Bob Stoops’ Five Best (and OSU’s Toughest) Bedlam Moments

All right, Bob Stoops has retired from the University of Oklahoma, so let’s look at the damage he did against Oklahoma State.

Stoops posted a 14-4 Bedlam record, which was good enough for fourth among every Sooner coach. Only Bennie Owen (17-2-2), Bud Wilkinson (17-0) and Barry Switzer (15-1) were better. That’s insane …

Here are Stoops’ five best (and our worst) Bedlam moments over the past 18 seasons. Warning: This might be painful.

5. Debut Done Right

On Nov. 27, 1999, Stoops made his Bedlam debut. OU won 44-7.

With more than 75,000 people in the Norman stands, Cowboy quarterbacks threw three interceptions and allowed 23 fourth-quarter points while scoring none. The OSU offense never reached the end zone with the Cowboys’ only points coming on an interception return. Oh, and Sooners’ linebacker Rocky Calmus was playing with a fractured leg.

OSU punted 10 times.

“In pregame today, (Stoops) really lit a fire and certainly got me pretty excited,” then-linebackers coach Brent Venables said postgame, according to The Oklahoman. “The other players kind of fed off that a little bit and knew we had both guns loaded going into it. No doubt he brought a lift and certainly some leadership as well.”

4. So Long Top 10

In the 2009 rendition, OSU came in as the No. 11 team in the nation but had to win in Norman to crack the top 10.

The good news was that the Sooners were unranked and finished that season 8-5. Didn’t matter. Whatsoever. At all. OU rolled 27-0.

Demarco Murray scored twice, Patrick O’Hara drilled a pair of field goals and Ryan Broyles had an 87-yard punt return (Jesus, I still hate those names). Meanwhile, Zac Robinson finished with 44 passing yards on nine completed passes with a pick and a 50.9 quarterback rating.

Within the first 15 seconds of his postgame video, Berry Tramel, who broke the Stoops news Wednesday, called the shutout a “thrashing,” a “beatdown” and an “absolute annihilation.” So that’s nice.

3. So Long Top 10 (Part 2)

In Mason Rudolph’s first Bedlam game at Boone Pickens Stadium, OSU came in No. 9, and Stoops’ Sooners were No. 5.

Rudolph played a handful of snaps because of a broken foot he suffered the week before. His first pass was almost picked off. His second was returned for a touchdown that put OU up 34-10 in the second quarter.

At least for the fans in the student section, that was the dagger through the freezing temperature night.

Stoops walked away with his ninth (!) Big 12 title because of it.

2. Overtime in Norman

Brennan Clay ended Bedlam 2012 on an 18-yard touchdown run in overtime.

Five years later, it doesn’t even read right.

Clint Chelf and Mike Gundy, in his 100th game, hadn’t trailed all day in Norman. But Blake Bell scored on a 4-yard touchdown run with four seconds left in regulation to force overtime.

That day, Stoops’ receiver trio of Justin Brown, Kenny Stills and Jalen Saunders each went for more than 100 yards and helped OU eventually earn a share of the Big 12 title.

1. Hunnicutt and Saunders in the Corner

In all my years of watching televised and live sporting events, Bedlam 2013 absolutely takes the cake for most heartbreaking game I have ever witnessed.

And it was all because of Bob Stoops.

With 2:35 left in the third quarter, Stoops sent kicker Michael Hunnicutt out for what looked like a field goal. It wasn’t. Holder Grant Bothun picked up his hold and ran to his left. He threw it to Hunnicutt who (in the most ungraceful way) scored to tie it at 17.

Then with 19 ticks left in the fourth, Blake Bell found Saunders in the right corner of the end zone.

Sooners won 33-24.

“There’s not really a lot to say,” Gundy said postgame, per The Oklahoman. “It’s a very disappointed locker room. These guys have played so well and have taken this program to a level where every time they lose now, for them, it’s like the end of the world.”

Bye, Bob.