Oklahoma completely dominated Houston early, but the Cougars got off the mat in the second quarter to pull within 21-10 at the half in Norman.
The Sooners’ picked up first downs on 13 of their first 16 plays, and aside a stalled drive and a missed field goal the offense played a perfect half. Their first drive needed only three plays to go 61 yards, while their second and third drives went 89 yards in 11 plays and 77 in eight.
Jalen Hurts scored from a yard out for the first of those two scores, then found CeeDee Lamb w-i-d-e open for a 45-yard score.
— Matt Brown (@MattBrownCFB) September 2, 2019
By the time Lamb bumped his head on Houston’s goal post, Hurts was 12-of-13 for 154 yards and two touchdowns while rushing seven times for 51 yards and a score.
Teetering on blowout territory, Houston responded with a 6-play, 81-yard drive that was pretty much all D’Eriq King. He posted runs of 12 and 22 yards and threw for 52 -- his first 52 passing yards of the entire game -- including a 23-yard score to running back Kyle Porter.
Hurts followed up his perfect start with his first miscue in Sooner crimson, fumbling away a 15-yard run at the Houston 30, allowing the Cougars to add another three points on a 34-yard Dalton Witherspoon field goal with 26 seconds left in the half.
Twenty-six seconds proved to be too much for OU’s offense, as the Sooners moved 54 yards over three plays and 25 seconds, but Calum Sutherland‘s 36-yard field goal was wide right.
For the half, Hurts was 13-of-15 for 174 yards and two touchdowns plus 11 carries for 128 yards and a score. King accounted for all but seven of Houston’s 153 yards; he was 7-of-11 for 87 yards and a score through the air and rushed for 59 yards on nine carries.
Houston will receive to open the second half.