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NORMAN, Okla. -- Look out, Texas. Oklahoma is coming off its biggest blowout in nearly three years, and the Sooners still aren't satisfied.
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Oklahoma pummeled Middle Tennessee 59-0 Saturday in its most lopsided victory since a 77-0 rout of Texas A&M on Nov. 8, 2003. It was both a statement, coming off a 34-33 loss at Oregon that turned on an onside kick incorrectly awarded to the Ducks, and a gauge of where the 16th-ranked Sooners stand heading into their rivalry game against No. 7 Texas in two weeks. Oklahoma has a bye this week.
"I don't know that you ever like where you're at," Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said. "I'd like to win every game 59-0. We are where we are. I like the way the team is working, I like their attitude and I like their desire to improve."
The Sooners scored 45 points in the first half and got their first special-teams touchdown in 21 games -- the longest such drought in Stoops' eight seasons as Oklahoma's coach.
Linebacker Zach Latimer also grabbed his first career interception, returning it for a touchdown, and had two of the Sooners' three sacks -- they had only two in the first three games combined.
"Obviously it's going to make us feel real well about the way we played (Saturday), but of course we don't want to sit there and beat our chests because we know what's coming," Latimer said. "If we sit here and think about what we did now, we're going to get blown out coming up against Texas."
The Sooners (3-1) have a bye week to prepare for the 101st Red River Rivalry showdown in Dallas on Oct. 7. Meanwhile, the Longhorns (3-1, 1-0 Big 12) will play Sam Houston State, the Division I-AA school where Rhett Bomar transferred after being dismissed last month as Oklahoma's quarterback for breaking NCAA rules.
Latimer said what happened against Middle Tennessee shouldn't be viewed as the Sooners' opening salvo leading up to the Longhorns.
"We don't want for this game to be anything. We're not taking this like this is what we're going to do next week," Latimer said. "We've got a big, physical, strong game that's coming up and we're going to have to jump all over them and hopefully get on them fast, too."
Instead, Oklahoma is focusing on how it bounced back from the Oregon debacle to get the Sooner Schooner rolling again.
"I think it just gives everybody a look at what we can do if we are ... doing everything we're supposed to be doing," said Reggie Smith, who moved from cornerback to safety and also had a 61-yard punt return for a score against Middle Tennessee.
It was especially pleasing for a defense that against Oregon gave up more than 500 yards for only the seventh time since Stoops took over in 1999. Middle Tennessee had only 95 yards of offense -- averaging two yards per play -- and converted only once in 11 third-down chances.
"It's great from a standpoint that we know we can put it together and we can look and see this is what it's like if we start fast and everybody wraps up, makes their tackles and gets it done," Latimer said. "This is what can happen. We can look at that and keep on moving."
There's no question about what's next -- a shot at the defending national champions and a chance for revenge after a 45-12 Texas blowout last year ended a dominant five-year run in the series for the Sooners.
Last year, the Sooners played Kansas State the week before Texas and it was costly. Tailback Adrian Peterson, the 2004 Heisman runner-up, injured his ankle against the Wildcats and was limited to three carries for 10 yards against Texas.
This season, he comes in healthy and carrying a message of how the Sooners can get back in the national championship race.
"We're not playing," Peterson said. "We're coming out every week to improve, to get better and win. It's our main focus to go out and dominate our opponent every week."
