ESPN College Football

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	Oklahoma's Ryan Broyles, left, celebrates a touchdown against Cincinnati Saturday with teammate Juaquin Iglesias, right, in front of quarterback Sam Bradford.

NORMAN, Okla. -- Having grown up and played his high school ball just down the street from the home of the Sooners, Ryan Broyles had been waiting most of his life for a day like Saturday. Oklahoma fans probably feel like they had been waiting almost as long.

The payoff was pretty good. In his first collegiate game, Broyles turned in the best showing by a freshman receiver in team history. He had seven catches for 141 yards and a touchdown in his team's 52-26 destruction of Cincinnati.

"We were, as well as a lot of other people, waiting for him to show us all what he can do," Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford said. "It didn't look like that was his first time being on the field."

Broyles riled fans up before signing day in 2007, switching his allegiance back and forth between Oklahoma State and Oklahoma before finally settling on the school in his hometown. Coach Bob Stoops was ready to play him as a freshman.

But the day before the season opener against North Texas, Broyles got arrested for allegedly stealing gas. He would plead no contest to misdemeanor attempted petty larceny, and Stoops suspended him for the season.

His troubles apparently didn't end there, as Broyles was suspended again for this season's opener vs. Chattanooga for undisclosed reasons. No wonder Stoops tempered his praise for Broyles by saying things like "if he keeps doing the things he's been doing lately," and "he's still got a lot of growth to make."

On the field, though, Broyles looked like a polished product. He made maybe the most important play in Saturday's game, as Oklahoma led 28-20 and faced a third-and-nine at its own 23.

Bradford threw the ball high toward Broyles despite heavy coverage -- "It was a misread, I admit it," the quarterback said -- and cornerback Brandon Underwood broke on the ball for the interception. But Broyles outjumped him and outwrestled him for the ball, turning it into a 43-yard play. The Sooners would go on to score and salt the game away.

"I just jumped up, and I didn't look back from there," Broyles said.

Smiling through his postgame interviews, Broyles said he was "blessed" to be on the field and finally contributing.

"It's never a good feeling just sitting around and watching the team play," he said. "It's been a whole year's process of anticipation for me."

He is only the second Oklahoma player to have 100 yards receiving in his debut, following Jon Harris, who had 108 yards against SMU in 1970. The previous best performance by an Oklahoma freshman receiver was Tinker Owens' 132 yards in the 1972 Sugar Bowl.

Stoops said he wasn't surprised by how Broyles played.

"I've been watching him for a couple years, I've seen a lot of this in our scrimmages," he said. "He's very competitive and he has a great knack for going after the football."

Broyles said he had more than 30 friends and family members in the stands, many no doubt after waiting a long time to see him come through. He said he's trying to make sure he does the right things so he can do it more than once.

"I don't let it get to my head," he said. "This is the first game I've been out there, so I still have a lot to prove."