Oklahoma downs Missouri, 17-6, to keep College Football Playoff hopes alive: Score, live updates

Buck Ringgold

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Oklahoma downs Missouri, 17-6, to keep College Football Playoff hopes alive: Score, live updates image

Following two clutch road wins at generally hostile Southeastern Conference venues, Oklahoma returned home with a chance to grab destiny.

The Sooners did just that Saturday, getting a pair of second-quarter touchdowns and relying on their defense to finish things off as Oklahoma moved even closer to garnering a College Football Playoff berth with a 17-6 win against Missouri at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.

MORE: Oklahoma-Missouri rivalry back in Norman, 50 years after peace pipe trophy vanished

Oklahoma (9-2) which came in ranked No. 8 in the latest College Football Playoff poll, can now clinch a playoff berth with a win at home next Saturday against LSU. The Sooners set themselves up nicely for this opportunity after winning on the road at Tennessee earlier this month; then last week, upended Alabama for the second straight year, this time a hard-fought 23-21 win inside Bryant-Denny Stadium.

MORE: Oklahoma stuns Alabama in Tuscaloosa: A statement win for the Sooners 

And now OU, which lost to Ole Miss in its previous last game at home, can continue its late-season charge.

The Sooners also gained a measure of revenge after perhaps the most perplexing loss of their ill-fated 6-7 finish a year ago. Trailing in the fourth quarter, OU rallied to take a 23-16 lead, only to give up two touchdowns to Missouri in the final 1:03, the latter a fumble return with 22 seconds left that gave the Tigers a 30-23 win.

Missouri (7-4) began Saturday's game with a long drive that took more than eight minutes off the clock, resulting in a field goal. It remained 3-0 until early in the second quarter when OU - which was held to minus 7 yards of offense in the first period - broke through with an 87-yard TD pass from John Mateer to Isaiah Sategna.

Mateer threw a TD pass later in the second for a 14-3 Sooner advantage. Missouri drove deep in OU territory late in the first half, but had to kick another field goal.

The Tigers, ranked No. 22 in the latest CFP rankings, were held in check the rest of the way. Missouri finished with 122 yards of offense in the second half and had one drive where the Tigers threatened, but an incomplete pass to the end zone on fourth down in the final minutes eventually sealed their fate.

OU finished with 276 yards of total offense. Mateer was 14-of-30 passing for 173 yards and two TDs, and was also the team's top rusher with 60 yards on 18 carries.

It was the 98th meeting in the series between Oklahoma and Missouri, former longtime rivals in both the Big 8 and Big 12 conferences. OU is 68-25-5 all-time, and the Tigers haven’t beaten the Sooners in Norman since 1966.

Follow AllSportsPeople correspondent Buck Ringgold (@Bucks_Ballpark) for all of the live updates and scoring from Norman.

Scroll down for live score and game updates from kickoff to the postgame. Refresh this page for the latest.

OKLAHOMA 17, MISSOURI 6 FINAL

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POSTGAME

- That will do it in Norman. Oklahoma is one win away from winning 10 games and getting into the College Football Playoff. Sooners at home again next Saturday against LSU.

FOURTH QUARTER

- INTERCEPTION OKLAHOMA. Eli Bowen clinches the game by picking off a pass in his own territory, his second pick in as many weeks. With 31 seconds left, OU can take a knee and the Sooners need to beat LSU next week to clinch a playoff berth. 

- Missouri out to near its 40-yard line, but time still isn't on the Tigers' side. 

- OU ends up punting it away with less than two minutes left. Last chance for the Missouri offense. 

- Xavier Robinson plows forward for another first down as we're approaching the two-minute time out.

- Mateer finds an opening on a third-down keeper and OU moves the chains nearing four minutes. 

- Ball goes off the hands of a Missouri player and OU's defense holds once again. This might do it, with 5:40 left. 

- Missouri facing a fourth-and-short near OU's 20, and the Tigers are going for it. 

