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University of Oklahoma Athletics
Sooners Set for Trip to Columbia
October 27, 2006 | Football
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OKLAHOMA vs. MISSOURI
Oklahoma, which has fashioned a modest two-game winning streak, now embarks on a tough stretch that will feature four of the last five regular season games on the road.
The Sooners begin Saturday with a tilt in Columbia against the Missouri Tigers. The game -- Oklahoma's 51st consecutive on TV -- will be broadcast by ABC beginning shortly after 11 a.m.
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THE SERIES
Oklahoma leads it, 62-23-5, including a 31-15 mark in Columbia. The Sooners have won three straight over the Tigers and 15 of the last 16. Missouri's last win came in 1998, 20-6, in Columbia. The last time the two played as nationally-ranked foes (OU No. 1, MU No. 24) was in 2003 when OU prevailed at Norman, 34-13. This is the ninth meeting in which both teams carry a national ranking.
THE COACHES
Oklahoma: Bob Stoops (Iowa 83) is 80-18 in his eighth season with the Sooners. He is 4-3 in bowls, 3-2 in January Bowls, 2-2 in BCS games, 51-11 vs. the Big 12, 28-8 vs. the Big 12 South, 23-3 vs. the Big 12 North, 3-1 in the Big 12 title game, 29-7 vs. non-conference opponents, 46-2 at home, 21-9 on the road, 13-7 on neutral fields and 22-9 vs. ranked opponents. He is 3-0 vs. Missouri.
Missouri: Gary Pinkel (Kent St. 73) is 36-31 in his sixth year at MU, 109-68-3 in 11 years overall.
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THE PROGRAM
Oklahoma's all-time record is 762-291-53.
The Sooners own seven national championships (1950, 1955, 1956, 1974, 1975, 1985, 2000).
OU has 39 bowl appearances (No. 7 nationally) with 24 victories (No. 3 nationally).
Oklahoma has won 39 conference titles.
Since WWII, Oklahoma is the most success college football program with 517 victories.
Some 141 All-Americans and four Heisman Trophy winners have come from the Oklahoma program.
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ABOUT MISSOURI
Missouri is the surprise of the Big 12 ...
The Tigers' lone loss came at Texas A&M, 25-19.
MU and OU share one common foe thus far in Colorado. The Tigers downed the Buffaloes, 28-13, on Sept. 30 in Columbia. The Sooners turned back CU, 24-3 last Saturday at Norman.
QB Chase Daniel has posted impressive numbers, completing 66.8% of his passing attempts with 19 touchdowns and just five interceptions.
Mizzou is 5-0 at home this season with wins over Murray State, Mississippi, Ohio, Colorado and Kansas State.
TIES WITH MISSOURI
Oklahoma Athletics Director Joe Castiglione spent 18 years in the Missouri Athletics Department, the last five as AD, before accepting his current accepting his current position at OU.
OU Director of Football Operations Merv Johnson was an All-Big Seven player at Missouri. The Kingdom City, Mo., native was an assistant coach with the Tigers from 1960-61. He graduated from MU in 1958.
There are no Missourians on the Oklahoma roster, but six natives of the Sooner state inhabit the Mizzou roster: Marquis Booker (Ardmore), Jesse Hernandez (Ardmore), Jason Ray (Porter), Trenile Washington (Marietta), Lorenzo Williams (Midwest City) and Dain Wise (Midwest City).
Missouri's David Overstreet is the son of a former running back by the same name at Oklahoma. The elder Overstreet, who is deceased, lettered for the Sooners from 1977-80.
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OKLAHOMA'S MOST RECENT GAME
Oklahoma wrapped up a two-game homestand against teams from the Big 12 North and throttled Colorado, 24-3. The Sooners won the two games (the other opponent was Iowa State) by a combined score of 58-12 ...
Bob Stoops picked up his 80th win in his 98th career game as Oklahoma's head coach.
The Sooner defense was stifling holding CU to season lows in first downs (5), rushing yards (74), passing yards (39) and total yards (113). The Buffs, who scored 30 points one week earlier against Texas Tech, equalled their lowest scoring output of the season and notched their lowest total in Big 12 for 2006. Colorado went three-and-out five times in 12 total possessions.
