Drive representative of Sooners' season

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Backed up. Offense in reverse. Momentum slipping. Inches off their own goal line.

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl

Oklahoma vs. Boise State

Jan. 1, 2007, at 7:30

• Where: University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.

• TV: KOKH-25

(Cox 12)

Not for these Sooners.

No. 8 Oklahoma seized the 2006 Big 12 Championship on Saturday night with a drive of champions.

And with it, the resilient Sooners march on.

Next stop: the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1.

OU beat Nebraska 21-7 before 80,031 at Arrowhead Stadium, continuing its late-season resurgence in the wake of so many challenges.

Saturday's predicament was just the latest.

But after the Sooners converted the third down, Paul Thompson hitting freshman tight end Jermaine Gresham for a clutch 35-yard gain, the Sooners were on their way to the drive that defines this team, this season.

"The drive of the year, no question," Sooners coach Bob Stoops said. "Huge. And just a lot of great plays.

"That was a big blow to 'em."

Ninety-nine yards later — and literally inches from a full 100 — OU stuck an exclamation point on all they've accomplished.

Without Adrian Peterson. Without Rhett Bomar.

Despite the Oregon ordeal. Despite a bumbling loss to Texas.

The Sooners are champions, the payoff in an eight-game winning streak that's pushed their record to 11-2 heading for a bowl matchup with Boise State.

"We wanted it more," said OU cornerback Lendy Holmes. "We came together at the end. It's a great feeling."

Saturday they did it without much from their running game, so rugged during the late-season surge.

OU ran for only 42 yards on 28 carries. But Thompson passed for 265 yards and two touchdowns, both to Malcolm Kelly, who set a Big 12 championship game record with 10 catches for 142 yards.

Kelly came up clutch on the drive.

The Sooners, clinging to a 14-7 lead, had lost four net yards on their first two possessions of the second half.

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