- Missouri, and QB Beau Pribula, coming to life. Pribula with a couple of impressive throws, and the Tigers are knocking at the door, inside the OU 30 with more than seven minutes to go. 

- Another punt by Oklahoma. Missouri has the ball at its own 11 with 8:29 left. Tigers have just 9 yards of total offense in the second half. 

- And Missouri goes three-and-out and the Tigers will have to give it up deep in their own territory again. OU with a double-digit lead and the ball with 10:05 left. 

- OU punts for the seventh time today. With more than 11 minutes left, the Sooners are relying on their defense to wrap this one up. 

- Four sacks now for OU's defense, the latest from Taylor Wein on third-and-long. Missouri has to punt deep in its own territory. OU gets the ball at its own 43 with 12:49 left. Tigers have 186 yards of total offense - 132 of that after that lengthy drive to start the game.

- Oklahoma denied on third down and the Sooners punt it away. Ball goes into the end zone for a touchback. Missouri down 11 with 14:11 left in the game.

THIRD QUARTER

- OU has a third-and-short near its 45 as the third quarter comes to an end.

- INTERCEPTION OKLAHOMA. Pribula throws a deep ball, but Jacobe Johnson is there to pick it off at his own 25. First takeaway for the Sooner defense this game., and the seventh in the past three games. 

- Tipped pass by Oklahoma on third down, but OU defender Reggie Powers is flagged for targeting. 

- Missouri gets to Mateer on third down, and the Sooners will kick it away once more. 

- Missouri goes three-and-out, and forces to punt. OU with great field position near midfield close to five minutes to go in the quarter. 

- Fourth-and-short for OU near midfield. Punting unit comes on, but the ball takes a funny bounce and lands out of bounds just past the Missouri 20. 

- Xavier Robinson plows forward for the first down on a third-and-short running play. OU up to 34 yards rushing. 

- Missouri makes it out to midfield on its opening second-half drive, but is forced to punt. OU takes over at its own 10. 

- FIELD GOAL OKLAHOMA. Drive stalls, but Tate Sandell comes on to boot a 45-yard field goal, his 22nd consecutive successful field goal attempt, adding to his school record. (Oklahoma, 17-6 | 11:36, 3rd) 

- OU takes the second-half kickoff and quickly moves down the field and has the ball near Missouri's 25. 

HALFTIME

- OU was out-gained in the first half, 179-138, but the Sooners have two touchdowns and Missouri had none. Sooners also had 145 yards in the second quarter. 

SECOND QUARTER

- FIELD GOAL MISSOURI. Tigers elect to take the chip-shot field goal, which is good from 21 yards out. (Oklahoma, 14-6 |:17, 2nd) 

- Hardy is chopped down on the third-and-goal. Missouri faces a fourth-and-goal and calls its final time out. 

- Missouri facing a third-and-goal at the OU 3. Tigers call time out with 23 seconds left. 

- Missouri already inside the OU 10 inside the final minute of the half. 

- TOUCHDOWN OKLAHOMA. Mateer with his second TD pass, finding Javonnie Gibson in the end zone from 8 yards out. (Oklahoma, 14-3 | 2:22, 2nd) 

- Mateer pulls off a 15-yard keeper on third down. Not Tate Sandell time just yet. Then Mateer throws a TD pass. Even better for the Sooners. 

- Third down, Mateer under pressure but executes a brilliant shovel pass to Xavier Robinson for an OU first down near the red zone. 

- Missouri going backwards. A holding penalty; then Pribula drops the ball on third down and picks it up before being swarmed. Then a not so very good punt for the Tigers. OU with tremendous momentum now. 

- After getting just 17 total yards in its first three offensive series, OU picked up 90 yards on its fourth possession, thanks in large part to the Sategna TD. 

- TOUCHDOWN OKLAHOMA. What a way for the offense to finally wake up. Third-and-long, Mateer finds Sategna, who is off to the races, and finishes off an 87-yard catch-and-run. Tate Sandell tacks on the PAT. (Oklahoma, 7-3 | 6:45, 2nd) 

- OU takes over at its own 10 after being flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct following the field-goal block. 

