Oklahoma looking for stronger finishes

Oct 17, 2017 - 1:56 AM NORMAN, Okla. -- Building big leads hasn't been a recent issue for Oklahoma.

In the first half of their past three games, the Sooners have jumped ahead 28-10 on Baylor, 14-0 on Iowa State and 20-0 on Texas.

Each time, the other team came back to take a fourth-quarter lead.

No. 9 Oklahoma was able to bounce back to beat Baylor and Texas, although it fell to the Cyclones.

Heading into Saturday's game at Kansas State, first-year head coach Lincoln Riley is still looking for answers, though he said the most recent game didn't leaving him too concerned.

"We've talked about it because I do think there is a little bit, and I felt it more against Iowa State, but a little bit of disappointment when we don't get it done," Riley said. "I didn't feel like we had the disappointment the other day. We kept fighting. We didn't play our best, not by any stretch, but our mentality was a lot better.

"If we can get the mentality right, which I think we made some strides on, and get the execution along with it, then that's when you start to knock people out."

Over the past few years, the Sooners have developed a reputation for strong finishes -- to games and to seasons.

Two years ago, a trip to Kansas State helped the Sooners develop the closing mentality that they had throughout the seven-game winning streak that propelled them to the College Football Playoff. The Sooners won that game 55-0.

"That's what the great ones do is you take advantage of the opportunities you're given and you capitalize," said Sooners quarterback Baker Mayfield. "That's when the statement games come is when you capitalize and really taken the momentum and hold back the other team."

The Sooners made a statement earlier this year with a win over Ohio State but are still searching to recapture that magic halfway through the season.

A big part of that, Riley said, is coming up with more takeaways defensively.

The Sooners have forced just five turnovers through six games and have just two interceptions -- both from Parnell Motley.

"We've had a few that were really close," Riley said.

"We have to make those. Part of it is sometimes those things come in waves and we haven't had a lot of those that are just thrown up and just hit us in the face yet. Those are going to come. Tipped balls haven't landed in our guys' hands. If we keep playing with effort and intensity, the mentality that we had the other day, then they'll come.

"It's absolutely a point of emphasis."

NOTES: QB Baker Mayfield's 207.3 pass efficiency rating is No. 1 in the country. No other quarterback in the Power 5 has an efficiency rating above 196.4. Mayfield is also first in completion percentage and passing yards per attempt. ... DE/LB Ogbonnia Okoronkwo leads the Big 12 and is tied for eighth nationally with six sacks. Okoronkwo was named the Big 12's Defensive Player of the Week after his performance against Texas. ... RB Trey Sermon, a freshman, is averaging 78.2 yards per game rushing and his second on the Sooners behind QB Baker Mayfield with 511 yards of total offense.