No. 7 Oklahoma cruises to Sugar Bowl win

Sooners beat No. 14 Auburn 35-19

NEW ORLEANS – Baker Mayfield dazzled No. 14 Auburn with his quick feet and his strong arm, throwing for 296 yards and two touchdowns, and Semaje Perine became Oklahoma's career rushing leader with 4,122 yards in 35 games to power the seventh-ranked Sooners to a 35-19 victory on Monday night in the Allstate Sugar Bowl at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

Mayfield, who finished third in the Heisman Trophy race, completed 19 of 28 passes and threw touchdown passes of 13 yards to Mark Andrews and 7 yards to Dede Westbrook.

Perine broke the Oklahoma rushing record held by Billy Sims, who accounted for 4,118 yards from 1975 to 1979. Perine's 86 yards on 17 carries gave him 4,122 for his career. It took Perine 35 games to amass his total, five fewer games than Simms.

Running back Joe Mixon, booed by Auburn fans every time he touched the ball because of a well-publicized incident several years ago in which he punched a woman in the face, scored twice from 3 and 4 yards.

In winning their 10th consecutive game, the Sooners finished their season 11-2. Auburn (8-5) lost to a top 10 team for the seventh time in eight games.

Oklahoma led 14-13 at half and outscored Auburn 21-6 in the second half.

Auburn starting quarterback Sean White took a hit to the right forearm in the first quarter, played three more series and then had to come out of the game, reportedly with a broken arm.

The Tigers used John Franklin and Jeremy Johnson at quarterback the rest of the game.

Mayfield made the best play of the first half, dropping a 26-yard completion to Westbrook on a corner route on fourth-and-4, setting up Oklahoma at the Auburn 3.

On the next play, Mixon made a stutter step to the left and then burst through a hole for a touchdown that gave Oklahoma a 14-10 lead 3:37 before halftime.

Mayfield completed 8 of 14 passes for 145 yards in the first half, and he showed his leadership in helping the Sooners overcome several major penalties in a 14-play, 90-yard drive that was climaxed by his 13-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Mark Andrews.

On that scoring drive, the Sooners faced a second-and-34 after chop block and holding penalties in a three-play sequence. But on third-and-22, Mayfield rolled left and then turned to throw an across-the-field pass to Mixon, who was alone on a wheel route for a 32-yard gain.

Sooners left tackle Orlando Brown's taunting penalty then forced Oklahoma into a first-and-goal from the 20, but Mayfield calmly rolled to his right on second down, pointed to Andrews in the end zone and then hit him with the scoring pass.

Auburn took a 7-0 lead with a 14-play, 75-yard opening drive -- 12 runs and two passes -- climaxed by fullback Chandler Cox's 3-yard run on fourth-and-1.

The Tigers later got field goals of 49 and 39 yards from Daniel Carlson to cut their deficit to 14-13, but it was clear that White was injured. White finished 4 of 10 for 35 yards in the first half.

NOTES: After Auburn QB Sean White threw two wildly off-target passes in the second quarter, John Franklin replaced him for the final drive of the half. White battled a shoulder injury for the last two months of the season. ... Auburn K Daniel Carlson, a Lou Groza Award finalist, made field goals of 49 and 39 yards in the first half to raise his season totals to 27 of 31. His second field goal trimmed the Auburn deficit to 14-13. ... The Oklahoma coaching staff dressed down LT Orlando Brown for the taunting call he picked up in the first half. Brown has been heavily penalized this season.