BYU Upsets Oklahoma In 2009 Season Opener
Cougars Shock The Nation With 14-13 Win Over Bradford-Less Sooners
Provo, Utah, and the Mountain West Conference are celebrating a spectacular start as their #20 ranked BYU Cougars shocked the NCAA football world, upsetting #3 ranked Oklahoma 14-13 in their 2009 NCAA football season opener.
BYU's win streak against Oklahoma reached two in a row, and kept the Cougars undefeated against the Sooners. The only other time these two teams met was in the 1994 Copper Bowl where BYU mauled Oklahoma 31-6.
This upset early in the 2009 season could spell the end of Oklahoma’s BCS National Title quest, and force the Sooners into a possible Fiesta Bowl bid.
This was not only an important win for BYU, but, over in Arlington, Texas, Longhorns fans were ecstatic when they saw the out of town scoreboard as they knew that this monstrous upset would take a bit of the edge off of Oklahoma’s Big Twelve rival.
What went wrong for the Oklahoma Sooners? A devastating injury at the end of the second quarter to 2008 Heisman Winner Sam Bradford proved to be the kryptonite to the Big Twelve powerhouse.
BYU linebacker Coleby Clawson delivered a raw, clean hit to Bradford in the closing seconds of the second quarter that ultimately sidelined the Sooners’ explosive quarterback with a sprained AC joint in his throwing shoulder. Sam Bradford could do nothing more than be a mere spectator as he witnessed the game slowly slip away.
BYU QB Max Hall capitalized on this monumental moment as he led his BYU teammates to victory. In a stellar performance, Hall torched the Oklahoma defense for 327 yards and two touchdowns.
It came down to clock control for the Cougars in this defensively sound battle, as BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall was just one step ahead of Sooners’ coach Bob Stoops.
How the Sooners Loss to BYU Affects the Rest of Their Season
This loss ultimately hurts Oklahoma in the polls, but it's not as bad as what happened in 2007 when unranked Appalachian State upset #5 Michigan in Ann Arbor, knocking the Wolverines out of the polls completely.
Because of their schedule, Oklahoma can afford to rest Sam Bradford for their upcoming games against Idaho State, and Tulsa to get him healthy for when they meet Texas at Dallas Stadium on October 15th.
If Oklahoma can run the table and win their remaining games, especially against Texas,and Oklahoma State, the Sooners may recover. A few prayers to the BCS gods would also be required to ensure that they make it through to the National Championship game in Pasadena.
What Does This Win Over Oklahoma Mean For BYU?
One thing's for sure, the MWC has made another solid statement in their quest for BCS respect. The chances of seeing the Cougars in Pasadena are slim considering they still need quality wins all the way through, especially against TCU and reigning MWC champions Utah.
Strange things have happened in this BCS era. If by some wild and wacky chain of events sees Florida lose to Troy, USC fall to Washington,Texas get shut out by UTEP, and BYU goes undefeated, then we might have a very interesting scenario come December.
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