• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Oklahoma returns to Northwest to face Washington

Sep 13, 2008 - 10:01 AM No. 3 Oklahoma (2-0) at Washington (0-2), 7:45 pm EDT

SEATTLE (Ticker) -- It has been nearly two years since Oklahoma's controversial 34-33 defeat at Oregon.

The third-ranked Sooners visit Washington on Saturday in their first trip to the Pacific Northwest since that bitter loss to the Ducks, which so engaged Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops that he threatened to pull out of this game against the Huskies two years in advance.

Victimized by two questionable calls, the Sooners squandered a 13-point to the Ducks in the final 72 seconds of the contest that took place in Eugene on September 16.

After Dennis Dixon's 16-yard touchdown run pulled Oregon within 33-27, the Ducks recovered the ensuing onside kick even though replays showed the ball clearly touched an Oregon player before going the required 10 yards.

Dixon then threw a 23-yard TD pass to Brian Paysinger with 46 seconds remaining after a questionable interference call also went against the Sooners.

Ironically, Oklahoma (2-0) is now facing a Washington team that also was involved in a controversial ending in Saturday's 28-27 loss to Brigham Young.

Quarterback Jake Locker scored on a 3-yard run to pull Washington within a point with two second remaining. But the Huskies were assessed a 15-yard celebration penalty after Locker flipped the ball in the air.

Washington was forced to attempt an extra point from 35 yards, and it was blocked by defensive end Jan Jorgensen, preserving the Cougars' win.

Stoops has suddenly turned quiet about the officiating, declining to discuss the celebration penalty during Monday's Big 12 Conference coaches' conference call.

"Hey, that's the way it is," Stoops said. "So we're going to go play and hopefully play as well as we can."

Washington (0-2) has more more to worry about than the officials, as it tries to find a way to slow down the Sooners' rampaging offense. The Sooners have surpassed 50 points in each of their wins over Chattanooga and Cincinnati.

Last week, Sam Bradford passed for 395 yards and five touchdowns in a 52-26 victory over Cincinnati. Ryan Broyles set a school freshman record with 141 receiving yards and caught one TD.