NORMAN — Tress Way had a little personal motivation for Saturday’s Oklahoma-Oklahoma State game.

The Tulsa Union High School product grew up a big OSU fan but the Cowboys instead chose to sign Quinn Sharp, a friendly rival of Way’s two years ago.

Sharp and Way had gotten to know each other at elite kicker camps and had developed a friendly rivalry.

“It came down to Quinn and me,’’ Way said. “I was real disappointed at the time but a few weeks later, coach (OU’s Bob) Stoops ended up offering me. My dad looked at me and said, “now you get to beat them for the next four years.’’’

Way did exactly that in OU’s 27-0 victory over the Cowboys. He became the first Sooners punter to record five punts of at least 50 yards in a single game.

His 58.8-yard average broke Mike Keeling’s school record of 56.3 yards set in 1981. He might have turned the game around with a 74-yard punt in the first quarter that put OSU back to its 7-yard line.

Way’s punts and Matt Moreland’s kickoffs put OSU in terrible field position all day.

The Cowboys started on their own 20, 7, 12, 37 and 20 after his five punts.

“It was really awesome to have a great day against them,’’ Way said. “It wasn’t anything against the coaching staff or anything, but I prepared a little extra this week because along with winning the game, I wanted to beat Quinn.’’

Nichols averaged 43 yards a kick but OU’s Ryan Broyles returned one for an 87-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. OSU’s Perish Cox, one of the Cowboys’ special team weapons, had six yards in returns.

Way worked exclusively on punting this week after losing his placekicking job to Patrick O’Hara.

“I just focused on that and it really showed,’’ he said. “We watched a lot of films this week and he had some returns that were really ridiculous. I knew I had to hang it high for the guys to get down there. He had a couple of chances for returns but the guys really swarmed him.’’

His 74-yard punt was the second longest in his career. He once had a 79-yard punt against Jenks while at Union.

“I never punted that well that consistently,’’ Way said. “We were just playing as hard as we could for the seniors. I was glad they could go out with a bang.’’

Stoops called Way’s performance “awesome,’’ especially the 74-yard kick.

“That was one of the bigger plays of the game,’’ Stoops said. “To change the whole field position and play like he did was a great punt.’’

Way’s performance surprised Cox.

“We really didn’t know he could kick that well,’’ Cox said. “He came out different. Punting into the wind is difficult, and he is a left-foot kicker. He just did his thing today. The ball comes off a left-footed kicker differently than it does a right-footed kicker and inside the wind it was very difficult.

“It was frustrating that it just didn’t work out the way we planned it. Special teams is one thing we look to as changing the game and they just came with their A-game today.’’

Field position, said OU defensive coordinator Brent Venables, was “everything.’’

“Our guys just played incredibly hard,’’ he said.

Enid’s Austin Box got his first start at middle linebacker, replacing Ryan Reynolds, who was sidelined with a hamstring injury.

Box was credited with four solo and one assisted tackle and had a tackle for a loss. He played a vital role in the Sooners holding OSU to 109 yards of total offense and no first downs in the second half. The furthest OSU got was the Sooners 47.

“He played very good today, very physical,’’ Venables said. “He had a great week of practice. That was easily the best game he’s played since he’s been here.’’

Box had started five games for Reynolds last season before going down with a knee injury against OSU in Stillwater.

“He played better today than he did last year,’’ Venables said. “We needed him in a big way and he came through.’’