BRACKET #49
Click HERE for first round results.
Click HERE for second round results.
Click HERE for third round results.
BRACKET SEMI-FINALS
(49) 1997 Florida State - 26
(305) 1996 North Carolina - 20
Mack Brown meets his nemesis and falls to Florida State once again.
(177) 1987 Oklahoma - 27
(80) 1991 Florida - 19
One of Steve Spurrier's early Florida teams, featuring Errict Rhett and Shane Matthews, came into this semi-final a little overmanned.
BRACKET FINAL
(49) 1997 Florida State - 24
(177) 1987 Oklahoma - 25
The 1987 Sooners joined their '86 counterparts in the Bracket of Champions while becoming the highest seeded team to play their way in so far. Florida State looked over-confident coming off their easy win over the '96 Tar Heels, and Barry Switzer's wishbone offense capitalized on that attitude.
With the Seminole defense concentrating more on talking trash than on their assignments, OU quarterback Jamelle Holieway proceeded to out-execute FSU. Linebackers Sam Cowart and Daryl Bush often bought fake pitches on the option, leaving the middle open for cut backs. Before anybody could blink, the Sooners had piled up a 13-0 lead over Bobby Bowden's heavily favored club.
FSU had too much talent to just go away, though, and Thad Busby proceeded to gear up the passing game to mount a comeback. Busby tossed the ball right down the field to lead the Seminoles first scoring drive, capped by a 13-yard touchdown pass to tight end Melvin Pearsall.
But the Sooners answered again. This time it was backup quarterback Charles Thompson taking an option keeper on another blown assignment 54 yards for a touchdown. The 'Noles blocked their second extra point attempt of the game, however, so the Sooners took a 19-7 lead into halftime.
In the second half, Barry Switzer decided to let his defense do the talking and go conservative on offense. The move appeared to pay off when safety Rickey Dixon picked off a Busby pass on the first drive to set up an OU field goal. But then Florida State's receivers turned on the afterburners. Over a 4 minute span late in the third quarter, E.G. Green and Peter Warrick each caught touchdown passes and suddenly the underdog Sooners found their lead had disappeared.
With a whole quarter to play, it looked as though the Seminoles would run away with this one. But they didn't. OU defensive end Darrell Reed sacked Busby twice in the fourth quarter, the second time causing a fumble that led to a go-ahead field goal for the Sooners. Then linebacker Dante Jones picked off a pass over the middle and the Oklahoma offense was able to run out the rest of the clock.
With the Seminole defense concentrating more on talking trash than on their assignments, OU quarterback Jamelle Holieway proceeded to out-execute FSU. Linebackers Sam Cowart and Daryl Bush often bought fake pitches on the option, leaving the middle open for cut backs. Before anybody could blink, the Sooners had piled up a 13-0 lead over Bobby Bowden's heavily favored club.
FSU had too much talent to just go away, though, and Thad Busby proceeded to gear up the passing game to mount a comeback. Busby tossed the ball right down the field to lead the Seminoles first scoring drive, capped by a 13-yard touchdown pass to tight end Melvin Pearsall.
But the Sooners answered again. This time it was backup quarterback Charles Thompson taking an option keeper on another blown assignment 54 yards for a touchdown. The 'Noles blocked their second extra point attempt of the game, however, so the Sooners took a 19-7 lead into halftime.
In the second half, Barry Switzer decided to let his defense do the talking and go conservative on offense. The move appeared to pay off when safety Rickey Dixon picked off a Busby pass on the first drive to set up an OU field goal. But then Florida State's receivers turned on the afterburners. Over a 4 minute span late in the third quarter, E.G. Green and Peter Warrick each caught touchdown passes and suddenly the underdog Sooners found their lead had disappeared.
With a whole quarter to play, it looked as though the Seminoles would run away with this one. But they didn't. OU defensive end Darrell Reed sacked Busby twice in the fourth quarter, the second time causing a fumble that led to a go-ahead field goal for the Sooners. Then linebacker Dante Jones picked off a pass over the middle and the Oklahoma offense was able to run out the rest of the clock.
1987 Oklahoma (#177 overall seed) advances to the Bracket of Champions. The Sooners will face the winner of Bracket 16 in the first round.
No comments:
Post a Comment