What went wrong for OU football late at Kansas? Sooners 'all got to own a piece of this'

LAWRENCE, Kan. — OU had been playing with fire much of October.

They finally got burned Saturday, by Kansas of all teams.

The Sooners couldn’t match their late-game Texas magic and the running game that lifted them late against UCF disappeared on a cold, wet day against the Jayhawks.

This isn’t the same type of Kansas team the Sooners have whipped up on repeatedly in the 26 years since the last time the Jayhawks beat OU, but it was still a massive disappointment for a team with College Football Playoff aspirations.

After Saturday’s 38-33 loss to Kansas, the Sooners already miniscule wiggle room is gone.

Sooners coach Brent Venables tried to fall on his sword after the game, repeatedly coming back to his decision not to call a defensive timeout when Kansas faced fourth-and-6 from the OU 46 with around a minute remaining.

“I’ve got to be better for the guys there on fourth down,” Venables said.

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Instead, Kansas quarterback Jason Bean found a soft spot in the Sooners’ defense for a 37-yard pass to Lawrence Arnold and in a flash the OU defense went from trying to pull another rabbit out of its hat to allowing the Jayhawks to score to give the offense a chance to answer.

But there was no answer this time.

The Sooners made it interesting, but Dillon Gabriel was hit as he tried to find Jalil Farooq in the end zone on the penultimate play, then his final throw was knocked out of the back of the end zone to give Kansas its first win over the Sooners since 1997.

“Thought our guys played with effort,” Venables said. “Didn’t think we always played really smart.”

OU finished with 11 penalties for 101 yards, including five for 47 in the final quarter.

“Anytime you lose it’s frustrating, especially when you feel like you have a chance to win and you didn’t,” Sooners defensive coordinator Ted Roof said. “We’ve all got to own a piece of this. You feel bad for our players, but at the same time nobody’s feeling bad for us, so we’ve got to be able to suck it up, learn from it and move on for next week.

“It certainly stings and it certainly hurts but we can’t carry this around with us all week.”

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Then there was the run game.

On a cold, rainy day, Tawee Walker carried the way for the Sooners as they came back from an early 14-0 deficit.

Walker rushed for a career-high 146 yards on 23 carries.

But he watched from the sidelines for the last 10 minutes after suffering a lower-leg injury in the fourth quarter.

He returned for one play after the injury but couldn’t continue.

With Marcus Major out, Sooners offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby had to rely on Gavin Sawchuk and Jovantae Barnes — who hadn’t played since Big 12 play began — late.

With a healthy Walker, Ethan Downs’ interception with 2:29 remaining might’ve done it.

Downs gave OU the ball back at the Kansas 38.

More: What Big 12 said about two key plays from OU football's loss to Kansas

But instead, Barnes was stopped for a 1-yard loss, then Dillon Gabriel was brought down in the backfield as well.

The Sooners once again went to the running game on third down, with Barnes gaining five but still leaving them with seven to go.

OU lined up as if it was going to go for it on fourth down, but wide receiver Nic Anderson was flagged for a false start, forcing them to punt instead, giving Kansas’ offense plenty of time to work.

“Still want to be able to execute and win the game,” Lebby said of the changing dynamics of play-calling without Walker. “We didn’t do it.”

So instead of celebrating another nail-biter of a win, the Sooners trudged off the field as Kansas fans tore down the goal posts in celebration.

OU vs. OSU

KICKOFF: TBA Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater

More: OU football vs. Kansas: Five takeaways from Sooners' first loss of season against Jayhawks

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU football coach Brent Venables takes blame for fourth-down call late