Bradford Watches as Miami Puts on Show

MIAMI -- Dressed in a cap, an Oklahoma T-shirt and shorts, all Sam Bradford could do was watch and wonder. He had to be impressed, too.

With the 17th-ranked Miami Hurricanes, that is.

Miami can now catch its breath knowing it merits national relevance in the college football landscape -- no second-guessing -- after ending its four-game gauntlet to open the season Saturday night with an exciting 21-20 victory over the Bradford-less No. 8 Oklahoma Sooners. For Bradford and Co., they must regroup and turn their attention to next week's Big-12 opener against Baylor knowing they won't get another chance at a national title.

As the college football world turns.

The Hurricanes (3-1), who had won their first two games against FSU and Georgia Tech but saw some of their luster washed away by Virginia Tech last Saturday in rainy Blacksburg, Va., clinched their biggest win in years. When the final seconds ticked away at Land Shark Stadium, the Hurricanes rushed towards midfield in celebration, then soon changed course and made a beeline towards an adoring student section in the end zone.

Many Hurricanes didn't want to leave the field. Who could blame them?

"We're excited about this game -- we had a tough first four games but now we got to get ready," UM head coach Randy Shannon said, attempting to contain a wide smile and reminding the media the Hurricanes are home next week against Florida A&M. "We will enjoy it now.

"Don't think we won't enjoy it."

A sunny, 90-degree day turned into a beautiful, moonlit evening, and a boisterous, orange-and-green crowd of 62,790 did its best to help UM. The Hurricanes, who attracted around 45,000 for their home-opening victory over Georgia Tech Sept. 17 and struggle to sell season tickets, were also hoping to duplicate the late-night magic of past years against the Sooners before a national television audience.

Call it an '80s theme party.

For Oklahoma, it was just another frustrating trip to South Florida. The Sooners' last trip here was in January, when they lost the BCS national championship game to Florida. Oklahoma also lost three times to UM in the mid-1980s as Barry Switzer's team went 33-0 against all other opponents. That was a different era. Fast forward to Saturday night.

The Sooners are 2-2, losing a pair of one-point games to BYU, 14-13, in the opener when Bradford went down with a shoulder strain, and now to the Hurricanes in a game where they squandered an early 10-zip advantage. It remains unclear when Bradford is expected to return, though he gradually intensified his throwing routine in practice last week.
"I told my team after [the game] that we have to find a way to win in the fourth quarter, that we need to make a couple plays better, whether it's on offense or defense," Sooners head coach Bob Stoops said.

"Either way we need to keep pushing that. I still really believe in my team."

The pollsters may not come Sunday when the national rankings are released, but the Sooners can still win a Big 12 title. However, as Stoops indicated, they will need to play better with the game on the line. And he also refused to point at injuries that have slowed the team's progress -- talented receiver Ryan Broyles was lost against the 'Canes after pulling in a 37-yard completion on the Sooners' second play from scrimmage.

"Well, I am not going to sit here and accept it. As I told the team, we're not going to sit here and talk about that's why we can't win," Stoops said.

Following a Jimmy Stevens 39-yard field goal that pulled the Sooners within a single point at 21-20 with 4:18 remaining in the game, UM, behind the steely poise of quarterback Jacory Harris, played keep away against Oklahoma's nationally-ranked defense that was first against the rush.

In a stunning yet impressive sequence, the Hurricanes ran out the clock.

They converted a crucial third-and-6 from the Sooners 36 at the 2:35 mark on a 8-yard Harris completion to Dedrick Epps. One play later, Javarris James scooted 13 yards for another first down to seal the victory and end a four-game start against ranked opponents. It was also sweet redemption for James, who lost a fumble that he believed changed momentum in the pair's last meeting two years ago -- a 51-13 Oklahoma victory.

"We went out there two years ago and got embarrassed," James said.

