Oklahoma Pays Kansas State a Visit

NORMAN, Okla. -- Oklahoma plays its first true road game of the season when it visits Kansas State. The Sooners played a neutral site game against Texas last Saturday, but has otherwise played at home this season. This contest features a rematch of last year's Big 12 Championship game.

OU comes into the game riding a 12-0 win over Texas in the 99th Red River Shootout at Dallas last Saturday. K-State also had its rivalry game last week and dropped a 31-28 decision to Kansas at Lawrence.

THE BREAKFAST CLUB
For the fourth time in six games and the third game in a row, Oklahoma will kickoff before noon. The Sooners had 11 a.m., games against Bowling Green and Texas and an 11:30 a.m., start against Texas Tech.

OU Game Notes (PDF)

THE POLLS
OU is No. 2 in the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today Coaches polls. KSU is unranked.

THE SERIES
Oklahoma leads the series 66-17-4, including a 32-10-1 advantage in Manhattan. Last season, OU and K-State met in the Big 12 Championship game at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City and the Wildcats prevailed, 35-7. That victory snapped a three-game winning streak for the Sooners in the series.

This will mark Oklahoma's first trip to KSU Stadium since the 2000 season when it pulled out a 41-31 victory there. That same year, OU topped K-State in the Big 12 title game, also in Kansas City, enroute to a seventh national championship.

THE COACHES
Oklahoma: Bob Stoops (Iowa 78), now in his sixth season with the Sooners, is 60-11 overall. He is 3-2 in bowls, 3-1 in January bowls, 2-1 in BCS games, 38-7 vs. the Big 12, 22-5 vs. the Big 12 South, 15-3 vs. the Big 12 North, 2-1 in the Big 12 title game, 24-3 vs. non-conference foes, 34-1 at home, 16-6 on the road, 10-4 on neutral fields and 19-4 vs. ranked opponents. Stoops is 4-1 vs. Kansas State.

Kansas State: Bill Snyder (William Jewell 63) is 129-58-1 in his 16th season at K-State. He is 6-7 against Oklahoma.

OKLAHOMA ... ONE OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL'S ELITE PROGRAMS
Oklahoma's football program owns a remarkable list of accomplishments ...
Seven national championships (1950, 1955, 1956, 1974, 1975, 1985, 2000), 38 conference titles and 37 bowl appearances, 23 of which resulted in a Sooner victory.
Oklahoma ranks No. 8 in all-time victories (740-284-53), No. 1 in victories since WWII (495) and No. 1 in victories since 2000 (50).
Oklahoma's all-time winning percentage of .711 ranks No. 4 nationally. The Sooners' .888 percentage since 2000 ranks No. 2 during that period.
Oklahoma ranks No. 7 in bowl appearances with 37 and No. 3 in bowl victories with 23.
The Sooners have produced 138 All-Americans (average of more than one per season over a 109-year history) and 51 national award winners, including four Heisman Trophy recipients. No school has produced more Butkus Award (four), Thorpe Award (three) or Nagurski Award (two) winners. Only Notre Dame (7) and Ohio State (6) have produced more Heisman winners (OU is tied with USC at four).

TIES WITH THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT
Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops was a Kansas State assistant coach from1989-1995. From 1989-90, he was the defensive backs coach. From 1991-95, he added the additional title of co-defensive coordinator.
OU assistant head coach, co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Brent Venables played linebacker at KSU and was honorable mention All- Big Eight in 1992 before joining the Wildcat coaching staff. He was a graduate assistant from 1993-95, linebackers coach from 1996-98 and defensive run-game coordinator in 1998. Venables, a native of Salina, graduated from Kansas State in 1992.
OU receivers coach Darrell Wyatt lettered two years in football and also was a track and field standout for Kansas State. He is a 1989 KSU graduate.
OU football administrative coordinator Matt McMillen, also a native Salinian, was Kansas State's administrative staff from 1987-97. He left there as associate athletics director for external affairs. He is a 1985 KSU graduate.
OU associate athletics director Kirby Hocutt is a 1995 K-State graduate. He was a four-year letterman in football and was an All-Big Eight pick as a junior after leading the league in tackles.

