Norman, Okla. ? A 69-point romp is proof Oklahoma didn’t look past its season opener against North Texas, but there’s little doubt the Sooners – and that number includes coach Bob Stoops – are relishing the challenge that awaits them this week.

Oklahoma, which moved up three spots this week to No. 5 in the Associated Press poll, will play host to Miami today, renewing a rivalry started in the 1970s and made famous by three games during the mid-1980s.

Miami, coming off a 7-6 season – its worst since 1997 – remains unranked despite a 31-3 win over Marshall in its season opener. But Oklahoma knows the Hurricanes, with 17 starters returning, are bigger, stronger, faster and more athletic than North Texas and figure to give the Sooners an early barometer about any potential for success.

“The bigger the challenge, the bigger the opportunity,” Oklahoma center Jon Cooper said about the Miami game. Added wide receiver Juaquin Iglesias, “You dream about playing against Miami.”

Stoops isn’t discouraging that attitude of anxiousness, saying during his weekly news conference Tuesday that his players “realize it’s a challenge. I’m sure it’s the same for Miami. It’s challenging, and anytime it is, it’s awfully exciting, too.”

For Stoops, watching the Sooners play consistently in a season opener also proved exciting. The Sooners have struggled somewhat in recent openers, edging Alabama-Birmingham 24-17 last season, losing 17-10 to Texas Christian in 2005 and holding off Bowling Green 40-24 in 2004.

But Stoops found little to criticize about his football team’s performance in its 79-10 win over North Texas, during which the Sooners posted their highest point total since an 82-42 win over Colorado in 1980.

“I was pleased with the overall clean and solid play, really in all parts of our game,” Stoops said.

The defense limited North Texas to 247 yards of offense and scored a touchdown and a safety.

“Defensively, I thought our structure and positioning on the ball and tackling was very sharp,” Stoops said, noting that hasn’t always been the case in early season games in other years. Mistakes “have happened in a lot of other games, but it didn’t happen the other night.”

Stoops said starting running back Allen Patrick will be available for the Miami game after missing the season opener while continuing to recover from a sprained ankle. One of Patrick’s primary backups, Chris Brown, will return after a one-game suspension for breaking team rules.