Sooners pick off Leaf, pick up big victory

? It was a sight incredibly familiar to San Diego fans – a quarterback named Leaf throwing an interception.

This time happened in the Holiday Bowl, and it was by Brady Leaf, younger brother of Ryan Leaf.

With No. 6 Oregon in position at least to tie it with a field goal, Oklahoma’s Clint Ingram made a leaping interception at the 10-yard line with 33 seconds left to preserve the Sooners’ 17-14 upset of the Ducks on Thursday night.

Leaf had thrown a three-yard touchdown pass to tight end Tim Day with 3:30 left to pull the Ducks to 17-14.

Oregon’s defense held, and Leaf began another drive at his 22 with 3:04 to play. He threw a 38-yard pass to Terrence Whitehead, who zigzagged to the Oklahoma 34. On third-and-14 from the 39, Leaf rolled right, was flushed back to the left and dodged a tackler before side-arming a pass to Jeremiah Johnson for a 19-yard gain.

Two plays later, Ingram got in front of Demetrius Williams for the interception.

Leaf was booed when he came in for Oregon’s third possession of the game and again when a scoreboard graphic noted that he was Ryan Leaf’s younger brother. Ryan Leaf, the bad-boy quarterback who played for the Chargers for three seasons, was perhaps the biggest bust in NFL history.

Brady Leaf had helped rally the Ducks (10-2) in three of their final four regular-season games.

The Sooners (8-4) have won six of seven. They were coming off consecutive losses in BCS championship games.

It appeared the Ducks and Sooners would play the lowest-scoring Holiday Bowl ever. It turned out to be the second-lowest. The Holiday Bowl has a reputation of wild finishes and high scores, with an average of 57 points being scored in the first 27 editions. In the last five Holiday Bowls, the teams combined for an average of 67 points.

Oregon led 7-3 after the lowest-scoring first half in Holiday Bowl history, but its offense was a no-show for most of the second half.

Leaf finally got it going on a 13-play, 78-yard drive that was extended when Oklahoma’s Eric Bassey was called for pass interference on a fake field goal. Leaf, the holder for placements, took the snap and threw to Day, who collided with Bassey at the three. One play later, Leaf hit Day for the 3-yard TD.

Oklahoma’s Adrian Peterson heated up in the second half, finishing with 84 yards on 23 carries.

Rhett Bomar threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to fullback J.D. Runnells for a 10-7 Oklahoma lead with 9:20 to play in the third quarter.

Late in the third, Peterson’s backup, Kejuan Jones, scored on an eight-yard run to make it 17-7. Peterson softened the Ducks with three bruising carries on the drive for 36 yards, including a 20-yard gain when he leveled safety J.D. Nelson.

Peterson apparently needed stitches in his forehead in the third quarter after he hit it on the back of a teammate’s helmet while celebrating a big play. He was treated on the bench, and when he stood up, had a big bandage on his forehead.

Oregon at least had the spirit of the Holiday Bowl on its first possession, running two trick plays and then going for it on fourth down before failing to convert. Matt Dragich gained 20 yards on a fake punt before wide receiver Garren Strong threw a pass down the left sideline to quarterback Dennis Dixon, who dropped it.

After taking over on downs, Oklahoma settled for Garrett Hartley’s 34-yard field goal.

Oregon came back and made it 7-3 on Demetrius Williams’ five-yard touchdown run on an end-around.

Bomar was 17-of-30 for 229 yards, with one interception. Leaf was 14-of-24 for 136 yards. Oregon starter Dennis Dixon was 11-of-19 for 107 yards.