Joel Klatt shares ice-cold exchange from the 2004 Big 12 title game.
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The early 2000s produced some of the Oklahoma Sooners' best teams. They began a stretch of Big 12 championships, along with the latest Oklahoma National Championship in football. Former players and coaches have often spoken about Oklahoma’s dominance, and a national sports commentator gave another story this past week.
During a chat with former Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops, Joel Klatt reminisced on an exchange he had with an Oklahoma Sooners captain before the 2004 Big 12 Championship game. Before Klatt became a well-known voice in college football analysis, he was the starting quarterback for the Colorado Buffaloes. A team that, in 2004, was making a remarkable run through the conference despite allegations of a multi-year-long recruiting scandal coming to light.
However, they met the No. 2-ranked Oklahoma Sooners, who had a roster that included future Heisman winners and All-Americans: Jason White, Adrian Peterson, Jammal Brown, Antonio Perkins, and many others. As the captains took the field for the coin toss, Klatt couldn’t help but notice Oklahoma’s 6-foot-5, 270-pound senior defensive end Dan Cody. Covered in Vaseline over his arms, Cody stared directly into the eyes of the Colorado quarterback. Klatt compared Cody to Ivan Drago, the antagonist in Rocky IV, as Cody stonily mustered two words Klatt hasn’t forgotten:
“Stay Safe.”
Klatt, who was astonished at Cody's comment, went to his offensive lineman Sam Wilder and asked if he had also heard the All-American defensive end. Wilder, the man in charge of protecting Klatt, did not offer any comforting words as he nodded and said, “Yeah buddy, watch your back.”
The two ran to the sideline before the opening kickoff a bit disheveled. It didn’t take long for Klatt to learn why he’d been given the warning message from Cody.
“God’s as my witness, first third down of the game,” Klatt said. “He hit me about as hard as I’ve ever been hit in my entire life and drives me into that green dirt.”
As the dirt fell off his face, Klatt remembers Cody leaning in after the big hit and saying through gritted teeth: “I’m going to be here all day.”
Accepting his fate, a fearful Klatt responded, “Me too.”
Oklahoma rolled Colorado 42-3 to win the 2004 Big 12 title game. While White and Peterson combined for the six touchdowns for the Sooners, Klatt and the Colorado Buffaloes were struggling thanks to Cody and Oklahoma’s defense. Klatt completed just 8-of-26 passes for just 52 yards and one interception. It took until the 9:35 mark of the third quarter for the Buffs to earn their first first down that didn’t come via a penalty. In total, the Buffs finished with only three first downs, and their only trip past the 50 came courtesy of an OU turnover.
It just shows how great the 2004 Oklahoma Sooners were.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Joel Klatt shares ice-cold exchange from the 2004 Big 12 title game.
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