OU's MOST RECENT GAME
Oklahoma picked up its fifth straight win over Texas with a 12-0 victory last Saturday in the 99th renewal of the SBC Red River Shootout at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas ...
The crowd of 79,587 was the largest to ever witness the storied rivalry.
The victory allowed the Sooners to equal their second-longest winning streak in the series.
It was Oklahoma's 11th straight victory over a school located in the state of Texas.
The victory improved Bob Stoops to 9-2 all-time against top-10-ranked opponents. Texas came in at No. 5. Stoops is 5-1 against the Longhorns.
RB Adrian Peterson carried 32 times for 225 yards, the third-best rushing figure ever by a Sooner against Texas and his fifth 100-yard game in as many college outings.
OU's points came on a pair of Trey DiCarlo field goals (22, 26) and a 6-yard touchdown run by Kejuan Jones.
Texas had scored in an NCAA-best 281 consecutive games, but had little success against the Sooner defense. The Longhorns lost three fumbles and penetrated the OU 20 just once, and that only happened after Oklahoma lost a fumble at its own 33. UT was limited to 13 first downs, 154 rushing yards (199.5 yards under its average) and 86 passing yards (8-of-23).
OU shut out Texas for the first time since a 27-0 decision in 1972.
Oklahoma piled up 414 yards of total offense, including 301 on the ground.
Jason White completed 14-of-26 passes for 113 yards. He was picked off twice. One glanced off the hands of an OU receiver, while the other appeared to hit the ground on a replay.
OU might have scored more if not for the fact that its average starting field position on six first-half possessions was its own 12.

STOOPS PICKS UP 60TH VICTORY
Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops picked up his 60th victory with the Sooners' win over Texas last Saturday. That win came in his 71st game at OU. Bud Wilkinson also reached his 60th Sooner triumph in his 71st game. The only Oklahoma coach to reach that milestone faster was Barry Switzer, who got his 60th win in his 67th outing.
Stoops has his team at 5-0 for a fifth consecutive season. No other coach in OU history has managed that feat. Wilkinson reached that record in four straight years.
Stoops dislikes the comparison due to the disparity in total games played, but it is worth mentioning that his .845 winning percentage is tops at OU. Switzer won at an .837 clip (190 games), while Wilkinson's rate was .826 (178 games).

SOONER DEFENSE CARVING NICHE' SANS AWARD WINNERS
Oklahoma lost the Bednarik (LB Teddy Lehman), Butkus (Lehman), Lombardi (DT Tommie Harris), Nagurski (CB Derrick Strait) and Thorpe (Strait) award winners from its defense last year, but is off to a good state ...
Texas Tech, which sandwiched 70-point outings before and after its trip to Norman and was averaging 38.0 ppg., when it ventured to Owen Field, managed just 13 tallies against OU and did not get its lone touchdown until the 4:50 mark of the fourth quarter. The Red Raiders did manage 369 passing yards, but that was 67.5 yards under their average.
Texas had scored in an NCAA-best 281 consecutive games until being blanked by Oklahoma, 12-0. UT came into its game with Oklahoma as the No. 6 scoring team in the nation at 41.5 yards per game. Longhorn RB Cedric Benson was the nation's leading rusher at 186.5 yards per game, but got just 92 against the Sooners.
Seven of OU's 10 takeways came over the last two games (four vs. Tech, three vs. Texas).
A look at the points and total offense averaged by this year's opponents when contrasted with the numbers they posted against OU ...

