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Last time we looked at the first game Les Miles ever coached against Oklahoma, and this time we take a look at his second victory over OU in as many tries.
On the whole, the 2002 season looked much more like the season that the brass in Stillwater expected when they appointed Les Miles two years prior. They were beating who you’d expect them to beat (Kansas, Baylor, SMU) and losing to the expected foes (Nebraska, K-State, Texas) while being generally competitive with everyone. They’d won twice as many league games than the previous season even before the #5 Sooners came to Stillwater.
If the previous year’s game could be described as a defensive slug fest, the 2002 version of Bedlam could not be characterized that way. Dare I say, this was a mauling in the works. Oklahoma State came flying out of the chutes, leading 14-0 after the first quarter and 28-6 at the intermission.
The Cowboys extended that lead to 35-6 before an Oklahoma rally fell way short. The final was 38-28 and the Cowboys qualified for (and won) the Houston Bowl.
But again, the season was defined by a win against the hated Sooners. Quarterback Josh Fields threw for 357 yards and Rashaun Woods accounted 226 of those yards along with three touchdowns. Running back Tatum Bell scampered for 106 yards as well. It was complete domination and it secured Les Miles’s lore status in Stillwater.
Here’s a good video explanation from then offensive coordinator Mike Gundy: https://okstate.com/news/2016/11/30/football-2002-bedlam-game-was-one-to-remember.aspx
As a rookie coach, Miles defeated Bob Stoops and the defending National Champions, as a sophomore, he destroyed them. Things were looking up in Stillwater thanks to Les Miles.