By ROBERT CESSNA
NORMAN, Okla. -- The demons that the Texas A&M football team exorcised in Lubbock earlier this season simply moved a few hundred miles northeast, where they were as menacing as ever.
Oklahoma beat the Aggies for the sixth straight time at Owen Field, rolling to a 65-10 victory Saturday night that made the Sooners bowl-eligible. The Sooners (6-4, 4-2 Big 12) scored the final 51 points to prevent the Aggies (5-5, 2-4) from becoming bowl-eligible and getting another rare road victory.
A&M had trouble fielding kicks, trouble running and passing, trouble stopping the Sooners and just troubles in general.
"We weren't very good today," A&M head coach Mike Sherman said. "We shot ourselves in the foot numerous times."
That was especially true in the kicking game.
The Sooners needed only 22 yards for a touchdown after a muffed punt for a 21-10 lead midway through the second quarter. Oklahoma increased its lead to 42-10 just before halftime after Cyrus Gray fumbled a kickoff.
"Last week, Cyrus Gray returned a touchdown and we're all excited about that and this week he has a tough time hanging on the football," Sherman said.
A&M lost three fumbles and had an interception, which all led to OU touchdowns.
The Sooners took a 7-0 lead when linebacker Brian Jackson returned a fumble by Aggie running back Christine Michael 52 yards for a score.
The Aggies bounced back and pulled within 14-10 on Jeff Fuller's 9-yard touchdown catch. That came after Aggie linebacker Michael Hodges had an interception at the OU 6-yard line.
It was beginning to look reminiscent of A&M's performance in Lubbock last month. Texas Tech scored on its first possession and A&M fumbled on its first play, but the Aggies stormed back for a 52-30 victory that ending a seven-game losing streak at Jones AT&T Stadium.
That didn't happen in Norman, though A&M did have chances early.
The Aggies, with a 10 mph north wind behind them, failed to move the football after taking over at midfield following a short punt.
The defense forced a quick three-and-out, but the next punt wasn't as kind.
A&M's Terrence Frederick, who was forced into returning punts last week when freshman Dustin Harris was injured, pulled his hands back, allowing the football to bounce. A&M freshman Colton Valencia, blocking on the play, unsuccessfully tried to cover it, apparently thinking Frederick had touched it. The Sooners recovered.
On the ensuing possession, Ryan Broyles caught a 5-yard touchdown pass on third down that jump-started five straight OU scores.
"After that, things just kind of spiraled on us and we just never recovered," Sherman said. "We have to give Oklahoma credit. They took advantage of the opportunities that we gave them and then the opportunities that they created themselves."
Oklahoma, which didn't score a touchdown in a 10-3 loss at Nebraska last week, rolled up 640 yards to win its nation-leading 29th straight home game. The Sooners' offensive line, ravaged by injuries, allowed OU to rush for 248 yards with A&M having only one tackle for a loss in 45 running attempts.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Landry Jones threw for 392 yards and five scores. He threw five interceptions last week. Oklahoma didn't allow a sack as offensive tackle Trent Williams did a good job on A&M's Von Miller, who leads the nation in sacks.
Oklahoma's defense put the clamps on A&M's offense, which was fourth in the country in total yards (477.6), 15th in passing (293), 31st in rushing (184.6) and ninth in scoring (35.6 points per game) going into the game. A&M was held to 59 yards rushing on 36 carries (1.6), and threw for only 167 yards on 15-of-40 passing.
"To play as well as we did was pleasing," said OU head coach Bob Stoops, who was 5-4 after nine games for the first time in 11 years. "To play the run, to pressure the quarterback like we did was pretty special."
Aggie reserve quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who also plays wide receiver, went under center for A&M's final possession.
A&M eventually faced fourth-and-30 from the 31 with Tannehill at quarterback. Randy Bullock's 48-yard field goal try had the distance, but hit the left upright.
It was that kind of night.
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