Gundy Doesn’t Pass Up Big Chance : Oklahoma: Freshman quarterback comes off bench and throws for late first-half touchdown that keys a 31-17 victory.

Freshman quarterback Cale Gundy came off the bench and connected with tight end Adrian Cooper on a 52-yard touchdown pass play at the end of the first half Saturday as No. 7 Oklahoma beat Oklahoma State, 31-17, in a Big Eight Conference game.

The touchdown, with no time left in the half, tied the score 14-14 and gave the Sooners, 5-0 overall, 2-0 in the Big Eight, an emotional lift. The Oklahoma defense held the Cowboys (2-3, 0-1) to 66 yards in the second half.

Gundy replaced starter Steve Collins on the final series of first half.

“Their defensive structure was such that we needed to throw the football,” Oklahoma Coach Gary Gibbs said. “Some things they took away from us allowed Cale to step in and really do a nice job.”

The Sooners, faced with fourth and nine at their 48, had started trotting to the locker room, but were called back onto the field when Oklahoma State called a timeout with three seconds left.

Gundy, whose brother, Mike, played for Oklahoma State and now is an assistant coach with the Dallas Cowboys, lofted a pass to the 6-foot 6-inch Cooper, who outjumped defenders near the goal line.

Oklahoma State took a 17-14 lead on a 39-yard field goal by Cary Blanchard less than a minute into the third quarter.

Oklahoma took the lead for good, 21-17, on Gundy’s one-yard run in the third quarter.

Gundy completed six of 10 passes for 119 yards.