After loss to Arizona State, Bedlam matchup takes on more meaning for Sooners

NORMAN — Everything was gravy for Oklahoma heading into last year’s Bedlam matchup. The Sooners won their first nine games before beating the Cowboys, leaving Paycom Center with a 10-0 record and a 15-point win over their in-state rival.

This year, things are a little different heading into Saturday’s Bedlam matchup (12 p.m. FOX).

The Sooners are 6-3 and coming off a 16-point blowout loss at Arizona State. It was a disappointing outing for the Sooners after back-to-back wins over Wake Forest and Marquette. Arizona State took an early lead behind a huge 27-2 run, and the Sooners simply never recovered.

“We didn’t handle a run well,” OU coach Porter Moser said. “They had a massive run against us. We just talked about, when other teams make a run, how do you stop a run? Your togetherness has gotta be elite. Your communication. You’ve gotta get a 50-50 ball. A great defensive possession.

“I think we just kinda took turns trying to get it back with a big shot. We took, like, three or four 24-footers in that span and it snowballed. And what we talked about is, all year long teams are gonna have runs. It can’t go on the run they went on. That was the biggest run I think in my career. 27-2. It was 27-2. I’ve never had a run that I can remember that long.”

But that loss didn’t just stifle their momentum from the Wake Forest win. It’s raised the stakes on the Bedlam matchup.

Oklahoma State (9-0) is a Quad 2 game, giving the Sooners an opportunity for a solid resume-building win. It’s a needed opportunity for the Sooners, who are currently 1-3 in Quad 1 and 2 games. After this game, the Sooners close out their non-conference slate with three Quad 4 games before starting SEC play.

While the SEC gauntlet lies ahead, they’ve missed a few opportunities for big wins in the non-conference. The Sooners have an opportunity to get a much-needed win, and that’s the focus.

“We knew we were in a gauntlet right now,” Moser said. “This is our sixth Power Five game, none of them at Lloyd Noble. We know that. All we’ve thought is man, Oklahoma State is off to a great start. It’s going to be a great game for both of us. All we’ve been about is what we need to do to beat Oklahoma State. That’s been our mindset.”

It won’t be easy against an Oklahoma State team that has played well to start the season. They have four players who are averaging more than 14 points per game led by Vyctorius Miller, who is averaging 15.9 points per game on 57% shooting.

Both teams will come together at Paycom Center, as the programs have remained committed to keeping the rivalry going. That includes Moser.

“I said it right when we went to different conferences,” Moser said. “People asked me right away, are you going to want to keep playing Oklahoma State? You can look back at anything I ever said. I said absolutely, we should. I said that even before we announced we were going to get that thing going. I just think – everything I knew about it before I got here and watched it from afar. The proximity, the state, everything.

“Rivalries make for great sports. It makes for great basketball, great football. For us? I’ve been outspoken from the jump and so have they. When Mike was there, Steve right out the gate. Absolutely, rivalries are great for sport.”

It’s still early in the season, and a win on Saturday would be huge for the Sooners moving forward. Moser has liked the response he’s seen from his team since the Arizona State loss.

“I was looking for a non-victim mindset,” Moser said. “The easiest thing – you want a non-victim mindset. Guys, eight days, three time zones, three road trips. All on the road. We didn’t talk like that with our guys. [It was about] this is what we didn’t do, how we have to get better. I just think you’re either winning or learning. Cannot let losses go in vain. For instance, our worst rebounding game was Gonzaga. We’ve been better there. Continuing to be a work in progress, but better.

“We’ve gotta be better through stretches of the game than we were against Arizona State. Huge challenge for us, it was great to get back and work on some things and practice for a week. That was really good as well.”

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