MANHATTAN, Kan. — Oklahoma made a bunch of plays and scored a ton of points and exploded at precisely the right time Saturday afternoon, at the very moment Kansas State had people thinking it might just threaten to win the ballgame.

So none of what transpired at Bill Snyder Family Stadium, where the Sooners upended the Wildcats 58-35, should relocate OU any further away from its still-out-there national championship dreams.

But is playing even a remotely clean game too much to ask?

Ryan Reynolds’ absence has left the defense in a fix, but it’s hard to make that the reason Kansas State quarterback Josh Freeman threw for more than 300 yards by the half.

How many yards did Sooner receivers cost Sam Bradford with absolute drops and how many penalties is too many when all you’re really trying to do is run out the clock and, for crying out loud, is there a guy on campus who can hit all his PATs or average 40 yards a punt?

If his mood as viewed through binoculars was any indication, at least in those moments one expected consternation, Bob Stoops took full notice of his team’s misdeeds … but a different tact afterwards.

“I don’t know if winning by 23 points is good or not but I’ll take it,” he said. “Being up more than three possessions at the end of the game is pretty good.”

You have to give him that and his team this:

Bradford completed less than half his passes for just the second time since becoming a Sooner, but still lobbed a trio of touchdown tosses; and the running game took great advantage of a porous Wildcat defense, one that allowed Chris Brown (124 yards) and DeMarco Murray (104) both to run wild; and the defense couldn’t have been more timely, intercepting three passes and pouncing on a pair of fumbles.

But this team must still play much better.

Deon Murphy didn’t bring a kickoff all the way back, only 75 yards, which led to Kansas State’s first touchdown.

For a while there, the Wildcats didn’t look like the best offense in the stadium, but the best offense in America, using a string of 13 plays to move the ball 251 yards and score 21 points, tying the game 28-28 in the second quarter.

How does that happen?

The week before OU allowed 491 yards to Kansas. The Wildcats picked up 550.

The Sooners weren’t as charitable as their coach.

“We came out with some big plays, but at the same time, we hurt ourselves,” defensive end Auston English said. “It’s very disappointing.”

Travis Lewis played a monster game, making 15 tackles and bringing an interception back 27 yards to set up OU’s first touchdown, yet he wasn’t very happy about it.”

“Unsatisfied,” he summarized. “We made a lot of plays but we gave up a lot of plays … I think it was a lot on us. We were in position but didn’t get the job done.”

OU committed eight penalties, but six came in the second half, when they were otherwise in full control.

Why be so careless?

Meanwhile, Jimmy Stevens missed another extra point and Mike Knall, getting little help from deep-snapper Derek Shaw, who had a case of the highs, failed to average even 25 yards a punt. Stevens averaged 36.5 yards, kicking his first two punts of the season.

It’s a laundry list.

It’s nitpicky.

But it’s as real as the issues the Sooners have failed to solve. Because this team is far too good and too richly talented to do so many things so badly.

“We are too up and down,” English said.

Good thing his offense scored 100 points the last two weeks or it would be a case of being down and down.

Now it’s Nebraska at home and A&M; on the road. Both should be cakewalks even if OU commits another round of gaffes from up and down the lineup.

Then it’s Texas Tech at home and Bedlam away, a couple of programs not likely defeated by one great half from one side of the ball.

Still playing with too much fire, the Sooners are bound to be burned.

Clay Horning

366-3526

cfhorning@normantranscript.com