No. 1 Oklahoma Set to Kickoff 2003 Season

GAME 1
No. 1 Oklahoma vs. North Texas
Saturday, Aug. 30 - 6 p.m.
Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium (81,000)
TV: Fox Sports Net

THE GAME
Oklahoma begins its 109th season of intercollegiate football competition when the it hosts the North Texas Eagles. This is the second consecutive season that OU has opened on Aug. 30. Last season, the Sooners opened on that date at Tulsa when the 30th fell on a Friday. OU is opening a season at home for the fourth time in five years under head coach Bob Stoops.

THE POLLS
OU is No. 1 in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today polls. UNT is not ranked.

THE SERIES
Oklahoma leads it, 5-0. All five games have been played in Norman. The most recent contest in the series came on Sept. 8, 2001, when the Sooners prevailed, 37-10.

THE COACHES
Oklahoma: Bob Stoops (Iowa 78), now in his fifth season with the Sooners, is 43-9 overall. He is 3-1 in bowls, 3-0 in January bowls, 2-0 in BCS games, 26-7 vs. the Big 12, 15-5 vs. the Big 12 South, 11-2 vs. the Big 12 North, 2-0 in the Big 12 Championship game, 17-2 vs. non-conference foes, 23-1 at home, 12-6 on the road, 8-2 on neutral fields and 1-0 vs. North Texas.

North Texas: Darrell Dickey (Kansas State 82) is entering his sixth season with the Eagles, His record is 21-37 including an 0-2 mark against Oklahoma.

SPECIAL EVENTS
Retro Uniforms ...To link OU's great past to a future represented by a refurbished stadium, the Sooners will wear uniforms that are replicas of those worn by Bud Wilkinson's teams of the 1950's. The coaching staff will sport gear similar to that worn by Barry Switzer's staffs of the 1970's and 1980's. The cheerleaders will wear vintage 1947 and the pom pon squad 1977. Bid on Game-Worn Uniforms & Helmets

All Americans Day ... Oklahoma has invited its first team All-Americans. They will celebrate a reception (invitation only) on Friday, Aug. 29. An autograph session with the All-Americans takes place from 3-4 p.m., Saturday during Sooner Fan Fest, directly north of the stadium.

Moment of Silence ... Prior to the game, a moment of silence will be observed to honor the late Port Robertson,a former OU wrestling All-American and coaching great, who died June 11.

Big Red Rally ... The pep rally for OU students is Friday, Aug. 29, at 6:30 p.m., in the stadium.

Student Promo ... Game sponsor, Flintco, the company doing the stadium construction work, is giving away 10,000 hard hats in the student section on game day.

Sooner Salute ... This week's honoree is 57-year season ticket holder William 'Hillyer' Freeland, former director of the OU Memorial Student Union.

ON THE AIR
FOX is televising nationally. The broadcasters are Bill Land (play-by-play), Gary Reasons (color) and John Rhadigan (sideline). The Sooner Network has the radio call with Bob Barry, Sr., (play-by-play), Merv Johnson (color) and Mark Rodgers (sideline).

TICKETS
OU home games are sold out for a fifth straight season. The ticket office, located at the stadium, can be reached at 405-325-2424 or 1-800-456-GoOU.

FIRST GAME IN ENLARGED, IMPROVED STADIUM
This is the first game in the expanded and improved Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. The project is not yet complete. After the 2003 season, work on Phase II, which addresses fan amenities on the west side, will begin. The most notable difference thus far is the new upper deck on the east side. Total cost of the project, which included a new academic center and athletics department offices in the north end of the facility, is $74 million. All of that money was privately contributed to the Great Expectations campaign that has raised $112 million since 1999 for athletics facilities. Here are the quick facts ...
* The new capacity is listed at 81,000, up from 72,765.
* There are 5,000 seats at its top, 2,200 club seats and two decks of suites that will eventually number 54.
* Also included are a new video board on the south end, a new matrix board on the north end, Pro Ad boards on the face of the east and west sides, a new sound system and new brick and iron gating around the stadium.

BIGGEST CROWD PRACTICALLY GUARANTEED
This will likely be the largest crowd ever to witness a sporting event in the state of Oklahoma. The record for attendance at an OU home game is 76,758 against USC on Sept. 25, 1982. With the additional seats, a gathering of approximately 81,000 is expected. The number will likely represent the seventh-largest crowd to see the Sooners play in any venue. The previous best for a home opener came in 1983 when 76,520 were on hand to see OU and Ohio State.
* Using 81,000 as the capacity, the stadium can now seat 2.3% of the state's population. Doesn't sound like much? Of the 27 states with at least three million residents, none can house a greater percentage of the state's population in a college football venue.

