The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Oklahoma
UAB Edged By Fifth-Ranked Sooners, 24-17
9/2/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 2, 2006
NORMAN, Okla. ---- Oklahoma's Adrian Peterson ran for 139 yards and scored twice in the second half, helping No. 5 Oklahoma hold off visiting UAB's upset bid Saturday night in Norman, Okla. The Blazers, opening their season for the second straight year against a top 10 team, got 149 yards through the air and 65 more on the ground from QB Sam Hunt in his UAB debut.
"I wouldn't say we escaped," Peterson said. "We came out and we fought."
OU quarterback Paul Thompson proved inconsistent in his return to quarterback after nearly a year away, but Peterson took control by running for 83 yards in the second half as the Sooners' offense became almost completely reliant on him.
Peterson got the ball only nine times in the first half, but the Sooners (1-0) went to him on 11 straight plays after halftime. His sixth carry in a row resulted in a 4-yard touchdown run for a 14-7 Sooners lead.
The 2004 Heisman runner-up later atoned for a fumble on his eighth consecutive rush by taking a screen pass from Thompson 69 yards down the right sideline for a score that gave Oklahoma the lead for good at 21-17.
"It might have looked like he was starting off a little slow, but you can guarantee he's going to break a couple of them and that's what he did," Thompson said. "So we kept feeding him the rock and then taking the pass whenever we felt like we could take it. It worked out the best for us."
When the string of 11 straight Peterson touches finally ended, so did the Sooners' offensive success. Juaquin Iglesias dropped a potential touchdown pass in the front of the end zone, and Oklahoma had to settle for a 30-yard field goal by Garrett Hartley.
That proved to be enough, though. Swayze Waters missed a 43-yard field goal to end one drive for UAB (0-1), and Oklahoma took advantage of new NCAA timing rules to run off the final 2:22 after the Blazers' final possession ended with a punt.
"Some might look at this as we looked kind of sloppy, but it is definitely the first game. A win is a win," Thompson said. "We definitely feel good. We feel like we can build on this."
Thompson, who was the starter in Oklahoma's 17-10 upset loss to TCU in the season opener last year, had no signs of rust early after moving back to quarterback from receiver following Bomar's dismissal. Thompson had been practicing exclusively at receiver from the Sooners' win against Oregon in the Holiday Bowl last December until fall camp began.
He opened 8-for-10, including two connections with tight end Joe Jon Finley on a swift, two-play 46-yard scoring drive on Oklahoma's second possession. Finley's wide-open grab along the right hash for a 21-yard score put the Sooners up 7-0.
Thompson's production dropped off from there. Passes started flying wide, short or high, and he had two throws picked off in the final five minutes of the first half - one on a deflection off Iglesias' hands as he leaped to catch a high pass and another as Chris Felder slid in front of Iglesias at the UAB 3 to prevent a Sooners score.
In the second half, he threw only five passes as the Sooners rode Peterson. Thompson finished with 227 yards on 14-for-24 passing with two interceptions and two touchdowns.
UAB pulled starting quarterback Chris Williams - who nearly led the Blazers to an upset at No. 4 Georgia in a 16-13 loss in 2003 - after two series without a first down, and junior Sam Hunt proved to be an effective replacement.
He led a 15-play, 80-yard scoring drive that Corey White capped with a 5-yard TD run. White later added a touchdown on a 24-yard screen pass from Hunt, and the Blazers led 17-14 after Peterson's fumble set up a 32-yard field goal by Waters.
Hunt completed 9 of 15 passes for 149 yards and also had 65 yards rushing.
It's tough," said UAB head coach Watson Brown. "I'm proud of the guys but we are all disappointed. We still have to play a little better -- some of the big plays on defense and too many penalties to make up on offense. You just can't relay on making all the plays on those guys."
UAB jumps into Conference USA play next Saturday when the Blazers play host to East Carolina at Legion Field. Gametime is set for 6:00 p.m. CT.
