Game Notes

Oklahoma Games Notes
Oklahoma 37, North Texas 3
Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
Aug. 30, 2003

Tonight's attendance, 83,073, is the largest crowd to see a sporting event in the history of the state of Oklahoma. The total also ranks as the 10th largest all-time to watch a Sooner football game. The capacity of the newly renovated Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium is 81,207. The prior record for attendance at an OU home game was 76,758 against USC on Sept. 25, 1982.
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The Sooner Legacy uniforms worn by OU in tonight's game were representative of the uniforms worn by OU teams from 1946-1965. The last time OU wore similar uniforms was Dec. 4, 1965.
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On offense, Renaldo Works, Chris Messner, Jejuan Rankins and James Moses all recorded the first starts of their Sooner careers. Donte Nicholson and Brodney Pool recorded the first start of their careers on the defensive side.
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OU is 83-20-6 in season openers, including a 50-8-5 record in Norman. OU head coach Bob Stoops is 5-0 in home openers.
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Derrick Strait's forced fumble in the first quarter was the sixth of his career. The fumble recovery was the first of Jowahn Poteat's career. Poteat forced a fumble against Texas Tech last season.
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Jejuan Rankins' three-yard touchdown reception from Jason White in the first quarter was the first reception and touchdown of his career. The last player to score a touchdown on his first career pass reception was Artie Guess in 1987 against Tulsa on a 21-yd pass.
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The 64-yard touchdown connection between Jason White and Brandon Jones at the 13:26 mark of the second half was a personal best for both players. The previous longest completion by White was against Baylor in 2001 on a pass to Mark Clayton for 45 yards (no touchdown). Jones' previous career long was a 35-yard reception against UTEP in 2002.
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Jones also recorded career highs in total receptions (10) and yards (121). The 100-yard night is a first for Jones, the 54th in Oklahoma history and the 15th 100-yard game by a receiver in the Stoops' era.
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The 10 receptions by Brandon Jones is an all-time best for receptions in a season opener. The previous best was by Quentin Griffin against North Carolina in 2001. Jones' 121 yards in receptions ranks third all-time for a season opener. He ranks behind P.J. Mills, the all-time leader with 135 vs. Syracuse in 1994 and Eddie Hinton with 122 vs. Notre Dame in 1968.
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Trey DiCarlo's 40-yard field goal at the 8:29 mark of the second quarter marked his fourth field goal of 40 yards or more in his career. He added a fifth when he tied his career long (set against Texas A&M in 2002) with a 46-yarder with 0:13 left in the first half. DiCarlo has made four consecutive field goals, dating back to his 30-yarder vs. Washington State in the third quarter of the 2003 Rose Bowl. The best streak of his career is six straight, which ran from the Texas A&M game through his first made field goal in the Rose Bowl. Dating back to the 2002 Texas A&M game, DiCarlo has made 10 of 11 field goal attempts.
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Matt McCoy's interception in the third quarter was the fifth of his career and the first since the 2002 Cotton Bowl. The takeaway (fumble recoveries/interceptions) was the seventh of McCoy's career, remarkable considering he has been used as nickel back throughout his career.
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Travis Wilson's 13-yard touchdown reception was the second touchdown of his career. Wilson pulled down an 11-yard TD against UTEP last season. Wilson nearly equaled his career output at receiver in tonight's game. Coming in, he had five career receptions for 50 yards. He finished tonight's game with four receptions for 58 yards.
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With two sacks, Dan Cody set a single game personal high and upped his career total to seven.
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Sophomore quarterback Paul Thompson replaced Jason White with 8:57 to play in the fourth quarter and led the Sooners to their final TD of the game, a 7-yard pass to Jejuan Rankins.
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Jejuan Rankins became the 37th Sooner receiver to catch two or more touchdown passes in a single game and the ninth during Bob Stoops' era. He also is just the third Sooner to do so in a season opener.
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For the third consecutive time OU has scored 37 points against North Texas: 37-9 in 1998; 37-10 in 2001 and 37-3 tonight.

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