Hybl, Sooners Blow Past UTEP

Second-ranked Oklahoma made Texas-El Paso wish the thunderstorms had never let up.

The Sooners got several big plays on both sides, including two interception returns for touchdowns, in a 68-0 victory at Norman, Okla., Saturday night. The game included a 51-minute weather delay.

Nate Hybl threw for 278 yards and two touchdowns and Quentin Griffin had 108 yards rushing and two touchdowns as Oklahoma (3-0) won by its widest margin since a 73-3 victory over New Mexico State in 1989.

Play was stopped late in the first quarter with Oklahoma leading, 14-0. After the break, which allowed thunderstorms to pass through, the Sooners scored 24 second-quarter points and kept on rolling.

“That’s what I said to the team--I didn’t care who we were playing this week, the bottom line is we needed to execute, have better concentration and play to our potential,” Coach Bob Stoops said.

The Sooners were coming off a 37-27 victory over Alabama, a game in which they had to rally in the closing minutes to win. This one was never in question against a UTEP team that lost, 77-17, to Kentucky last week.

The Miners (1-2) were shut out for the first time since 1996, a streak of 61 games.

“I thought the rain was going to help us out, slow them down a bit,” UTEP Coach Gary Nord said. “I knew we were going to be in for a long night.

“The longer it delayed, the longer it was going to take to get it over with.”

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No. 3 Texas 52, North Carolina 21--Chris Simms threw four touchdown passes and Cedric Benson rushed for 208 yards and two touchdowns for the Longhorns at Chapel Hill, N.C.

Texas (2-0) took a 24-point first-half lead and moved the ball at will for much of the first half. The Tar Heels (1-2) challenged, but Simms and the Longhorns responded.

Twice the Tar Heels pulled within 10 points on second-half touchdown drives, only to see Simms kill that momentum. Simms had a 10-yard touchdown pass to Chad Stevens late in the third quarter to build a 31-14 lead and had a 58-yard scoring pass to Roy Williams in the fourth for a 38-21 lead.

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Bowling Green 51, Missouri 28--Josh Harris passed for 311 yards, caught a touchdown pass and had two short scoring runs to lead the Falcons at Bowling Green, Ohio. Wide receiver Cole Magner threw two touchdown passes for Bowling Green (2-0), which had 557 yards of offense.

Harris, who completed 16 of 31 passes and rushed for 66 yards in 16 carries, caught a 34-yard touchdown pass from Magner on the game’s first possession. Harris took the snap and threw a lateral to Magner, who found his quarterback streaking down the field for a 7-0 lead.

Robert Redd caught 10 passes for 209 yards and a touchdown for the Falcons and James Hawkins had five catches for 112 yards.

Brad Smith was 28 of 50 for 334 yards, two touchdowns and had one intercepted for the Tigers (2-1). Justin Gage caught a Missouri-record 16 passes for 236 yards and a touchdown.

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Texas Tech 42, Mississippi 28--Kliff Kingsbury passed for 270 yards and two touchdowns to become the Big 12’s career passing leader as the Red Raiders won at Lubbock, Texas. Kingsbury’s 8,392 yards top the record of 8,353, set by Texas’ Major Applewhite.

The Red Raiders (2-1) scored touchdowns on offense, defense and special teams to send the Rebels (2-1) to their first nonconference loss in 25 games.

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Kansas 44, Southwest Missouri St. 24--Greg Heaggans returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown and broke a 43-year-old school record with 195 yards on four returns to lead the Jayhawks at Lawrence, Kan. Heaggans’ 195 yards in kickoff returns broke the school record of 153 set by John Hadl against Syracuse in 1959.

Leo Etienne scored on a one-yard fumble return and Clark Green rushed for 131 yards and two touchdowns as the Jayhawks (1-2) got Coach Mark Mangino’s first victory in their home opener.

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New Mexico 23, Baylor 0--New Mexico’s blitzing defense held the Bears (1-2) to 32 yards of offense in the first half to help the Lobos cruise to a victory at Albuquerque.

It was a costly win for the Lobos (2-2), who may have lost Quincy Wright--the nation’s third leading rusher--for the season.

Wright, who was averaging 158.3 yards a game, left late in the first quarter because of a possible torn ligament in his left knee.