• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Bradford shines as Oklahoma pounds TCU

Sep 28, 2008 - 3:54 AM NORMAN, Oklahoma (Ticker) -- Sam Bradford added to his Heisman Trophy resume on Saturday while helping Oklahoma lay claim to the title of best team in the nation.

Bradford threw for a career-best 411 yards and four touchdowns - three to Manuel Johnson - as the second-ranked Sooners rolled to a 35-10 victory over No. 23 TCU, their toughest opponent to date.

Juaquin Iglesias caught a 24-yard scoring pass and Chris Brown had a 1-yard TD run for Oklahoma (4-0), which showed no rust coming off its bye week and posted its 21st straight home win.

"They had an off-week and they got themselves fresh and did a great job," TCU head coach Gary Patterson said. "You have got to give (Oklahoma coach) Bob Stoops and his staff some credit. They were prepared for some stuff that we did and they played great in the red zone."

A Heisman frontrunner, Bradford did nothing to hurt his chances of ending up in New York as a finalist. A sophomore who led the nation in passing efficiency last year, he completed 19-of-34 attempts and did not throw an interception.

Bradford has thrown for 1,293 yards with 16 TDs and just two interceptions this season.

Johnson hauled in five passes for a school-record 206 yards and three scores as the Sooners made their case as the nation's top team. Oklahoma likely will be the new top-ranked team next week after then-No. 1 Southern California was stunned by Oregon State on Thursday.

Stoops was in awe of Johnson, a 6-0, 183-pound senior.

"I told him that's one of the best performances of a wide receiver we have had in 10 years," Stoops said. "It ranks up there with anybody we've had - five catches, 206 yards and three touchdowns. That's a pretty special night."

Anyone who calls Oklahoma the best team in the nation will receive little argument.

With Bradford at the controls, the Sooners' offense looked like a well-oiled machine as it marched up and down the field against a TCU defense that ranked first in the nation after four games.

The Sooners implemented the hurry-up into their offense this season, and Bradford has run it to perfection.

"I think what they are doing on offense with the hurry-up, is going to cause a lot of teams some problems," Patterson said. "Just the tempo of their offense bothered us."

Bradford led Oklahoma to touchdowns on each of its first three drives, hooking up with Johnson on a 73-yard TD with 1:05 left in the first. He also tossed a 55-yarder to Johnson to put Oklahoma up, 28-3, with 1:02 until halftime.

"We can't give up big plays and expect to win ballgames," Patterson said. "A lot of that was my fault. We were trying to blitz and get into some fourth downs and make them punt and they made big plays. When we quit doing that, we played better defense."

Oklahoma's defense wasn't too shabby either. The Sooners held TCU to 128 yards in the first half, and most of the Horned Frogs' 314 total yards came in garbage time. Oklahoma also forced three turnovers.

"It is big. Our guys are doing a good job, being responsible and taking care of the football," Stoops said. "Fortunately, we got some good turnovers and that always makes a difference in a big game."

Joseph Turner ran for 54 yards on 14 carries and scored the lone touchdown for TCU (4-1). It was a far cry from the last meeting in 2005, when TCU stunned the fifth-ranked Sooners here, 17-10.

"Defensively, to hold them to one touchdown says a lot," Stoops said. "They really execute well and the one field goal was given up with poor kick coverage. It was a good win."