2004 A.D.
Adrian Peterson picked up the nickname A.D., in high school days for his ability to go “all day.” The true freshman has done nothing to dispel that moniker thus far in his college career ...
Peterson ranks No. 4 nationally in rushing (154.2) and No. 13 in all purpose yards (153.8).
With five 100-yard rushing games, he already ranks No. 28 on OU's career list for 100-yard games. Among the former Sooners with five or fewer career 100-yard games are James Allen (5), J.C. Watts (5), Joe Wylie (5), Waymon Clark (4), Horace Ivory (4), Tommy McDonald (3), Elvis Peacock (3), Buster Rhymes (3), Weldon Ledbetter (2), David Overstreet (2) and Steve Sewell (2). With one more 100-yard game, he'll jump up to No. 21. The all-time leader is 1969 Heisman winner Steve Owens, who crossed over the century mark 23 times.
No other Sooner had ever gained 100 yards in even his first four games. Peterson is 5-for-5.
In 2002, Kejuan Jones set a school record for TD by a freshman with 14. Peterson has six.
Peterson, who has started just one game, draws comparisons to another outstanding freshman back, Maurice Clarett of Ohio State. In his first five games (2002), Clarett had 113 rushes for 715 yards and 11 touchdowns. Peterson has 119 rushes for 771 yards and six TD.
Peterson is trying to become the 23rd Sooner to rush for 1,000 yards in a season. The other OU freshmen to do so were De'Mond Parker (1,184 in 1996), Marcus Dupree (1,144 in 1982) and Spencer Tillman (1,047 in 1983). Of those, only Dupree was a true frosh.

MOVE OVER, COACH
Jason White moved his career total for touchdown passes to 55. That eclipses the previous school record of 53 by Josh Heupel. Heupel, who quarterbacked the Sooners in 1999 and 2000, is now a graduate assistant coach at OU. He still holds the upperhand over his pupil in career passing yards and total offense. Heupel is the career leader in both of those categories, while White ranks No. 3 on both lists. The No. 2 occupant in each of those statistics? OU running backs coach Cale Gundy.
Heupel started all 25 games in his career. White has played in 31 games with 23 starts. Heupel is the Sooners' career leader in both career completions (654) and attempts (1,025). As even more evidence of his accomplishments, White ranks No. 4 at OU in career completions (450) and attempts (722).

WHITE THEN AND NOW
A look at Jason White compared with the same time of last season's Heisman Trophy year ...
2003: 112-166-3 (.675), 16 touchdowns, 1,475 yards, 13.2/comp.
2004: 81-122-3 (.656), 9 touchdowns, 972 yards, 12.2/comp.
Through five games last season, OU had 183 rushes for 701 yards. This year, the Sooners have 237 rushing attempts for 1,260 yards. Last year at this time, the Sooners had 2,269 total yards. This year, they have 2,282.

NOT EXACTLY ABANDONING THE PASS
Despite the improved rushing game, Oklahoma still averages 26.4 passing attempts per game. To date, Jason White's “worst” completion percentage in a game this season was 53.8% (vs. Texas). He was over 60% in the other four.
White ranks No. 11 nationally in passing efficiency.

THIRD DOWN THUNDER
Oklahoma has converted a whopping 59% (46-of-78) on third down this season due in large part to the passing of Jason White. The Sooner quarterback is 26-of-37 on third down this season. His third-down throws by game look like this ...
Bowling Green -- 7-12, 99 yds., 2 TDs, 1 Int.; Houston -- 7-7, 140 yds., 0 TD, 0 Int.; Oregon 7-9, 119 yards, 0 TD, 0 Int.; Texas Tech 5-9, 54 yds., 2 TD, 0 Int.; Texas -- 5-10-1, 0 TD, 1 Int.
On third-and-5 or less, White is 10-of-15 for 73 yards with 2 TD and 1 Int.
On third-and-6 or more, White is 16-of-22 for 315 yards with 1 TD and 0 Int.

EARLY DEPARTURES
Jason White played just one series into the second half of this year's game against Houston, thus continuing a trend of early departures in his career. Last season, he finished just three games, while sitting out the equivalent of five quarters and 12 minutes ...
He missed the last 10:36 of the UH game and watched OU's offense take another 33 snaps after he went to the bench.
Over the last two seasons, White's time on the bench due to large Sooner leads now amounts to one hour and 38 minutes. That's six full quarters (three halves) and eight more minutes of another period.

LAUDING THE LINE
Oklahoma's offensive line has drawn praise for the improved running game, and rightfully so, but it's also worth noting that Sooner quarterbacks have been sacked just twice.

