The Sports Xchange
Nov 4, 2016
AMES, Iowa -- Dede Westbrook helped carry Oklahoma again.
Westbrook had seven catches for 131 yards and a touchdown in the No. 14 Sooners' 34-24 win over Iowa State on Thursday night in front of 50,662 at Jack Trice Stadium.
It was his sixth consecutive game with at least 100 yards receiving.
During that streak -- which coincides with the Sooners winning streak --Oklahoma's offense had been boosted by a strong running game as well.
Against the Cyclones, it was Dimitri Flowers, a fullback who hadn't had a carry for the Sooners in his first two-and-a-half seasons, who picked up the load.
Flowers carried 22 times for 115 yards and added three catches for 34 yards and a touchdown.
Oklahoma (7-2, 6-0) was down to its fifth-string running back after losing starter Joe Mixon to suspension just two days before the game.
Mixon was suspended for a run-in with a parking attendant after he received a ticket.
Samaje Perine, the Sooners' other star in the backfield, missed his third consecutive game with a pulled hamstring.
Two other running backs were lost to injury early in the season.
Sooners quarterback Baker Mayfield completed 25 of 34 passes for 328 yards and four touchdowns.
While the Sooners have turned things around since Big 12 play began, Iowa State has struggled.
The loss was the fifth consecutive for the Cyclones (1-8, 0-6). Four of the losses in conference play have come by 10 points or less.
Iowa State pulled within a touchdown early in the fourth quarter but Oklahoma answered with a 12-play, 55-yard drive that ate up nearly six minutes of clock time and all but ended Iowa State's upset hopes.
Iowa State seized control in the second, rallying to take the lead on Joel Lanning's 41-yard touchdown run on fourth down and two.
But though Oklahoma's two previous drives ended without a first down, the Sooners immediately answered with a 65-yard touchdown to Westbrook on the next play to put Oklahoma back in front.
The Sooners extended the lead even further just before the half with a nine-play, 75-yard drive capped by Mayfield's 11-yard touchdown pass to Dimitri Flowers.
Mayfield completed three passes for a total of 50 yards to end the drive and end the half with the Sooners up 28-17.
NOTES: There was a pregame moment of silence for a pair of Des Moines-area police officers -- Justin Martin and Anthony Beminio -- killed Wednesday in an "ambush-style attack." ... Oklahoma LB Kapri Doucet, who was going to have to miss the first half of Thursday's game anyway after being flagged for targeting in the second half of the Sooners win over Kansas a week earlier, missed the entire game due to injury. ... Iowa State sophomore RB Mike Warren missed the game with an ankle injury. Warren went through some warmups but was unable to play after suffering the injury in the Oct. 29 loss to Kansas State. ... Oklahoma hosts Baylor on Nov. 12. while Iowa State plays at Kansas.