Kansas State came out in the first quarter and jumped to a 14-0 lead. Oklahoma made it a one-score game in the second quarter, but penalties and missed throws from quarterback Dillon Gabriel prevented the Sooners from stringing together any consistent offense in the second half, and the Oklahoma Sooners fell to Kansas State, 41-34, on Saturday night.
The Wildcats opened the scoring with a methodical 12-play, 75-yard touchdown drive capped by an Adrian Martinez six-yard touchdown run. Oklahoma was unable to respond in kind. The Wildcats scored again, this time on a seven-play, 80-yard drive culminating in a Martinez touchdown pass to Deuce Vaughn.
Oklahoma started to gain some momentum at the end of the first half when Dillon Gabriel hit a wide-open Theo Wease for a 56-yard touchdown to make it 14-7. It seemed the defense was also starting to settle; it forced back-to-back three-and-outs.
After a Kansas State punt, the Sooners produced another big play in the passing game. Gabriel found Marvin Mims deep down the sideline for a 50-yard touchdown.
After the Mims touchdown, the Sooners’ offense stalled when they crossed the 50, settling for a couple of field goals or having drives fizzle because of pre-snap penalties.
The Sooners fell behind by 14 in the fourth quarter, but a touchdown pass to Brayden Willis brought the Sooners to within seven, keeping them in the game.
The defense put Kansas State in a third-and-16 and was poised to give the Sooners offense the ball back. Then Martinez happened again.
The Wildcats went empty backfield, leaving Martinez alone. After the Sooners rushed four, Martinez bought time in the pocket before taking off downfield and picking up 55 yards, putting Kansas state inside the 10-yard line. Two plays later, Martinez plunged into the end zone for his fourth rushing touchdown of the game.
While Oklahoma made a furious effort to come back, but there wasn’t enough time on the clock with just one time out remaining.
Martinez was the story of the game. He played like an entirely different quarterback than what he had shown in the first three weeks. He was poised and calculated, pushing the ball down the field, and punishing Oklahoma’s defense as a runner.
The Sooners’ front seven struggled to get much push from the defensive line, and tackling was an issue at the linebacker and defensive back level.
Offensively, the passing game couldn’t sustain drives. Gabriel missed several throws, including a would-be touchdown to Drake Stoops and then a wide-open Stoops on a fourth down late in the game.
It’s back to the drawing board for the Oklahoma Sooners (3-1), who next face the TCU Horned Frogs on the road.
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