Field Level Media
Sep 8, 2018
Oklahoma beat UCLA 49-21 on Saturday at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, but the No. 6 Sooners could have lost running back Rodney Anderson for an extended period of time.
Without much of a grind-it-out offense, Oklahoma had to rely on big plays -- both offensively and on special teams -- and on a defense that made it tough on UCLA freshman quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson.
Anderson, who ran for 100 yards a week ago in Oklahoma's season-opening win over Florida Atlantic, went down with the injury on the final play of the first quarter. Anderson appeared to injure his right knee as he made a cut just before going down on the play.
Anderson was helped to the locker room quickly and did not return.
With Thompson-Robinson making his first career start after replacing the injured Wilton Speight in last weekend's season-opening loss to Cincinnati, the Bruins struggled to find much of a rhythm offensively after taking the lead about six minutes into the game thanks to a 65-yard catch by Caleb Wilson that set up the initial touchdown.
Oklahoma's defense took over from there, eventually sacking Thompson-Robinson six times.
Sooners linebacker Curtis Bolton had one-and-a-half sacks.
Without Anderson, the Sooners piled up the points thanks to big-play hits, including a 58-yard pass to Marquise Brown from Kyler Murray and a 45-yard catch by CeeDee Lamb.
Lamb finished with seven catches for 146 yards.
After UCLA's initial touchdown, the Sooners immediately answered with the help of Tre Brown's 86-yard kickoff return that set up an Oklahoma touchdown to tie it three plays later.
Later in the game, Lamb returned a punt 66 yards to set up a third-quarter touchdown.
Murray completed 19 of 33 passes for 306 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. He also ran for 69 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
The Bruins finished with 388 yards, with 167 coming in the fourth quarter.
UCLA's Wilson, whose father Chris played for the Sooners, had four catches for 92 yards.
--Field Level Media