Oklahoma Sooners vs Texas El Paso Miners Match Player Stats On Sep 01, 2012

SportsDirect Inc. staff
Sep 2, 2012

Oklahoma 24, Texas-El Paso 7: Heisman Trophy hopeful Landry Jones threw two touchdown passes as the heavily favored Sooners struggled to defeat the Miners at the Sun Bowl.

Fourth-ranked Oklahoma, which led 10-7 after three quarters, survived a 177-yard rushing performance by Texas-El Paso sophomore Nathan Jeffery and held UTEP quarterback Nick Lamaison to 6-of-23 passing for 39 yards.

The Sooners had a punt blocked and returned for a touchdown and a field goal blocked in the first half, when their only score was a 68-yard pass from Jones to Kenny Stills.

Jones, the active FBS leader in touchdown passes (95) and passing yards (12,609), was 22-of-37 for 230 yards as the Sooners improved to 23-2 when he throws two or more TDs. He was sacked three times.

The Miners, who were 29.5-point underdogs, took a 7-0 lead when Richard Spencer blocked Tress Way's punt and Jeffery took it 24 yards for a touchdown 5:59 into the contest. The lead was short-lived, though, as Stills tied it 3:55 later with the longest pass reception of his career.

Texas-El Paso's Dakota Warren missed field goals of 45 and 31 yards in the first half while Oklahoma's Michael Hunnicutt had a 44-yarder blocked.

After Hunnicutt's 38-yard field goal put Oklahoma ahead 10-7 with 10:05 left in the third quarter, UTEP's Steven Valadez was wide right from 41 yards later in the period.

Jones' second touchdown pass - an 18-yarder to Brannon Green with 10:35 remaining - came after the Miners failed to execute a fake punt and gave Oklahoma the ball at the UTEP 41. Damien Williams scored on a 65-yard touchdown run with 2:55 left as Oklahoma finished with 198 rushing yards.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Jeffery had 166 yards rushing last season. ... Jones moved from 18th to 14th on the FBS career passing yardage list. ... The Miners are 4-48 against Top 25 teams, including 0-6 versus top five squads. ... Texas-El Paso also has non-conference games at Ole Miss and at No. 12 Wisconsin. ... Stills' touchdown was Oklahoma's longest play from scrimmage since Jones' 86-yard TD pass to Cameron Kenny against Oklahoma State on Nov. 27, 2010. ... Stills' previous longest catch was 58 yards against Texas Tech in 2010. ... The last time Oklahoma had a blocked punt returned for a touchdown was in 2002 against Alabama.