AMES, Iowa -- At times it felt as though it might happen all over again to Oklahoma, which couldn't shake pesky Iowa State for the second consecutive year.
This time the Sooners survived -- thanks to an All-America-type performance from their new star quarterback.
Kyler Murray threw for 348 yards and three touchdowns, and the No. 5 Sooners held off Iowa State 37-27 on Saturday in the Big 12 opener for both teams.
Marquise Brown had 191 yards receiving and a TD for the Sooners (3-0, 1-0 Big 12), who extended the nation's longest road winning streak to 17 games while avenging a stunning home loss to the Cyclones a year ago.
"This is one before the season you kind of circle a little bit," Oklahoma Coach Lincoln Riley said. "Not because of what happened last year, but you just knew with the way the schedule fell this was going to be critical. Third game, lot of new guys, tough venue, tough opponent, first Big 12 game. There was just a lot riding on this game. Our guys rose up and made the big plays when it counted."
Iowa State (0-2, 0-1) didn't make it easy for the Sooners, rallying from a 14-point deficit to make it 34-27 late in the third quarter. But the Sooners killed nearly eight minutes on a drive that ended with a 42-yard field goal from Austin Seibert with 2:51 left, and Parnell Motley's interception with 1:11 to go sealed it.
Backup Zeb Noland threw for a career-high 360 yards and a pair of long touchdown passes to Hakeem Butler for the Cyclones (0-2, 0-1), who were without starting quarterback Kyle Kempt (knee).
Iowa State Coach Matt Campbell said Kempt also will miss next week's game. Noland showed he's more than capable in a relief role.
"I thought we settled in," Campbell said. "I thought we played much better in the second half than the first half."
Murray, who was 21-of-29 passing while running for a team-high 77 yards, breezed through his first start on the road against a conference opponent -- and he and Brown looked like one of the most dangerous duos in the country.
"That kid is really special," Campbell said of Murray.
The Cyclones' offense showed some life after a dismal showing last week in a 13-3 loss to Iowa, led by Butler's 174 yards receiving on five catches.
Saturday was Oklahoma's first game without star back Rodney Anderson, who is out for the season with a knee injury. Murray led the way with 15 carries, and Trey Sermon gained 74 yards on 13 attempts, including a 22-yard TD run to put the Sooners up 31-17. Marcelias Sutton had 21 yards on nine carries, including an impressive leap over an Iowa State defender, but was shaken up in the second half on a hard tackle.
Sports on 09/16/2018