CLAYTON CLAIMS EIGHTH SCHOOL RECORD
Mark Clayton used the Oregon game to establish his eighth school record. He moved to 173 career receptions to eclipse the previous mark of 169 held by Quentin Griffin (Clayton is now at 180). Of the three Biletnikoff Award finalists in 2003, Clayton is the only back for the 2004 campaign ...
Clayton has seven multi-touchdown reception games.
He averages one touchdown every 7.2 receptions.
So far this season, 126 of his 339 receiving yards have come after the catch.
The OU leader with 12, 100-yard receiving games, he obliterated the previous mark of four by Eddie Hinton (1966-68).
Twelve of Clayton's 22 receptions have resulted in first downs for the Sooners.

BOOMING BALANCE
Oklahoma had 214 rushing yards and 213 passing yards against Oregon. That's fairly typical of the season. OU has 1,260 rushing yards and 1,022 passing yards. Those figures are somewhat mindful of the 2002 season when the Sooners finished the 14-game slate with 2,828 passing yards and 2,668 rushing yards. The last time OU had more rushing yards than passing for a season was in 1998, the year before Bob Stoops arrived.

BARRY SWITZER MUST BE SMILING
Former OU coach Barry Switzer, the architect of one of the most potent rushing attacks in college football history, must be particularly fond of the Sooner ground game this season ...
Oklahoma has rushed for 200 yards in five straight games. That hasn't happened since 1989. That was also the same year that OU reached 200 yards in six straight.
Oklahoma ranks No. 8 in the nation in rushing offense at 254.0 yards per game. In 2002, the best rushing season for OU under Bob Stoops to date, the Sooners ranked No. 24 nationally. Their average that year, spearheaded by Quentin Griffin's 1,884 net yards, was 190.6 yards per game.
For the 59th time, two Oklahoma players exceeded 100 rushing yards in the same game when both Kejuan Jones and Adrian Peterson did so in the opener against Bowling Green. It was the third time it happened in Bob Stoops' six seasons.
There have been 14 games under Stoops in which OU had more rushing than passing yards. It has happened twice this season (Bowling Green, Texas Tech).
Adrian Peterson became just the second OU freshman to rush for 100 yards in his debut, and the first running back to do so. True freshman QB Kerry Jackson went for 109 yards on 10 carries against Utah State in 1972. Peterson is the fourth frosh running back to play under Stoops.
Oklahoma has rushed for 200 yards in 20 games under Stoops.

JONES CROSSES OVER 1,000, PEOPLES TAKES AIM
Brandon Jones crossed over the 1,000-yard mark for career receiving yards during the Sooners' win over Texas Tech. Jones now has 1,027 yards. Will Peoples is trying to join Jones in the select club. He is 14 yards away. There have been 19 1,000-yard receivers at OU, seven on Bob Stoops' watch.

PERK TIES NCAA RECORD
Antonio Perkins tied the NCAA record for punt returns for touchdowns when he registered No. 8 against Houston. Perkins already is the NCAA record holder for punt returns for touchdowns in a game (3 vs. UCLA in 2003) and season (4 in 2003), and he set the punt return yardage record with 277 vs. UCLA last season. The Lawton, Okla., native shares the career mark with Wes Welker, also a native Oklahoman (Oklahoma City), who finished his career at Texas Tech last season. By the way, Perkins also tied another NCAA record for combined kicks (kickoffs and punts) returned for touchdowns even though all of his are of the punting variety.

FIRST THINGS FIRST FOR BRADLEY
Oklahoma receiver Mark Bradley scored a touchdown on his first career rushing attempt in the 63-13 win over Houston. The 51-yard reverse came after taking a pitch from fellow receiver Mark Clayton. Earlier in his career, Bradley scored a TD on a his first career kickoff return attempt (100 yards at Iowa State last season) and on his first career passing attempt (17 yards to Clayton vs. Oklahoma State last season). Bradley did not score a touchdown on his first career reception, but did on his fifth a 39-yarder at Iowa State last season. The senior is the son of former Sooner QB Danny Bradley, who lettered at OU from 1981-84. The younger Bradley began his college career at Arkansas-Pine Bluff before transferring to Oklahoma.
Bradley tops the team in career touchdowns per touches at 5.0 (that includes the pass to Clayton last season). He has 25 career touches and five touchdowns. Next highest on the team is Brandon Jones with 66 touches and 12 TD (5.5), then Mark Clayton with 190 touches and 25 scores (7.6).

