Oklahoma's dominating win over K-State pushes Sooners from the ledge to the edge

Klein ran for touchdowns on successive possessions, then directed another threat late in the second quarter, which crashed with a missed field goal. From that point on, the ‘Cats had but two first downs.

Meanwhile, the OU offense, despite losing tailback Dom Whaley to a fractured ankle on the game's first play, produced eight touchdowns and a field goal on 13 possessions. The ‘Cat defense isn't the Purple People Eaters, but it entered ranking No. 1 in Big 12 total defense.

“It was good to see them (enjoy playing) in a competitive environment, playing snap to whistle,” said OU offensive coordinator Josh Heupel. “Good to see our guys fight.”

The Sooners fought a week ago, but too late. This time, they fought from the time they saw the autumn colors on the Flint Hills trees.

“We played better,” Stoops said. “Whether it's attitude or not, doesn't much matter to me. We need to play like that all the time.”

But it's obvious to all that the Sooners were more mentally into this game. From the jawing match pregame to the defensive discipline to the precision on offense.

“The psyche is so undervalued,” Venables said. “We came in with a sense of desperation. We came out to fight for every inch.”

Maybe the Sooners learned that a sense of desperation is handy to have every Saturday, even if the Schooner is crowded again.

Berry Tramel: Berry can be reached at (405) 760-8080 or at btramel@opubco.com. He can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including AM-640 and FM-98.1. You can also view his personality page at newsok.com/berrytramel.