Sooners have sunny outlook after 51-13 win

NORMAN — As the final minutes ticked off the clock in Oklahoma's 51-13 thrashing of Miami, Jim Lawson still couldn't put his binoculars down.

The long-time Sooner fan didn't want to miss a second of the action on Owen Field on Saturday afternoon. He was watching a victory that in the minds of many exorcized the demons of OU football past, particularly the three straight losses to the Hurricanes in the 1985-87 seasons.

"This is very satisfying that we can catch up all at once,” said Lawson, a Norman native. "You always hope for the best, but we're cautious about Miami. They're talented, but we prevailed.”

Countless Oklahoma fans haven't forgotten those losses from the '80s, when the Sooners went 0-3 against the Hurricanes and 30-0 against everybody else.

Now, perhaps, the healing can begin.

"I appreciate their passion for our program,” OU coach Bob Stoops said of the fans.

"Storing those hard feelings all those years, hopefully this helps some people.”

Many fans' expectations weren't extremely high coming into Saturday's game, mostly based on the unknown talent level of both teams.

"I was halfway pessimistic, just because of our track record with Miami,” said Sooner fan Matt Dean of Oklahoma City, who remembers sitting in the stands when Troy Aikman broke his ankle against the Hurricanes in 1985. "This was absolutely fantastic.”

"More than we could have hoped for,” added Blanchard's Kevin Kimbrough.

Saturday's win has the fans looking ahead with promise.

"It's a very good way to head into the next game,” Lawson said.

But Dean is looking beyond next Saturday's game against Utah State.

"This feels wonderful,” he said. "I hope we beat 'em again in Miami in 2009.”