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The Drive: Historical Context
Posted on 11/9/26 at 4:47 pm
Posted on 11/9/26 at 4:47 pm
Amazing that with 5 days prep, Jason got players invested to achieve something pretty historical:
Mike Brooks
@MBrooks02
“THE DRIVE” — THE STORY BEHIND THE RECORD
20 PLAYS. 12 MINUTES, 45 SECONDS.
Saturday in Gainesville, Oklahoma put together one of the most remarkable offensive possessions in school history, consuming 12:45 of the game clock against Florida.
But there’s a fascinating historical story behind that drive.
About seven years ago, I began an extensive research project documenting Oklahoma’s longest offensive drives, going back to 1937, when the NCAA began keeping official statistical records.
That research produced a database of OU’s longest drives, tracking plays, yards, and time of possession.
One particular drive has always stood out.
November 25, 1961 — Oklahoma at Nebraska.
The Sooners put together an incredible 25-play, 98-yard drive. The 25 plays remain the Oklahoma school record for a single possession.
But how long did that drive actually take?
There is no official time of possession available for that drive.
During my research, I located four contemporary newspaper accounts of the game — two from Oklahoma and two from Nebraska.
Two newspapers reported the drive consumed 13 minutes. The other two described it as “nearly 13 minutes.”
Consequently, I’ve always listed that drive in my historical records as 13:00*, with an asterisk noting that the time is based on newspaper accounts rather than an official game statistic.
Fast-forward 65 years to Gainesville, Florida.
20 plays. 12:45.
Unlike the 1961 possession, Saturday’s drive has an officially documented time.
With the Florida drive attracting national attention, I provided OU with my historical research on the 1961 Nebraska possession so the distinction could be properly documented.
That’s what makes researching Oklahoma football history so fascinating.
A drive from 1961, buried in newspaper archives for decades, suddenly becomes part of the conversation in 2026.
Two extraordinary possessions. Sixty-five years apart. One remarkable piece of Sooner football history.
Mike Brooks
@MBrooks02
“THE DRIVE” — THE STORY BEHIND THE RECORD
20 PLAYS. 12 MINUTES, 45 SECONDS.
Saturday in Gainesville, Oklahoma put together one of the most remarkable offensive possessions in school history, consuming 12:45 of the game clock against Florida.
But there’s a fascinating historical story behind that drive.
About seven years ago, I began an extensive research project documenting Oklahoma’s longest offensive drives, going back to 1937, when the NCAA began keeping official statistical records.
That research produced a database of OU’s longest drives, tracking plays, yards, and time of possession.
One particular drive has always stood out.
November 25, 1961 — Oklahoma at Nebraska.
The Sooners put together an incredible 25-play, 98-yard drive. The 25 plays remain the Oklahoma school record for a single possession.
But how long did that drive actually take?
There is no official time of possession available for that drive.
During my research, I located four contemporary newspaper accounts of the game — two from Oklahoma and two from Nebraska.
Two newspapers reported the drive consumed 13 minutes. The other two described it as “nearly 13 minutes.”
Consequently, I’ve always listed that drive in my historical records as 13:00*, with an asterisk noting that the time is based on newspaper accounts rather than an official game statistic.
Fast-forward 65 years to Gainesville, Florida.
20 plays. 12:45.
Unlike the 1961 possession, Saturday’s drive has an officially documented time.
With the Florida drive attracting national attention, I provided OU with my historical research on the 1961 Nebraska possession so the distinction could be properly documented.
That’s what makes researching Oklahoma football history so fascinating.
A drive from 1961, buried in newspaper archives for decades, suddenly becomes part of the conversation in 2026.
Two extraordinary possessions. Sixty-five years apart. One remarkable piece of Sooner football history.
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