- Oklahoma nearly blocked Missouri's first field goal attempt. Sooners break through to block it after the Tigers decided to kick a 35-yard try. Now we have a scrum between the teams, and Brent Venables is livid at the refs. 

- Missouri stopped about 3 yards shy of a first down. Tigers appear to be going for it on fourth down. 

- Missouri now coming out firing, completing a pair of passes to get into OU territory and then forcing a pass interference penalty on the Sooners. Tigers approaching the red zone. 

- OU can't convert on this third down as Missouri pressures Mateer into a pass that gets nearly picked off. Sooners have to punt for the third time. 

- OU finally picks up its first first down of the game, a third-down completion. Then the Sooners get another first down. 

- Missouri's punt is downed at the OU 3-yard line. Sooners need to get something going offensively - and fast. 

- OU DB Robert Spears-Jennings nearly comes down with an interception, but is still on the ground and appears to be shaken up. 

- OU gets a stop on third down, but a Sooner player is flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct. Missouri gets an automatic first down. 

- Missouri starts the second quarter with a second-down play near midfield.

FIRST QUARTER

- Looks like OU will finish the opening quarter with minus 7 total yards and having the ball for only 2:45. 

- OU going backward on its second series. Mateer gets sacked on third down and it looked like Missouri was going to be flagged for a horse collar, but no call. Sooners punt again. 

- Missouri holds a 58-0 edge in rushing yards, though OU has yet to execute a running play. Sooners start their second series at their 30 after Missouri was penalized for an illegal formation during the punt, giving OU 5 extra yards after a fair catch.

- OU finally able to stop Missouri, thanks in large part to a second-down sack. Then Roberts gets stuffed on third down. Tigers to kick it away. 

- Ahmad Hardy breaks off a 20-yard run and Missouri advances to its 40. 

- Missouri starts inside its 20 following OU's punt. 

- Missouri's opening drive time: 8:23. Oklahoma's opening drive time: 0:56. 

- Back-to-back incomplete passes for John Mateer; then on third down, a short pass over the middle but well short of the first down. Sooners will punt. 

- Fair catch on the kickoff; OU will start its first series at its own 25.

- FIELD GOAL MISSOURI. Robert Meyer's 39-yard attempt is nearly blocked, but the ball is able to sneak through the uprights. Missouri took 8:23 off the clock in the opening drive. Now, OU finally will get its hands on the football. (Missouri, 3-0 | 6:37, 1st) 

- OU's defense holds and forces a field goal attempt. 

- Good opening drive for Missouri so far. Tigers have taken the first six-plus minutes off the clock and is approaching the OU red zone. 

- Tigers convert another third-and-short and have the ball inside the Oklahoma 40. 

- Missouri already into OU territory. 

- OU edge rusher R Mason Thomas is still out of action for today's game. Thomas, who got injured during his fumble return in the Tennessee win, missed the Alabama game last week.

- Missouri converts on a third-and-short and the Tigers are at their 36. 

- Missouri QB Beau Pribula, who had been out the past several weeks with an injury, is starting today. 

- Oklahoma will kick off to start things. Sooners won the toss and deferred.

PREGAME

- Oklahoma is going to wear its alternate Unity uniforms for today's game.

- Live from Norman, Oklahoma attempts to get even closer to landing a College Football Playoff berth as the Sooners return home to take on Missouri.

Oklahoma 2025 Schedule

Aug. 30 Illinois State W 35-3

Sept. 6 Michigan W 24-13

Sept. 13 at Temple W 42-3

Sept. 20 Auburn W 24-17

Oct. 4 Kent State W 44-0

Oct. 11 vs. Texas in Dallas L 23-6

Oct. 18 at South Carolina W 26-7

Oct. 25 Ole Miss L 34-26

Nov. 1 at Tennessee W 33-27

Nov. 15 at Alabama W 23-21

Nov. 22 Missouri

Nov. 29 LSU

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Contributing Writer