THESE GUYS ARE THE BACK-UPS?
When Tommy Grady came in and connected on 8-of-9 passes against Houston, it was just more of the same from Oklahoma's back-up quarterbacks. Not a single reserve quarterback has completed less than 50% of his passes for a season during the Stoops era. Between Paul Thompson last year and Grady this year, the second-stringers are a combined 27-of-36 for 274 yards with three touchdowns and one interception.

POLL TOLL
Oklahoma is ranked No. 2 in both polls ...
Oklahoma is 56-12 when carrying the No. 2 ranking, including a 22-3 mark at home. The Sooners are 38-4 vs. unranked opponents when listed at No. 2. Ranked OU teams are 310-27-3 against unranked teams all-time.
Oklahoma has the third-longest active streak in terms of consecutive weeks in the Associated Press' rankings. Michigan tops that list at 99 followed by Miami at 77 and Oklahoma at 75.
The AP poll debuted in 1936. OU and Notre Dame are tied for the most weeks spent at No. 1 with 95 each. Ohio State is next at 74 followed by Miami at 69 and Florida State at 61.
Oklahoma has been ranked among the AP's top 10 in every week but one since Oct. 6, 2000. That one exception saw the Sooners dip to No. 11 prior to defeating Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl at the end of the 2001 season. That win vaulted them back into the top 10.

HOME FIELD HONCHOS
Oklahoma is 34-1 at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium under Bob Stoops. The Sooners have won their last 17 home games, including five over ranked opponents. The longest home winning streak under Stoops was 17. During the current streak, OU has ...
averaged 46.3 points per game to just 11.9 for the opponents.
won every game by double digits.
eclipsed 50 points seven times, 60 points four times and 70 points once.
notched two shutouts and another three games in which the opponent did not score a TD.

BLAKE, MEET THE MAYTAG REPAIR MAN
Blake Ferguson is off to a fast start at 42.8 yards per punt, but you won't find the OU punter anywhere among the NCAA leaders. That's because with a minimum of 3.6 punts per game required for consideration, Ferguson's 15 punts are more than three attempts shy. If Ferguson's attempts met the minimum and his average was the same, he would rank No. 12 nationally. To date, Ferguson dropped six of his 15 attempts down inside the 20.

SOONERS CONCLUDE ANOTHER PERFECT NON-CONFERENCE SEASON
Since Bob Stoops arrived in 1999, no Big 12 team has had a better winning percentage in regular season non-conference games than Oklahoma. The Sooners are 21-1. That number of victories and winning percentage (.955) are tops during that stretch in the Big 12.
OU has won its last 18 regular season games vs. non-league foes.
Stoops is 24-3 vs. non-league foes, including the post-season, and 17-0 in non-conference home games.

FRIGHTENING FIGURES IN OCTOBER
Oklahoma is 16-4 in the month of October under Bob Stoops, although it should be pointed out that three of those four losses came in his first season (1999). Since then, the Sooners are 14-1 in the 10th month of the year.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL'S MOST PROLIFIC SCORING PROGRAM
No college program has scored more points than Oklahoma's 28,155. In addition, OU's margin of victory, 15,211, ranks No. 2 behind Michigan. Oklahoma is 102nd (out of 117) in points surrendered at 12,960. Not bad for a team that ranks No. 26 in games played at 1,079.

