was the teams’ difference in attitude—at least in the decisive first half. Oklahoma was sharp and motivated. Oregon was not.
Brooks rushed for 127 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries in the first half alone. Caleb Williams was 12-of-17 for 129 yards with two touchdown passes before halftime—including a 55-yard masterstroke to Mims—and added a third TD throw to open the third quarter.
3 offensive keys to the game as the Oklahoma Sooners take on the Oregon Ducks in the Valero Alamo Bowl
Well, we’ve finally made it. The final game of the season for this year’s version of the Oklahoma Sooners. While many had hoped the Sooners would be playing on New Year’s Eve in the College Football Playoffs things didn’t quite work out that way. Instead, they’ll be suiting up one last time in San Antonio to take on the Oregon Ducks in the Valero Alamo Bowl.
Bob Stoops will lead the charge as the interim head coach before giving way to new head coach Brent Venables. With Riley’s exit, the Sooners also lost their play-caller. While Jeff Lebby will be the head man in charge of the offense after this game as well, Cale Gundy will take the reigns as a first-time play-caller in 23 years of coaching.
Gundy’s one-game stint as play-caller means we have no prior data or information to go off of in regards to how Gunday plans to call a game. With that said, let’s take a look at the offensive keys to the game that could help Gundy’s first stint as a play-caller be a success.
If They Block, They Score
Oklahoma wasn’t their usual high octane offense from start to finish this season. Instead it was inconsistent performance at times. The defense seemed more reliable than the Jekyll and Hyde offense the Sooners put on display.
At the root of that was the play of the offensive line. The team struggled to put together games of dominance consistently, at least to the level the great offenses produced during Riley’s tenure. For most of these starters, save Tyrese Robinson and Marquis Hayes, they’ll likely be coming back for 2022. If guys like Andrew Raym, Anton Harrison, and Chris Murray put together a good game to generate some positive momentum, look for the Sooners to score and score a lot.
Games like the second half against Texas, the TCU game, or the Texas Tech game are just a few examples that when the offensive line played well, the Sooners could no wrong offensively.
When you factor in the fact that Oregon will be without 17 players on defense. a bunch of those 17 players were players entered the season on their two-deep. And the biggest loss is that of Kayvon Thibodeax, who opted-out for the NFL draft. The goal of this game should be to attack his replacement and get started fast.
Watch Big 12 Football NOW! #16 Oklahoma vs. #14 Oregon
The Oklahoma Sooners and the Oregon Ducks play in the Alamo Bowl on Wednesday, December 29, 2021. We have more details below, and that includes how to watch this matchup on FuboTV.
How to Watch Oklahoma vs. Oregon
Game Day: Wednesday, December 29, 2021
Game Time: 9:15 PM ET
TV: ESPN
Stadium: Alamodome
Live Stream on fuboTV:Start with a 7-day free trial!
Oklahoma and Oregon Stats
This year, the Sooners rack up 12.9 more points per game (38.4) than the Ducks surrender (25.5).
The Sooners have 13 giveaways this season, while the Ducks have 22 takeaways .
The Ducks have scored 31.4 points per game this year, 6.1 more than the Sooners have given up.
This year the Ducks have 13 turnovers, 10 fewer than the Sooners have takeaways (23).
Oklahoma Players to Watch
Caleb Williams has thrown for 1,673 yards (139.4 ypg) to lead Oklahoma, completing 62.5% of his passes and tossing 18 touchdown passes and four interceptions this season. He’s also run for 408 yards (34.0 ypg) on 72 carries with six rushing touchdowns.
Kennedy Brooks’ team-high 1,107 rushing yards (92.3 per game) have come on 183 carries, with 10 touchdowns this year.
Marvin Mims’ 648 receiving yards (54.0 yards per game) lead the team. He has 30 receptions with four touchdowns.
Jadon Haselwood has put together a 399-yard season so far (33.3 receiving yards per game) with six touchdowns, reeling in 39 passes.
Mike Woods has hauled in 32 receptions for 381 yards (31.8 ypg) and two touchdowns this season.
Oregon Players to Watch
Anthony Brown has been a dual threat to lead Oregon in both passing and rushing. He has 2,692 passing yards (207.1 ypg), completing 63.8% of his passes and recording 16 touchdown passes and six interceptions this season. He’s rushed for 637 yards (49.0 ypg) on 142 carries with nine rushing touchdowns.
Travis Dye’s team-high 1,118 rushing yards (86.0 per game) have come on 193 carries, with 15 touchdowns this year. He’s also added 374 yards (28.8 per game) on 41 catches with two touchdowns.
Devon Williams’ 557 receiving yards (42.8 yards per game) lead the team. He has 35 receptions with four touchdowns.
Kris Hutson’s 25 catches are good enough for 364 yards (28.0 ypg) and one touchdown.
Oklahoma Schedule and Results
Date Opponent Score Home/Away
11/13/2021
Baylor
L 27-14
Away
11/20/2021
Iowa State
W 28-21
Home
11/27/2021
Oklahoma State
L 37-33
Away
12/29/2021
Oregon
–
Home
Oregon Schedule and Results
Date Opponent Score Home/Away
11/20/2021
Utah
L 38-7
Away
11/27/2021
Oregon State
W 38-29
Home
12/3/2021
Utah
L 38-10
Away
12/29/2021
Oklahoma
–
Away
Regional restrictions apply.
