Oklahoma’s Cameron Kenney scores a touchdown Saturday. Kenney finished with seven catches for 154 yards. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Correction: A Sunday Tulsa World Sports story incorrectly stated the University of Oklahoma's lead against Connecticut after a Cameron Kenney touchdown during the Fiesta Bowl. OU led by 17 points after Kenney's third-quarter reception. This story has been corrected.
GLENDALE, Ariz. - Since he began to call Oklahoma's plays in the Sooners' win over Oregon in the 2005 Holiday Bowl, Kevin Wilson turned the OU offense into a record-breaking machine.
With Wilson on his way out as Indiana's next coach, head coach Bob Stoops gave play-calling duties to Josh Heupel.
And OU's new co-offensive coordinator kept the machine going in a 48-20 win over No. 25 Connecticut in Saturday's Fiesta Bowl.
"I think he did a great job," quarterback Landry Jones said. "Felt like he kept a really good rhythm throughout the game with a run-pass mix."
The Sooners were near-perfect in the first quarter, scoring on their first two possessions with Heupel calling plays from the press box and jumping out to a lead they never relinquished.
Jones hit Cameron Kenney for a pair of slants to jumpstart a 154-yard performance. DeMarco Murray slashed for first downs. Ryan Broyles turned bubble screens and catches over the middle into big gains and a 170-yard night.
"Offense moved it, run and pass," Stoops said.
OU picked up first downs on five of its first six plays. Jones hit five players on the nine-play, 70-yard drive, capped off by Jones' 8-yard touchdownpass to James Hanna.
Five players touched the ball on OU's second possession - a nine-play, 81-yard drive. Playing in the last college game of his storied career, Murray charged into the middle and bounced right for a 3-yard touchdown.
OU had first downs on 10 of its 18 plays. Jones completed his first 12 passes for 118 yards. And the Sooners opened up a 14-0 lead over the Big East champions.
"We just got it done," said Murray, who finished with 25 carries for 93 yards.
Heupel kept OU's up-tempo offense going, and UConn couldn't keep up. Four minutes into the second half, the Huskies' defense appeared to lose its assignments while trying to substitute.
The result: Kenney streaked down the right sideline unguarded, and Jones found him for a 59-yard touchdown to open up a 17-point lead.
The Huskies' 23rd-ranked scoring defense had given up an average of less than 20 points per game. OU torched UConn for four offensive touchdowns and two field goals.
"We just couldn't make some plays," UConn coach Randy Edsall said.
But OU's offense did.
The Sooners' 48 points were the most UConn had allowed all season and the third-most OU had scored this season. Only West Virginia had scored that many in the Fiesta Bowl since 1997. Jones' 429 passing yards set a new Sooner bowl record, and OU's 524 total yards of offense were 46 more than its season average.
Wilson wasn't calling the plays, but he was present Saturday, coaching tight ends and fullbacks in his last game for the Sooners.
What Wilson saw was his protégé beginning his OU play-calling career the same way he did - by leading the Sooners to a bowl victory.
Original Print Headline: Sooner offense shines with Heupel at helm
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