THE OFFENSE IN BRIEF
Oklahoma scored a school record 601 points last season. It also accomplished an OU first by exceeding 50 points in four straight games. School bests also were established in passing yards (4,109), first downs (314), interception avoidance (0.22), turnovers (17/tied), turnovers per game (1.2/tied) and touchdown passes (43).
Other spots claimed by the 2003 team on various school record lists ... No. 2 in completions (349), No. 2 in plays (1,018), No. 9 in yards per play (6.0), No. 2 in total yards (6,152), No. 8 in yards per game (439.4), No. 4 in points per game (42.9), No. 4 in completions per game (21.3), No. 4 in passing attempts (480), No. 4 in pass attempts per game (34.3), No. 4 in passing yards per game (293.5) and No. 3 in completion percentage (62.3).
Under Stoops, OU has produced its career leader in passing and receiving, while also turning out the fourth leading rusher in school history.
OU has scored at least one TD in 73 consecutive games dating back to Nov. 7, 1998.
Under Stoops, OU has rushed for 200 yards 20 times, including 15 over the last four years.
Under Stoops, Oklahoma has 75 touchdowns of 25 yards or longer and 185 scoring drives that lasted less than two minutes.

THE DEFENSE IN BRIEF
Oklahoma has forced at least one turnover in 64 of the last 71 games (Stoops' tenure) and has at least one interception in 47 of the last 59 contests. OU has had multiple interceptions in 16 of the last 31 games.
Opponents have a 50% completion rate just 32 times in the last 71 tilts.
Foes have scored less than 14 points in 44 of Stoops' 71 games.
Under Stoops, the Sooners have seven shutouts. Opponents failed to score more than seven points in 22 of the 71 games.
The NCAA charts five major defensive categories -- scoring defense, total defense, rushing defense, passing defense and pass efficiency defense. OU has been top 25 in all five for four consecutive seasons.
Oklahoma had at least 20 interceptions in four straight years (2000-03). Never before had OU strung together three seasons with 20 picks.

THE SPECIAL TEAMS IN BRIEF
A look at special teams notes from Bob Stoops' era as OU's head coach ...
There have been 21 special teams TDs, including 14 in the last 39 regular season games. Those 14 came via five different kinds of plays -- nine 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 five kickoffs and 12 punts for touchdowns.
The Sooners have blocked 18 kicks.

MANY HAPPY RETURNS
During the Stoops era ...
Kickoff Returns -- There have been 30 returns of 25 yards or more with five touchdowns.
Punt Returns -- There have been 35 returns of 15 or more yards with 12 touchdowns.
Interceptions -- There have been 46 returns of 10 or more yards with 11 touchdowns.
Fumbles -- Three returns of 15 or more yards with three touchdowns.

STADIUM STUFF
Phase II was completed in the off-season. The $7 million project has centered in three areas -- fan amenities on the upper levels of the west side, remodeling of the Santee Lounge and bricking the north, south and center portions of the west side. Also, the facing of the press box was re-designed with new images and a listing of the program's accomplishments.
The capacity of the stadium is up from 81,207 last season to 82,112 this season.
The stadium seats 2.3% of the state's population. Of the 27 states with at least 3 million residents, none houses a greater percentage of the state's population for college football.
The playing surface was replaced over the off-season ... grass type: Tiff-Sport (Bermuda sod grown in San Antonio, Texas), square footage: 79,000, quantity of sand: 2,500 tons.

DID YOU KNOW?
Oklahoma had the highest graduation rate among the eight schools that played in last year's BCS games (65%).

HEAD COACH BOB STOOPS
History is one tough customer at Oklahoma. The tradition, so rich and so long-standing, is as daunting as it is impressive. To be among the best at Oklahoma is to be among the best in college football.

Such dramatics are lost on Bob Stoops. The Sooner head coach befriended the would-be albatross of OU's successful past from his first day on campus and remains steadfastly focused on tomorrow and the championship it holds.

It falls then to long-time observers and experts of the game to define Stoops' impact. Rarely have the pundits had it so easy.

Under Stoops, Oklahoma has won 60 games, spent 60 consecutive weeks in the national rankings, played in five bowl games, three of the BCS variety, and captured two Big 12 crowns. On a playing field leveled by scholarship limits and parity, this era stares down the Oklahoma standard and does not blink.

The achievement is so brilliant that it dulls the memory of what Stoops inherited. When he arrived in Norman, the proud Sooner program was five years removed from a winning record; four from bowl play. Those atypical days of angst are so forgotten now that they might as well be categorized with the land rush and dust bowl.