ABOUT THE OPPONENT
* North Texas has won the last two Sun Belt Conference championships and 11 straight league games. The Eagles capped last year's 8-5 season with a 24-19 victory over Cincinnati in the New Orleans Bowl. By virtue of the conference titles, UNT has been in the New Orleans Bowl each of the last two seasons (lost to Colorado State in 2001, 45-20).
* This is Oklahoma's first game against a Sun Belt Conference member. The Sooners have played other teams that currently hold membership in that league, but prior to a time when they became members.
* This team returns 44 lettermen and 14 starters (four on offense, eight on defense and two specialists). Running back Patrick Cobbs is back after rushing for 781 yards last season. Also back is DT Brandon Kennedy, who had 25 tackles for loss and 10 sacks in 2002.
* North Texas head coach Darrell Dickey is the son of former Kansas State head coach Jim Dickey, who was an assistant coach (defensive backs) at OU from 1969-72. Dickey was part of a mega-staff under Chuck Fairbanks. Some of the other assistants included Jimmy Johnson, Galen Hall, Jerry Pettibone, Larry Lacewell and, of course, Barry Switzer.
* UNT offensive line coach Eric Wolford played at Kansas State and graduated in 1994. His time with the Wildcats overlapped with that of OU head coach Bob Stoops, associate head coach Mike Stoops and co-defensive coordinator Brent Venables when all three were on the K-State staff under another former UNT assistant, Bill Snyder.
* UNT defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Kenny Evans was a graduate assistant at Oklahoma from 1982-84. He obtained his master's from OU in 1985.
* OU's Bob Stoops, Mike Stoops and Chuck Long all played at Iowa under head coach Hayden Fry. Fry, a 2003 inductee into the North Texas Hall of Fame, was the UNT head coach from 1973-78 when the Eagles fashioned a 40-23-3 mark.
* In the 2001 game between OU and North Texas, Sooner running back Quentin Griffin tied the school record for receptions in a game at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium with 10. Jeff Frazier set the Oklahoma school record for longest rush with a 96-yard burst in the 1995 game between the two.

SOUTH OF THE BORDER SUCCESS
Oklahoma has won 13 of its last 14 contests against schools from the state of Texas. This year's Sooner roster includes 46 natives of the Lone Star state.

FOR OPENERS
Oklahoma is 82-20-6 in season openers, including a 49-8-5 record in Norman.
* The Sooners have won five straight season openers dating back to a 24-0 loss to Northwestern at Chicago's Soldier Field in 1997. OU hasn't lost an opener at home since 1996 when TCU prevailed, 20-7.
* Bob Stoops is 4-0 in openers, including a 3-0 mark on Owen Field. Oklahoma has won the openers under its current head coach by an average score of 46-10. Two games during that stretch were shutouts for OU, a 49-0 victory over Indiana State in 1999 and a 37-0 triumph over Tulsa last year.

FOR STARTERS
CB Derrick Strait, already the career leader for games started and consecutive starts by a defensive back, makes his 41st start this week. He currently ranks No. 13 in career games started (tracked only since 1980).
* The defensive unit's nine return starters have a combined 242 starting assignments at OU.
* Depending on coaches' decisions, there could be five first-time starters in the opening night lineup -- OT Chris Messner, TE James Moses, WR Bandon Jones, WR Jejuan Rankins, FS Bodney Pool and SS Donte Nicholson.
* The offensive line contains no seniors, but has a combined 65 starts.

SOONERS NO. 1
Oklahoma is ranked No. 1 in both polls entering the 2003 season. It is the ninth time overall and the first time since 1987 that the Sooners have entered a year atop the AP rankings. In four of those seasons, OU went on to win the national championship.
* The Sooners are 58-6-0 when carrying the No. 1 ranking. They are 8-0-0 in season openers while being rated No. 1. OU was rated pre-season No. 1 in 1985, but did not open until Sept. 29 and fell to No. 2 without playing a game (Auburn replaced them at the top). Oklahoma was tied for No. 1 with Miami in last year's preseason poll.
* Oklahoma has the third-longest active streak in terms of consecutive weeks in the AP rankings. Michigan tops the list at 78, followed by Miami at 56 and OU at 53.
* Oklahoma media relations personnel have been able to uncover 18 different preseason rankings for college football. Oklahoma is No. 1 in 10 of those with a composite ranking of No. 1. None of those rankings lists OU any lower than No. 4.

NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS
In Bob Stoops' three seasons, Oklahoma is 15-1 in regular season non-conference games. Throw in the four bowl tilts and the Sooners are 18-2 vs. non-Big 12 teams.
* OU has won 14 straight non-conference games, including the Rose Bowl victory over Washington State in January. That streak includes five games that were not played in Norman.
* OU's last loss to a non-league opponent came on Dec. 31, 1999, when Mississippi downed the Sooners, 27-25, in the Independence Bowl. The last regular season setback at the hands of a non-conference foe came on Oct. 2, 1999, when Notre Dame clipped OU, 34-30.

OU'S NON-LEAGUE FOES IMPRESSIVE
Oklahoma's non-conference opponents were a combined 35-18 last season, went 3-0 in bowl play and all finished in the upper division of their respected conferences ...
Opponent 2002 Record  Note
North Texas 8-5  New Orleans Bowl (W), two-time defending Sun Belt Champ
Alabama 10-3  Tied for SEC West title
Fresno State 9-5  Silicon Valley Classic (W), third in WAC
UCLA 8-5  Las Vegas Bowl (W), tied for fourth in Pac 10

STILL YOUNG
Twenty-two of the players listed on Oklahoma's opening depth chart are freshmen or sophomores. The first depth chart of last season had 26 players that fit that bill.

ABOUT THE SOONER DEFENSE
* Last season, Oklahoma led the nation with 24 interceptions. It was the third straight season the team posted 20, a first at OU.
* Over it's last three bowl games, all in January and two as part of the BCS, OU has given up a grand total of 19 points. Only two touchdowns have been scored against the Sooner defense.
* Oklahoma has forced at least one turnover in 46 of the 52 games over the last four years and has at least one interception in 34 of the last 40 contests.
* Sooner opponents have completed 50% of their passes just 19 times in the 52 games coached by Stoops.
* OU foes have scored 14 or more points just 20 times in the last 52 games.
* Under Stoops, the Sooners have five shutouts. Opponents failed to score more than seven points in 18 of the 52 games.

ABOUT THE SOONER OFFENSE
* Oklahoma has ranked among the top 30 schools in the nation in scoring in each of Bob Stoops' four seasons.
* Last season, the Sooners rushed for 190.6 yards per game, an increase of 71.2 yards over the previous season.
* OU's offense has produced the career passing leader, the top four career receivers and the No. 4 career rusher in school history.
* Over the last four seasons, the big-play Sooners have scored 51 touchdowns that covered 25 or more yards.
* The quick-striking offense has 146 scoring drives of two minutes or less under Bob Stoops.

MANY HAPPY RETURNS
A look at the OU special teams under Bob Stoops ...
* Kickoff Returns -- There have been 23 of 25 yards or more with four touchdowns.
* Punt Returns -- There have been 24 returns of 15 or more yards with seven touchdowns.
* Interceptions -- There have been 37 touchdowns of 10 or more yards with nine touchdowns.
* Fumbles -- Two returns of 15 or more yards with two touchdowns.

SPECIAL? THEY'RE MORE THAN SPECIAL
A look at special teams notes from Bob Stoops' era as OU's head coach ...
* There have been 15 special teams touchdowns, including eight in the last 25 regular season games. Those eight came via four different plays -- two punt returns, two faked field goals, a blocked punt, a kickoff return and a faked punt. The special teams also own one safety.
* OU has returned four kickoffs and seven punts for touchdowns.
* The Sooners have blocked 14 kicks.

PLAYER NOTES
LB Gayron Allen
OU's shortest linebacker at 5-10, but finds the ball and packs a wallop ... standout on special teams.

DB Eric Bassey
Started every game at strong safety in 02, but moved to CB, in the spring ... one of the team's fastest.

DE Larry Birdine
Pass rushing skills could make as big an impact on the team as any freshman.

WR/DB Mark Bradley
Possesses athletic ability similar to that of former Sooner great Andre Woolfolk ... spent much of the fall at cornerback, then moved to receiver when bothered by a slight knee injury ... could be a kick returner.

