Error-Prone Red Raiders Fall to Oklahoma
June 21, 1999 | Football
November 21, 1998
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) - Oklahoma gave coach John Blake some ammunition to keep his job, turning three Texas Tech mistakes into 17 points and causing a fumble in the closing minutes to upset the Red Raiders 20-17 Saturday.
Blake's future is the subject of a special meeting Sunday by the university's regents. The Sooners (5-6, 3-5 Big 12) are 12-22 in three seasons under Blake, who has said he needs the full five years of his contract to turn things around. Oklahoma won three of its final four this year.
Texas Tech (7-4, 4-4) got 119 yards and a touchdown from Ricky Williams, but was undone by three lost fumbles and a blocked field goal.
Oklahoma fullback Jermaine Fazande ran for 111 yards, a season high and the second-highest total of his four-year career, after De'Mond Parker left the game early in the first quarter with a hip injury.
Texas Tech appeared in control before Oklahoma blocked a 50-yard field goal try and Darryl Bright returned it 48 yards for a touchdown, making it 10-7 in the second quarter.
The Sooners had just 57 yards at the half. But they recovered a poor option pitch by Rob Peters early in the third quarter, and two plays later Fazande scored on a 32-yard run to give Oklahoma a 14-10 lead. Oklahoma added two fourth-quarter field goals, one after another fumble by Peters, to make it 20-10.
Matt Tittle replaced Peters and led a 64-yard drive to a 10-yard touchdown by Williams with 4:16 left. After forcing Oklahoma to punt, the Red Raiders drove from their 18 to the Oklahoma 31, but Williams lost a fumble to end their hopes.
Texas Tech's 22 first downs were double that of Oklahoma and the Red Raiders outgained the Sooners 334-212.
The Red Raiders scored on their first two possessions, getting a 27-yard field goal by Chris Birkholz and a 16-yard touchdown pass from Peters to Derek Dorris.
It was Oklahoma's second straight upset of Texas Tech. Last year, the Sooners went into Lubbock as 20-point underdogs and won 32-21 to deny the Red Raiders the Big 12 south division title.
By OWEN CANFIELD
AP Sports Writer