By John Shinn
The Transcript

NORMAN, Okla.

Sam Bradford has fond memories of the 2007 season. The Oklahoma quarterback experienced one of the best year’s a freshman’s ever had. But none of the memories are from Oklahoma’s last meeting with Texas Tech.

In fact, Bradford’s recollections are far from a first-hand account. His basic memories from that night in Lubbock, Texas, are more from a fan’s perspective.

“I’ve watched it, so I know pretty much everything that happened,” Bradford said. “It’s a little frustrating to turn on the tape and see that I played the first couple plays and then wasn’t out there to finish the game with my teammates.”

It wasn’t by choice. Bradford suffered a concussion on OU’s first offensive series. He tried to tackle a Texas Tech defender on a fumble and OU guard Duke Robinson fell on Bradford’s head.

Bradford wasn’t Bradford after his head hit the turf. The telecast showed him sitting on the bench and glaring off into space. Backup quarterback Joey Halzle played the rest of the game and the Sooners’ national title hopes disintegrated in a 34-27 loss to the Red Raiders.

If there’s a game Bradford would like to have back, it’s that one.

He’ll get a second chance at the Red Raiders when the fifth-ranked Sooners (9-1, 5-1 Big 12) face second-ranked Texas Tech (10-0, 6-0) Saturday night at Owen Field.

Players laugh about that game, now. Bradford recovered well enough to lead the Sooners to a 49-17 romp over Oklahoma State the next week and played one of his best games of the season in the Big 12 championship game the week after that.

But his teammates still remember Bradford being in a fog that night.

“That wasn’t Sam,” center Jon Cooper said with a chuckle this week. “He was out of it for a while. I remember the next day he said he didn’t remember even being in there.”

The collateral damage of Bradford’s injury was the end of the expected showdown with Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell. Harrell threw for 270 yards and two touchdowns against the Sooners. Bradford was 2-for-3 for 11 yards and played only six snaps.

Back then they were the two best quarterbacks in the Big 12. Saturday night’s meeting will be between two of the best in the country.

Bradford leads the nation with 38 touchdown passes, two short of the school-record 40 Jason White threw in his Heisman Trophy-winning season in 2003. Bradford is ranked second in the country in passing efficiency (188.9) and third in passing yards per game (340.6).

Harrell, who became the odds-on favorite for this year’s Heisman Trophy after the Red Raiders’ victory over Texas, leads the country with 407.7 passing yards per game, ranks third in touchdown passes (36) and seventh in passing efficiency (169.2).

The only thing that could mess up the showdown this time around would be if one of them tried to make a tackle.

Stoops said if the situation arises again, he would prefer Bradford just get out of the way. He doubts it will happen, though.

“It’s an instinct thing. And 99 out of 100 times he’s not going to get hurt. It was just one of those things,” Stoops said. “I’m sure in the end, if it happened, he’d throw himself in there again.”

Bradford agreed.

“Obviously you’re not going to give up six points. If I am forced into a situation to make a tackle, I will, but let’s hope that doesn’t happen,” Bradford said with a wry grin. “Maybe we’ll go lower this year.”

John Shinn can be reached at jshinn@normantranscript.com

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Sam Bradford leads the nation with 38 touchdown passes, two short of the school-record 40 Jason White threw in his Heisman Trophy-winning season in 2003.

Photo/The Norman Transcript