Stoops has been characterized as a grounded family man, brilliant big-game coach, relentless recruiter, disciplined leader and a person with uncommon perspective. His success emanates from a disciplined style true to his roots in the Steel Valley of Ohio, but he is far from inflexible. The principles to which he holds are the tried and true axioms of the sport ... mixed with cutting edge strategy and an appreciation for the calculated risk.

During his time, OU has produced recordsetting passers and receivers, a 1,000-yard rusher, suffocating defense and special teams units that rank among the most dynamic in the land. The Sooners have been nothing if not versatile.

The son of a coach, Stoops was a four-year starter at Iowa. He began his coaching career in 1983 as a volunteer in the Hawkeye program under Hayden Fry. He worked through the ranks until he became co-defensive coordinator at Kansas State (1991-95).

With the Wildcats, he played a key role in their impressive turnaround. During his final four seasons there, K-State was 35-12 with three bowl appearances.

Eventually, he left for Florida and a three-year stint as Steve Spurrier's defensive coordinator. In 1996, he was part of a national championship team. It was with the Gators that the spotlight found Stoops and made him one of the hottest names in the profession. His hiring at Oklahoma was one for the ages.

THE STOOPS ERA IN BRIEF
A look at Bob Stoops' first five seasons ...
OU won the 2000 national championship, three Big 12 South crowns and two Big 12 titles.
Oklahoma has spent 22 weeks at No. 1.
Two of the longest winning streaks in OU history - a 20-game streak from 2000-01 and a 14-game streak from 2002-03.
OU has set or tied 63 school records.
Oklahoma has played in five bowl games. Never had an OU coach taken even his first three teams to bowls. Prior to Stoops' arrival, OU had gone four straight years without a bowl, and had not played in one of what is now a BCS game since the 1988 Orange Bowl (1987 season). Stoops, in his second season, led OU to the 2001 Orange Bowl (2000 season).
OU has had a double-digit lead in 61 of 71 games.
OU has 35 of its 43 Big 12 victories under Stoops and just seven of its 23 losses.
An OU player has finished among the top seven in the Heisman voting three times -- Jason White No. 1 in 2003, Roy Williams No. 7 in 2001 and Josh Heupel No. 2 in 2000.
16 All-Americans, two AP Players of the Year (Heupel, White), two Nagurski Award winners (Williams, Derrick Strait), two Thorpe Award winners (Williams, Strait), two Butkus Award winners (Rocky Calmus, Teddy Lehman), one Bednarik Award winner (Lehman), one Lombardi Award winner (Tommie Harris) and one Tatupu Award winner (J.T. Thatcher). OU has had a Butkus finalist in each of the last four years and a Lombardi finalist in the last three.

INDIVIDUAL PLAYER NOTES
LB Rufus Alexander: Started the last four games ... No. 4 on the team with 34 tackles ... career-high 10 stops vs. Texas.

LB Gayron Allen: Returning starter on the weakside.

DT Remi Ayodele: Has not started a game yet, but is tied with Jonathan Jackson for the team sacks lead with three.

CB Eric Bassey: Started as the team's SS in 2002, then was a back-up corner last season ... one of the team's fastest players, he had a 34-yard interception for touchdown against UCLA last season and a 45-yard fumble return for TD vs. Alabama in 2002.

DE Larry Birdine: Tied for the team lead with five quarterback hurries ... playing extensively as the third defensive end.

WR Mark Bradley: Big, dangerous athlete, who is in his first year as the holder for placements ... son of former OU QB Danny Bradley, he threw a touchdown pass last season ... ran 51 yards for a touchdown on a reverse against Houston.

OT Jammal Brown: The right tackle had the top grade on the line last season ... a bright pro prospect ... ranks fourth on the team with 33 career starts.

OL Chris Bush: One of the team's most versatile linemen, he could see significant snaps at
center and guard ... has five career starts, including three this season, one at right guard and the other two at left.

C Vince Carter: Was a finalist for the Rimington Award last season.

WR Mark Clayton: Of the three finalists for last year's Biletnikoff Award, he is the only one returning (other two were Larry Fitzgerald and Mike Williams) ... has 25 career touchdown catches and 28 career starts.