HOW TO WATCH
DECEMBER
29
2021
VALERO ALAMO BOWL: OREGON VS. OKLAHOMA
TV CHANNEL: ESPN
TIME
9:15
PM/EST
LIVE STREAM: FUBOTV
(SIGN UP NOW FOR A FREE SEVEN-DAY TRIAL.)
WATCH: Caleb Williams and Marvin Mims connect for 55-yard touchdown in the first half
Over the course of the 2021 season, one of the elements that waned in the Oklahoma Sooners offense was the big-play passing game. Opposing defenses made a concerted effort to take away the deep ball from the Sooners, whether it was Spencer Rattler or Caleb Williams at quarterback.
Well, the deep ball made its triumphant return for the Sooners in the first half of the Valero Alamo Bowl as Caleb Williams found Marvin Mims deep down the middle and threw a rope for a 55-yard touchdown.
The big play from Williams to Mims put the Oklahoma Sooners comfortably ahead 23-3 with under five minutes to play in the second quarter. It was Mims fifth touchdown of the season.
It’s great to see this connection come together at least one more time in 2021, providing optimism for what could be in 2022.
Three things to know about the Oklahoma football running back
After opting to sit out the 2020 NCAA football season, OU running back Kennedy Brooks spent 2021 racking up stats and playing a key role in the Oklahoma football offense.
Brooks, a redshirt junior at OU, became the fourth running back in OU history with three 1,000-yard rushing seasons.
In his first start of 2021, Kennedy Brooks burned Texas for 217 yards on 25 carries, averaging more than eight yards per haul in OU’s 55-48 win. His efforts against the Longhorns earned him Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors.
‘I never thought about it’: Why OU running back Kennedy Brooks isn’t opting out of the Alamo Bowl
Oklahoma’s Kennedy Brooks (26) carries the ball during a college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Texas Tech Red Raiders … Show more
BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN
Brooks earned 100 rushing yards in three other games for the Sooners this season, and played a pivotal role in OU’s 35-23 victory against a surprising Kansas squad in Lawrence Oct. 23.
Here are three things to know about OU running back Kennedy Brooks.
Kennedy Brooks made OU-Texas history in 2021
In gaining 217 yards against Texas in the Red River Rivalry game Oct. 9, Kennedy Brooks turned in a performance that represents OU’s fourth-best individual total in the series.
‘Dude never goes down’: How Kennedy Brooks transformed OU’s offense in epic win over Texas
Oklahoma’s Kennedy Brooks (26) carries the ball during a college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the TCU Horned Frogs at … Show more
BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN
Kennedy Brooks played a key role in OU avoiding a massive upset against Kansas
The game at Kansas wasn’t supposed to be close, but the Jayhawks led the game 10-0 at halftime.
OU’s ‘gotta have it’ practice drills paid off with the Sooners, leading 28-23, saddled with a fourth-and-1 at their own 46-yard line.
OU quarterback Caleb Williams took the snap and handed the ball off to Kennedy Brooks, who had just gotten stuffed on third-and-1. The redshirt junior back met the same fate, as he gathered the ball and ran into a pair of Kansas defenders at the line of scrimmage.
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OU’s Kennedy Brooks (26) runs into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown in a 55-48 win against Texas on Saturday.
BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN
Brooks backtracked before eventually being brought to the ground. Rich Miller immediately got up and celebrated what he believed to be a crucial tackle, but the play wasn’t over.
Before Brooks was brought down, Williams wrestled the ball away from his own teammate and ran another four yards for the first down.
“I felt somebody tugging at (the ball), and then I saw that it was Caleb,” Brooks said. “I knew it was fourth down and I was like, ‘I can’t get tackled with the ball.’ So I just gave the ball to Caleb.”
‘I can be the leader now’: Why Reggie Grimes is fired up about OU’s Alamo Bowl game
OU’s Kennedy Brooks (26) runs for the game-winning touchdown in a 55-48 win against Texas in the Red River Showdown on Oct. 9 at the … Show more
BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN
Kennedy Brooks made his availability for the Alamo Bowl known early
Kennedy Brooks is on record as having said he never thought about opting out of the Alamo Bowl against Oregon Dec. 29.
“I was raised to just think that if you’re going to start something, finish it,” Brooks said. “I never thought about it. Having another chance to play this game is a blessing. Me opting out last year, I missed it. So I ain’t trying to opt-out and miss more games.”
Will this be the last time Brooks suits up for the Sooners? While he’s eligible to return next season, Brooks isn’t quite ready to announce his decision.
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OU assistant coach Caesar Martinez celebrates with Kennedy Brooks (26) after a touchdown against Texas on Oct. 9.
BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN
“I’ll address it after the game,” Brooks said. “My focus is just to try to beat Oregon and play this game, so that’s what I’m focused on right now.”
Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman contributed to this report.