2000 Big 12 Championship Game

The 2000 Big 12 Championship Game was played on December 2, 2000 in Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. The game determined the 2000 football champion of the Big 12 Conference. The Oklahoma Sooners, winners of the South division of the Big 12, narrowly beat the Kansas State Wildcats, who won the North division, by a score of 27-24.^[1] This was the first time the two teams met in the Big 12 Championship Game, as they would meet again in the 2003 edition.

The Wildcats were coached by Bill Snyder. They came into the game with at 10-2 record, including a 6-2 record in Big 12 play. The Sooners were coached by Bob Stoops, in just his second year at the helm of the Sooners. Oklahoma came into the game with an 11-0 record including an 8-0 mark in conference play.

Leading up to the game

2000 Big 12 football standings
	Conf				Overall
Team		W		L		W		L
Northern Division
#9 Kansas State xy		6	–	2		11	–	3
#8 Nebraska x		6	–	2		10	–	2
#25 Iowa State		5	–	3		9	–	3
Colorado		3	–	5		3	–	8
Kansas		2	–	6		4	–	7
Missouri		2	–	6		3	–	8
Southern Division
#1 Oklahoma x$#		8	–	0		13	–	0
#12 Texas		7	–	1		9	–	3
Texas A&M		5	–	3		7	–	5
Texas Tech		3	–	5		7	–	6
Oklahoma State		1	–	7		3	–	8
Baylor		0	–	8		2	–	9
Championship: Oklahoma 27, Kansas State 24
# – BCS National Champion $ – BCS representative as conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant Rankings from AP Poll

The Wildcats had already lost to the Sooners in mid-October, a game played in Manhattan. The Sooners won that contest, 41-31. The Wildcats had hoped to even up the score and earn a first-ever trip to the BCS, not to mention end Oklahoma's perfect season.

Oklahoma had not lost a game coming into the championship game. After winning the game, they would go on to defeat Florida State in the 2001 Orange Bowl, which served as the BCS National Championship Game that year, earning the program's 7th claimed national championship.

Game summary

In a scene filled with national championship tension and with two teams very familiar with one another, No. 1 Oklahoma edged No. 7/8 Kansas State, 27-24, for the Sooners’ first Big 12 football title.

As OU won a school-record 12th game and advanced to the Bowl Championship Series, the battle royale was about as even as pre-billed for the first 30 minutes.

The Sooners scored first in what would prove to be the decisive field goal in the three-point victory as Tim Duncan connected on a 33-yarder.

K-State then rallied for 10 unanswered points, starting with a 10-yard scoring run by Jonathan Beasley on the first play of the second quarter. After an OU punt, KSU mounted a 12-play, 57-yard drive for a Jamie Rheem field goal from 22 yards.

Oklahoma stormed back to block a Wildcats’ punt as Josh Norman stepped in front of a KSU boot. Three plays later, quarterback Josh Heupel connected with tight end Trent Smith for one of Smith’s record eight championship receptions and the tying touchdown with 2:56 left in the half.

In the second half, OU took a short-lived lead at 17-10 with 5:54 left in the third quarter as Heupel rushed over the goal line from seven yards. Less than two minutes later, Aaron Lockett cruised 58 yards on a punt runback for the first kick return for a touchdown in the Big 12 Championship.

Late in the third quarter and early in the final period, OU made the critical drive of the game. Heupel found Andre Woolfolk with a pass to the back of the end zone, and Duncan’s kick made it 24-17 Sooners with 14:24 left in regulation.

A calculated gamble by Bob Stoops and Sooners’ special teams’ coaches sent Duncan out to try his longest field goal of the season - a 46-yarder - with 1:25 on the clock. Duncan’s successful try was his longest of the year by six yards and gave Oklahoma just enough breathing room.

The elusive Beasley drove the Wildcats 60 yards in six plays in a span of 1:19. Oklahoma scooped up the ensuing onside kick and ran the final six seconds off the clock. For the fifth year in succession, the designated home team was victorious in the Dr Pepper Championship.

Scoring summary

First Quarter
OU (3-0) - Tim Duncan 33-yard field goal; 7:16

Second Quarter
KSU (3-7) - Jonathan Beasley 10-yard run (Jamie Rheem kick); 14:54
KSU (3-10) - Rheem 22-yard field goal; 7:58
OU (10-10) - Trent Smith 1-yard pass from Josh Heupel (Duncan kick); 2:56

Third Quarter
OU (17-10) - Josh Heupel 7-yard run (Duncan kick); 5:54
KSU (17-17) - Aaron Lockett 58-yard punt return (Rheem kick)

Fourth Quarter
OU (24-17) - Andre Woolfolk 17-yard pass from Heupel (Duncan kick); 14:24
OU (27-17) - Duncan 46-yard field goal; 1:25
KSU (27-24) - Quincy Morgan 16-yard pass from Beasley (Rheem kick); 0:06

After the game

The Sooners went on to play in the 2001 Orange Bowl and win their 7th national championship against the Florida State Seminoles, 13-2.

Kansas State went on to beat the Tennessee Volunteers in the 2001 Cotton Bowl, 35 to 21.

References

↑ Recap

External links

Recap of game at Big12Sports.com

Big 12 Championship Game

Years	1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Venues	Trans World Dome (1996, 1998) Alamodome (1997, 1999, 2007) Arrowhead Stadium (2000, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008) Texas Stadium (2001) Reliant Stadium (2002, 2005) Cowboys Stadium (2009, 2010)

Other	Broadcasters

Oklahoma Sooners football

Venues	Boyd Field (1905–23) Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium (1923–present) Barry Switzer Center

Bowls & rivalries	Bowl games Missouri (Tiger–Sooner Peace Pipe) Nebraska Oklahoma State: Bedlam Series Texas: Red River Showdown (Golden Hat)

Culture & lore	Championships T formation Wishbone formation Oklahoma drill Sooner Schooner Boomer and Sooner "Boomer Sooner" Marching band The Oklahoma Heismen Play Like a Champion Today

People	Head coaches Starting quarterbacks All-Americans NFL draftees Statistical leaders

Seasons	1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

National championship seasons in bold

Kansas State Wildcats football

Venues	Ahearn Field (1911–1921) Memorial Stadium (1922–1967) Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium (1968–present)

Bowls & rivalries	Bowl games Iowa State Kansas: Sunflower Showdown (Governor's Cup)

Culture & lore	Willie the Wildcat "Wildcat Victory" "Wabash Cannonball" Marching band Timeline of football in Kansas Aggieville riots 1939 Nebraska game

People	Head coaches NFL draftees Statistical leaders

Seasons	1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

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