DE Dan Cody: Was one of six finalists for last season's Hendricks Award ... said Bowling Green QB Omar Jacobs, “That No. 80 is a monster” ... is being used as an extra tight end in OU's jumbo set.

K Trey DiCarlo: Set NCAA record with 74 PAT last season ... had a string of 59 consecutive PAT makes snapped in win over Bowling Green ... made 5-of-7 field goals this season (one of his misses was a 47-yarder that bounced off the upright)... made 40-of-51 in his career ... one of three finalists for last year's Groza Award.

P Blake Ferguson: Enjoying his best season as a Sooner with a 42.5-yard average and six of 15 kicks downed inside the 20.

RB Donta Hickson: Posted a 25-yard touchdown run against Oregon ... missed the Texas Tech game with an injury.

LB Clint Ingram: One of the team's most physical players, something he proved on special teams over the last couple seasons ... made his first career start against Bowling Green ... recovered two fumbles and forced one against Texas.

DE Jonathan Jackson: Tops the team in tackles for loss with five for -25 ... also tied for the team led with three sacks.

WR Brandon Jones: Leads team with 15.4 yards per reception ... eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark for career receiving yards in the win over Texas Tech.

RB Kejuan Jones: Led OU with 925 rushing yards last season ... played behind Quentin Griffin in 02 and was the team's very effective short yardage back ... set career highs with 32 carries and 148 yards in this year's opener ... string of eight straight games with at least one TD ended against Oregon ... missed the Texas Tech game with an injury.

OG Davin Joseph: Gifted and experienced lineman who was one of the nation's top wrestlers back in his high school days ... missed the Houston game with an injury.

LB Zach Latimer: A defensive end earlier in his career, he is emerging as a strong candidate for playing time at linebacker.

DT Lynn McGruder: Figures to join the starting line-up in the spot previously held by Tommie Harris ... Co-Big 12 Sportsman of the Year with Mark Clayton for his role in assisting victims in a serious automobile accident in the summer of 03 ... season-high four tackles, including two for loss, against Texas.

MLB Lance Mitchell: Played in three games last season before going down with a season-ending knee injury ... was the team's top tackler in 2002 with 124 ... led the Sooners in the opener with nine tackles ... two sacks against Houston ... knocked down a pair of passes against Texas Tech.

TE Bubba Moses: Touchdown reception against Oregon was the first of his career.

SS Donte Nicholson: Top returning tackler after posting 90 last season as the Big 12's Defensive Newcomer of the Year.

WR Will Peoples: Has 15 career starts at receiver ... needs 14 receiving yards to reach 1,000 for his career.

CB/RS: Antonio Perkins: Has eight career punt returns for touchdowns ... has 12 punt returns of 40 yards or longer in his career ... graduated in May with a degree in criminology/sociology and is presently attending graduate school.

FS Brodney Pool: Led the team with interceptions last year with seven ... currently the team's leading tackler with 42 ... two interceptions against Texas Tech.

WR Jejuan Rankins: Reminds many of teammate Mark Clayton ... caught 33 balls last season in his first year on the field for OU ... 56-yard KOR set up OU's first touchdown vs. Houston.

LS Jacob Rice: No errant snaps in 359 career tries.

TE Willie Roberts: At 6-7, he is tied for team honors (with Tommy Grady) as the team's tallest player. In the fray for the starting TE job.

FB J.D. Runnels: Rock steady player who is assignment strong ... also a good receiver as evidenced by 24 career receptions ... touchdown grab against Texas Tech.

DB Brandon Shelby: Per snaps played, he is one of the most effective players on the team ... Made All-Big 12 HM in 2002 with no starts ... has three career blocked kicks ... had an interception and a career-high nine tackles in the win over Texas Tech, his lone start of the season.

OT Wes Sims: A fixture on the left side with 40 career starts.

QB Paul Thompson: Ran a 4.4 40 in fall testing and brings multiplicity to the quarterback position.

QB Jason White: 2003 winner of the Heisman and O'Brien Awards ... will graduate in December with a degree in sociology.

WR Travis Wilson: Leads the team in touchdown receptions with four, including two against Texas Tech.