"Two years ago, for the players on the team, it was kind of shaky. But this year we came here, played at home and took advantage. Playing against four ranked opponents is big for us, and it showed what kind of team we are."

Harris survived a shaky start and threw three touchdowns, while James ran for a career-high 150 yards.

"It hurts real bad but that (last drive) was on us," said Oklahoma defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, slowly shaking his head side-to-side.

"Give him (Harris) credit. He got better as the game went on. We had him rattled early but he kept his composure and played well in the end when he needed to. It's hurts that we weren't able to answer when we needed to."

Harris had plenty of (late) answers.


"The offense came out there and executed," he said. "The offensive line made big blocks in the last four minutes and we just took care of business."

Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones, a redshirt freshman, threw for 188 yards and a touchdown in his third start -- and first road game -- in place of Bradford, the 2008 Heisman Trophy winner. Running backs DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown combined to rush for 151 yards and a score. But the Sooners didn't do enough when needed, despite registering 341 total yards of offense -- just one less yard than UM.

"Everybody is disappointed -- nobody likes to lose around here," Landry said.

Sooners offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson echoed Stoops' statement and said his unit must be more explosive.

"I thought we had a decent mix, as far as run, pass -- a decent balance -- we just didn't make any big plays," Wilson said.

"It's a little frustrating not to make [more plays] ... credit Miami for playing [well]. Again, other than just not being able to execute protection or timing of a route to make a big play, I thought we moved it well. I thought we had some balance, we thought we could wear them down. It's a little frustrating to lose two games by two points and be 2-2. We are going to have to learn win close, tough games. That's what we are not doing."

As expected, the Sooners relied on their nationally-ranked defense to set the tone, and Landry to set the tempo. It worked perfectly early as Oklahoma led 10-0.

Oklahoma picked Harris twice in the Hurricanes' first eight plays, both times on deep throws over the middle in Sooners territory. But Oklahoma, which leads the country in scoring defense and had posted consecutive shutouts for the first time since 1987, was nicked for a touchdown on Harris' 18-yard pass to tight end and former UM hoopster Jimmy Graham in the second quarter.

James' 50-yard scamper, which represented UM's longest play from scrimmage this season and James' longest run in three years, set up the touchdown pass. The score was the first points Oklahoma had allowed in a span of nine quarters (144 minutes and 43 seconds, to be exact).

Landry, meanwhile, refused to be rattled in his first road start.

He directed the Sooners to a touchdown on their opening possession, marching 84 yards in eight plays and ending it with a 16-yard pass to Cameron Kenney. Landry completed 3-of-4 passes for 62 yards in the series. Stevens' 21-yard field goal in the second quarter capped a 95-play scoring drive -- Oklahoma's longest of the season -- and pushed the Sooners' advantage to 10-zip.

It wasn't a problem for UM, or Harris, who barely blinked following his two picks. He completed 12 of his next 13 passes as UM roared back.

Harris connected with Dedrick Epps for an 11-yard score that put UM up 14-10 in the third quarter. That's when the Sooners got rattled. After a pair of 15-yard penalties on their next possession led to a fourth-and-42, Harris hit Travis Benjamin on a 38-yard score and a 21-10 advantage. Murray's 2-yard run late in the third quarter pulled Oklahoma within 21-17, and the Hurricanes defense held Oklahoma to only a field goal in the final frame.

Shannon, who stressed humility to his team during its opening month, said that message won't change. He even had help from Harris.

"We worked on a lot of different things and we kept everybody focused," Shannon said.

"When I came in, Jacory told the team, 'Listen, the only thing we're going to watch on TV from now on is SpongeBob. We ain't watching ESPN, CBS or ABC. If SpongeBob is talking about us, then we deserve it."

Go ahead and talk about it SpongeBob. The Hurricanes deserve it.

So says this Bob, too.

"They did an excellent job in all phases of the game," Stoops said. "They are well-coached and their players played hard and it was a well-played game."