Switzer Unhappy With Oklahoma Rout, 69-14

Despite a 69-14 rout of North Texas State in Saturday’s opener, Oklahoma Coach Barry Switzer said he is accustomed to better execution by his teams.

“I was not very happy with our performance, both offensively and defensively,” Switzer said. “We were a ragged football team today.

“We won the ball game, scored a lot of points, played a lot of players and dominated the game, but at the same time, I like to have a flawless performance from a football team.”

Oklahoma fumbled 6 times, losing 2, and was penalized 10 times for 75 yards. But the Sooners were able to win easily.

“Yes, I’d say they’re No. 1,” Eagle Coach Corky Nelson said. “I think they’re just as explosive as they were last year.”

The star on offense was backup quarterback Charles Thompson, who scored on runs of 7, 4 and 1 yards and also threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to split end Carl Cabbiness.

Thompson, a second-year freshman, relieved Jamelle Holieway in the second quarter and took over for good in the third period.

“I needed some game experience,” Thompson said. “I felt pretty good out there. The line blocked real well, and the backs ran well. We put 69 points on the board and that’s a good day, even if it wasn’t real pretty.”

Holieway, a junior, threw for 151 yards and a touchdown but was not as sharp as usual. He fumbled four snaps, losing one, and was intercepted once.

Oklahoma’s All-American tight end, Keith Jackson, caught three passes for 95 yards, including one of 45 yards for a touchdown. He also had a 24-yard catch on a third-and-14 play that kept alive another scoring drive.

The Sooners had their way early and often against the NCAA Division I-AA Eagles. Safety David Vickers intercepted Bron Beal’s pass on the first play of the game and returned it 29 yards to the North Texas five. Two plays later, fullback Lydell Carr scored the first of his two touchdowns.

On Oklahoma’s next play from scrimmage, halfback Patrick Collins raced 67 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown.

The defense also got into the scoring when linebacker Dante Jones stripped the ball from halfback Darrin Collins and ran 58 yards for a touchdown in the first period.

The Sooners, who led the nation by averaging more than 400 yards per game rushing in 1986, ran for 394 on Saturday. Anthony Stafford led the way with 80 yards, while Collins had 76.

North Texas finished with 274 total yards.