Norman, OK (Sports Network) - Sam Bradford threw for 205 yards with a school- record tying five touchdowns, leading fifth-ranked Oklahoma to a 51-13 rout of Miami-Florida in the renewal of an old rivalry at Memorial Stadium.
Bradford, coming off last week's three-touchdown effort in a 79-10 blowout of North Texas, completed 19-of-25 passes and was not intercepted. He matched the school mark of five TDs, accomplished three times by Jason White and twice by Josh Heupel.
"He was excellent," said Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops about his quarterback. "The offensive line in front of him was also great. They allowed him the time to find the open guys and hit them."
Malcolm Kelly hauled in four passes for 102 yards with three scores for the Sooners (2-0).
Oklahoma also had a stellar defensive effort, limiting Miami to a total of 139 yards. The Hurricanes (1-1), who beat Marshall in their opener last week, had just one first down and 43 yards in the second half.
Kyle Wright threw for just 65 yards, completing only half of his 14 passes for Miami. Starter Kirby Freeman was just 3-of-9 for 17 yards.
The 51 points allowed were the most by Miami since a 66-13 loss to Syracuse on November 28, 1998.
Oklahoma and Miami met three times from 1985-87 when both programs were among the best in the nation. The Hurricanes won each of the three games to deal the Sooners their only losses during that span. The last matchup came in the Orange Bowl after the 1987 season -- a 20-14 Miami triumph that gave the Hurricanes their second national title and denied the Sooners their second national championship in three years.
This Hurricane squad is guided by Randy Shannon, a defensive star for the Miami teams of the late 1980s, but his team simply could not move the ball against the OU defense.
"Today wasn't a very good day for the University of Miami," said Shannon. "The guys have to understand that when you come up to an opponent like the University of Oklahoma, they are a very great team, and have a lot of talent, just like we have a lot of talent. When you have penalties like we had today and we don't communicate and don't do the things that coaches teach us to do, we won't be successful.
"There are things that have to get corrected and have to get done, and we will get them done."
The Hurricanes went three-and-out to start the game and the Sooners followed with a 77-yard drive for a touchdown. Bradford capped the eight-play march with a 23-yard scoring strike to Kelly, who caught the pass inside the five and was stripped as he crossed the goal line, but a review upheld the touchdown call.
Oklahoma's next series ended in disaster, as an airmailed punt snap from midfield was recovered by the Sooners at their own eight-yard line. The Hurricanes, though, could not take advantage and had to settle for a 20-yard field goal from Francesco Zampogna.
Bradford and Kelly answered for the Sooners on the next drive, hooking up for a 24-yard touchdown connection to make it 14-3 with 1:37 left in the opening quarter.
Miami, which managed only one first down late in the first quarter, fumbled early in the second period inside Oklahoma territory. Reggie Smith picked up the loose ball and raced 61 yards the other way to give the Sooners another touchdown and a 21-3 lead.
The Hurricanes failed to take advantage of an Oklahoma fumble near midfield soon after, but the next Miami series started at its own 48 following a trade of punts and the 'Canes finally put together a solid offense series -- with some luck.
Miami converted third downs of 10, six and nine yards to keep the drive alive, then came up short on another third down inside the OU 10. But a 4th-and-3 play went for five yards to set up a first down at the three, and a pass interference on another fourth down gave the Hurricanes another life. They still almost gave it away when Graig Cooper fumbled, but he was able to recover at the six and Wright found Ryan Hill alone in the middle of the end zone on the next play to make it 21-10 with just over a minute to play before the break.
The Sooners turned the ball over on their first series of the second half, as Chris Brown lost a fumble at his own 46. The Hurricanes, however, managed only to convert the miscue into a 45-yard field goal by Zampogna to pull within eight.
It was all Oklahoma from there.
A 44-yard kickoff return by Juaquin Iglesias set the Oklahoma offense up at the Miami 47 and Bradford needed nine plays to find the end zone. He hit Jermaine Gresham with a six-yard touchdown pass for a 28-13 edge.
Miami quickly punted the ball away and Garrett Hartley drilled a 30-yard field goal for the Sooners in the final minute of the third. After another three- and-out for the Hurricanes, Bradford hit Kelly with a 30-yard touchdown pass to increase the lead to 38-13.
"It feels good to have success against a quality opponent," said Kelly. "We felt like coming into the game we were well prepared, which showed."
Oklahoma again held Miami without a first down and the Sooner offense responded with a 42-yard touchdown drive. Bradford, this time found Dane Zaslaw with a nine-yard scoring strike midway through the fourth. The extra point failed, leaving the Sooners ahead by 31.
Again, the Miami offense failed to record a first down and the Oklahoma reserves got into the scoring column when Joey Halzle hooked up with Adron Tennell on a 61-yard touchdown pass for the final margin.
"I don't know about anybody else and I don't know if we have the best defense in the country, but we definitely have one of the hardest working defenses in the country," said OU linebacker Ryan Reynolds. "Just in the way we prepare for the game and it shows when we play."
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