Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
Oklahoma
Falcons Fall To No. 2 Oklahoma, 40-24
September 04, 2004 | Football
Sept. 4, 2004
Final Stats | Quotes | Notes
By JEFF LATZKE
Associated Press Writer
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) - Kejuan Jones rushed for a career-high 148 yards and a touchdown and Mark Clayton caught two of Jason White's three touchdown passes, leading No. 2 Oklahoma to a 40-24 victory over Bowling Green on Saturday.
White, the returning Heisman Trophy winner, completed 20 of 30 passes for 224 yards, but also threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown.
Adrian Peterson had a 35-yard touchdown run and finished with 100 yards on 16 carries. But he also fumbled out of bounds on two of his first six carries.
With White recovered from knee surgery and a broken bone in his left foot, Oklahoma's offense was able to operate frequently with White under center instead of in the shotgun. The Sooners' offensive line - which returned all five starters from last season - opened huge holes for Jones to run through and prevented White from being sacked.
The oft-injured White was hit hard only twice - on a 2-yard run on a busted play to end the first quarter and following an incomplete pass in the third quarter. He even pulled the ball down and ran 6 yards for a first down early in the fourth quarter.
 Head coach Gregg Brandon contests a call that went against the Falcons.  |
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White, the first Heisman Trophy winner to return since BYU's Ty Detmer in 1991, was brilliant early. He went 12-for-15 in the first half and one incompletion hit receiver Brandon Jones in the hands.
After Charles Sharon's second dazzling touchdown catch of the game - a leaping grab during which he landed one knee in bounds - brought the Falcons within 37-17, White threw an interception that Keon Newson returned 28 yards for a touchdown to give Bowling Green a chance.
The Sooners responded with a 17-play, 73-yard drive that ate nearly 9 minutes off the clock and ended with Trey DiCarlo's second field goal of the game and doused Bowling Green's hopes for a comeback.
Newson also stripped tight end James Moses to put Bowling Green in position for its first touchdown. Three plays after the fumble, Sharon outjumped Antonio Perkins at the goal line for an 18-yard touchdown catch that tied the game at 7.
Kejuan Jones put the Sooners ahead for good on their next possession with an 11-yard TD run.
Clayton, a second team All-American last season, found himself wide open on both touchdown catches. In the first quarter, he ran away from linebacker Daniel Sayles as White lobbed a 6-yard pass to the back right corner of the end zone for the score. In the second quarter, Clayton made a sharp right turn and caught White's 9-yard pass in the front of the end zone to put Oklahoma up 21-10.
White also connected with a diving Will Peoples for a 24-yard scoring pass in the third quarter that made it 30-10.
Sean Suisham hit a career-long 47-yard field goal in the second quarter for Bowling Green.