LT Jammal Brown
AP All-Big 12 last season ... a starter in 14 consecutive games.

C Chris Bush
Made a run at the starting center's job late in camp ... may be OU's versatile lineman ... could also see action at guard.

C Vince Carter
On the preseason watch list for the Rimington Award, but was slowed by a sore knee in preseason camp.

OG Kelvin Chaisson
Has started five straight games.

WR Mark Clayton
Big-play receiver who continues to move up the OU career lists in most pass-catching categories... had two catches that exceeded 50 yards last season.

DE Dan Cody
Returns to a starting role this season, something he hasn't done since the opener in 2001 ... one of the most impressive testers on the team and a player that could be poised for a breakout season.

K Trey DiCarlo
Got stronger in off-season and could reclaim kickoff role, a job handled by Pete Cuva late in the 2002 season ... on preseason watch list for Groza Award.

TE Lance Donley
Blue collar worker who could see the most extensive playing time of his his career.

DT Dusty Dvoracek
Cunning player, whose next tackle for loss will be the 10th of his career ... has five career sacks, despite the fact that he had no starts over his first two seasons in Norman.

FS Brandon Everage
On the preseason watch list for the Thorpe Award after being a semifinalist for that award last season ... sitting out the first game for disciplinary reasons.

P Blake Ferguson
Won job over freshman Cody Freeby.

DT Tommie Harris
On watch lists for the Lombardi, Nagurski and Outland ... recovered from groin pull that slowed him in 02.

RB Donta Hickson
Made progress in preseason camp ... good receiver ... has a burst that coaches like.

DE Jonathan Jackson
OU's most experienced defensive end with 13 career starts ... could push for post-season honors.

LB Pasha Jackson
OU's starter on the strong side all of last season ... gives the Sooners a physical presence.

WR Brandon Jones
Two-sport athlete who also plays in the outfield for the OU baseball team ... biggest target among the Sooner receiving corps ... had the highest per catch average last season.

RB Kejuan Jones
Short yardage back last season who will get on the field earlier in the series this year.

OG Davin Joseph
A true sophomore, he is already talked about as one of the most talented players OU has ever had at his position ... moved into a starting role for the Big 12 Championship and Rose Bowl games last season.

DT Kory Klein
Has 34 starts at Oklahoma, including the last 27 in a row.

LB Teddy Lehman
One of three finalists for the Butkus Award last season ... one of the fastest linebackers in the country.

S Matt McCoy
Will play mostly in nickel and dime situations ... has six career takeaways (four INT, two FR).

DT Lynn McGruder
Along with Mark Clayton, pulled several injured passengers from an automobile accident on I-35 over the summer ... in the strong four-man rotation at defensive tackle.

OT Chris Messner
Made a splash in preseason camp and made a strong push to take the starting RT job from Wes Sims.

LB Lance Mitchell
OU's top tackler last season with 124 ... on the watch list for the Butkus Award.

TE James Moses
One of those vying for the starting tight end job.

SS Donte Nicholson
JUCO transfer who was on campus for spring football ... should provide a physical upgrade at SS.

WR Will Peoples
Slowed in camp by a knee ailment suffered in the first scrimmage ... expected back for the opener.

CB Antonio Perkins
One of the top return men in college football also draws the start at CB this season.

FS Brodney Pool
Slated to start the opener ... physically gifted player who appears destined for big things.

WR Jejuan Rankins
Perhaps the brightest development in camp ... 10 catches for 181 yards and 2 TDs in three scrimmages.

FB J.D. Runnels
Starter at H-back ... excellent blocker and deceptively good receiver.

DB Brandon Shelby
Used in extra DB sets ... HM All-Big 12 last season with no starts ... one INT, four sacks and two blocks.

OT Wes Sims
Has 21 career starts, including 16 at right tackles ... started the last 14 in a row.

CB Derrick Strait
On Thorpe and Nagurski Watch Lists ... needs one PBU to tie OU record of 44 by Roy Williams.

QB Paul Thompson
Rangy QB with a quick release and good running ability ... No. 2 on the depth chart.

QB Jason White
starting quarterback for a third time.

RB Renaldo Works
Won the starting role at running back ... needs 169 yards to eclipse 1,000 for his career.

[ SOONER GAMEDAY CENTRAL ]

University of Oklahoma Athletics

No. 1 Oklahoma Set to Kickoff 2003 Season

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