OU football erases largest deficit of the season vs. UCF & more stats from Sooners' win
NORMAN — The Sooners avoided a massive upset on Saturday.
Despite trailing in the fourth quarter, No. 7-ranked OU escaped with a 31-29 win over UCF. The Sooners (7-0, 4-0 Big 12) remain undefeated as they shift their focus to a road game against Kansas next Saturday at 11 a.m.
Here's a look at the win through the numbers.
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OU's defense shines in first quarter
3: Zach Schmit missed a 38-yard field goal with 9:40 left in the first quarter. The redshirt junior kicker has missed a field goal in each of OU's last three games.
15: UCF entered Saturday averaging 516.7 yards of offense per game, which ranked fourth in the nation. It only recorded 15 yards in the first quarter.
11: UCF entered Saturday averaging 246.3 rushing yards per game, which ranked third in the nation. It got held to 11 yards on 10 carries in the first quarter.
0: OU has not allowed an offensive touchdown in the first quarter of any game this season.
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UCF's offense wakes up in the second quarter
1: OU's defense halted UCF on third down at the 1-yard line with 12:01 left in the first quarter, but Jaren Kanak got called for unsportsmanlike conduct. That gave a new set of downs to the Knights, who scored a 1-yard touchdown on the next play to tie the game at 7-7.
3: UCF's Colton Boomer drilled a 21-yard field goal to give his team a 10-7 lead with 4:01 left until halftime. It marked just the third time this season that OU has trailed.
8: Nic Anderson hauled in a 42-yard touchdown to give OU a 14-10 lead with 1:51 left until halftime. It marked the redshirt freshman's eighth touchdown of the season on just 15 catches.
86: John Rhys Plumlee connected with Javon Baker for an 86-yard touchdown that gave UCF a 17-14 lead with 1:42 left until halftime. It marked the longest play surrendered by OU's defense this season.
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OU's offense stalls in the third quarter
72: Redshirt senior quarterback Dillon Gabriel threw an interception on the opening possession of the third quarter. It snapped a streak of 72 completions without a pick.
6: Boomer nailed a 46-yard field goal to give UCF a 23-17 lead with 5:28 left in the third quarter. The six-point deficit is the most OU has trailed by all season.
0: OU got held scoreless in the third quarter. It marked just the second time all season that the Sooners failed to score in a quarter.
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OU erases fourth-quarter deficit, avoids upset
11: Redshirt fifth-year wide receiver Drake Stoops hauled in an 11-yard touchdown that gave OU a 24-23 lead with 9:16 left in the game.
1: Peyton Bowen delivered a key sack that forced UCF to punt the ball away as it trailed 24-23 with 7:30 left in the game. It marked the freshman safety's first career sack.
30: Gavin Sawchuk ran for a 30-yard touchdown that gave OU a 31-23 lead with 3:13 left in the game. It marked the redshirt freshman running back's first touchdown since a Week 3 win over Tulsa.
2: UCF needed a two-point conversion to tie the game, but junior defensive back Kendel Dolby tackled Xavier Townsend to preserve OU's 31-29 lead with 1:16 remaining.
2: OU is now 2-0 this season in games decided by one possession. The Sooners went 0-5 in that department last season.
—Justin Martinez, Staff writer
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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU football vs. UCF: Stats from Oklahoma Sooners' win against Knights
