NORMAN — Lesson No. 1 in the world of Division I college football for first-year head coach Todd Dodge: The only similarity between your first North Texas squad and the powerhouse you had at Southlake (Texas) Carroll High School is that both dress in green and white.

But on Saturday night and Gaylord Family Memorial Stadium, Dodge’s Mean Green wasn’t mean. It was ugly in a 79-10 pillaging by the Oklahoma Sooners. His defense, which returned nine starters, was hit for 668 yards. His ground game, led by 2004 national rushing leader Jamario Thomas, had just 15 yards.

No one will confuse North Texas with the Miami Hurricanes outfit that arrives in Norman in six days. But new Sooners quarterback Sam Bradford bore striking similarities to Josh Heupel and Jason White. In the redshirt freshman’s debut, Bradford broke Heupel’s record for most passing yardage by a first-time starter when he hit Mossis Madu on a 13-yard toss. He exited at that point with a 21-of-23, 363-yard, three touchdown night, less than five minutes into a second half with his team up 56-0.

He also had a streak of 18 consecutive completions in the first half that tied a record set by White against Nebraska in 2004.

“Wasn’t much you could find wrong in that effort,” said Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops.

“It was a good night, but you can’t really get too confident,” a more humble Bradford said, saving the props for teammates. He also said he wasn’t aware that he threw for a record.

“My receivers got open, they caught everything thrown to them, they made good yardage after the catch. They did just about everything right.”

His longest toss was to Malcolm Kelly for 65 yards and a touchdown.

“I thought he was fantastic, I mean, his whole demeanor was great,” Stoops said of the guy who won the battle in August from Joey Halzle and Keith Nichol. “His presence in the huddle, (he) kept going out and controlling the game, just everything from communication and then, throwing the ball.”

DeMarco Murray, who was running in place of injured starter Allen Patrick and scored the last of his five touchdowns, one short of Quentin Griffin’s record of six against Texas in 2000, on that same touchdown drive that made it 56-0. But he was the first Sooner to score five times in a debut.

An encore performance in his next home performance against a much more aggressive Miami defense is the preferred next step for both.

Meanwhile, back to Dodge. At Carroll, Dodge’s teams won four of the last five Class 5A championships, including two national titles awarded by USA Today. He took over a UNT team that went 3-9 and after Saturday, has lots to work on.

Dodge learned that paybacks can be hell. Way back in 1984, his last-seconds interception by OU’s Keith Stanberry that was ruled out of bounds saved his Texas Longhorns from losing to Oklahoma in what became a 15-15 tie.. An irate Barry Switzer and team settled the score the following year, holding Dodge and UT's offense to 70 yards and four first downs — including minus 24 yards and no first downs in the second half — as OU defeated the Longhorns 14-7.

This game went a bit further in healing any leftover wounds. What it launches from this point is anyone’s guess.

“When you play a great team like that, you always have a chance for disappointment,” Dodge said.