Colorado's passing yardage total was the fifth-lowest against Oklahoma in the Stoops era.
OU ran 75 plays to just 44 for Colorado and had the ball for 36:44 (23:16 for the Buffaloes).
Subbing for the injured Adrian Peterson, Allen Patrick carried 35 times for 110 yards. That is the most allowed this season by the Buffs, who came into the game ranked No. 9 nationally against the rush at 77.3 yards/game. The carries and yards were career-highs for Patrick.
OU scored on its first possession for the third time this season and second game in a row.
Garrett Hartley banged home his longest field goal of the year, a 46-yarder.
TRENDS
Oklahoma has won two straight since dropping a 28-10 decision to Texas.
OU opponents have 13 or fewer first downs in each of the last four games. The foes have converted just eight of their last 46 third downs.
The Sooners have had a 100-yard rusher in every game this season. As a team, OU has exceeded 100 rushing yards in 13 consecutive games.
Oklahoma opponents have just one first down by penalty. In two games since being flagged for 11 penalties for 72 yards against Texas, OU has been hit just eight times for 70 yards.
STREAKING AGAINST THE NORTH
Oklahoma has swept its three regular season games against the Big 12 North Division in four consecutive seasons. The regular season streak against the North stands at 14 games while the overall streak, including the Big 12 title game, stands at nine.
Under Bob Stoops, OU is 24-3 against the North.
Stoops' home mark against the North moved to 13-0 with last Saturday's win over Colorado. Oklahoma scored more than 30 points in 11 of those and won 12 by double digits.
ROSTER WRITINGS
This Sooner team has just 11 seniors, the lowest number of Bob Stoops' tenure. The previous low was 12 by the 2001 squad. Only eight of the 11 are on scholarships.
There are 24 players on this team with previous experience as a starter for OU. That's up from seven over the same time last season.
Last season, OU ranked No. 7 nationally by playing 12 true freshmen. Through seven games this season, eight true freshmen have made it to the field. Those eight at C Chase Beeler (the only one with a start -- Middle Tennessee), OL Cory Brandon, RB Chris Brown, WR Brandon Caleb, DB Quinton Carter, TE Jermaine Gresham, WR Adron Tennell and OT Trent Williams.
Eleven of the 22 players that started against Colorado have at least two years of eligibility remaining. That also is true of 24 of the 47 players that saw action.
TAKING A DIFFERENT POSITION
During Bob Stoops' tenure 14 players have moved from one position to earn a starting job at another ...
Perhaps most notable of those who changed was OT Jammal Brown who moved from the defensive line. He went on to win the 2004 Outland Trophy and was a first-round draft pick of the New Orleans Saints.
Like Brown, eight of those who have moved went from one side of the ball to the other. This team includes 10 players who have switched positions since arriving at Oklahoma.
OU TACKLES FULL SLATE OF I-A FOES ... AGAIN
For the seventh straight season Oklahoma is playing a schedule comprised entirely by NCAA Division I-A opponents. The Sooners have played exclusive I-A since Bob Stoops' opener in 1999 (a 49-0 win over I-AA Indiana State).
This season, OU is the only program in the Big 12 with a full I-A slate.
HOME FIELD HONCHOS
With the win over Colorado, Oklahoma moved to 46-2 at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium under Bob Stoops.
The Sooners have won their last 10 at home and 29 of the last 30. The two longest home field winning streaks under Stoops were 19 and 17 games.
STOOPS ERA ATTENDANCE
With 422,053 in attendance for home games thus far in 2006, Oklahoma has drawn 4,072,319 for Bob Stoops' 48 home games (started in 1999). The Sooners crossed the four-million mark in this year's contest against Colorado.
All 48 have been sold out and the most crimson-clad throng has seen the Sooners prevail 46 times.
OU has exceeded its listed capacity of 82,112 in 22 consecutive games.
Since Stoops became the head coach, expansion projects at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium have increased the capacity by 9,347 seats.
ABOUT THE OFFENSE
Under Stoops, OU produced its career leader in passing and receiving, while producing the fourth and fifth-ranked rusher in school history and the record-holder for single season rushing.
Oklahoma has scored at least one touchdown in every game dating back to Nov. 7, 1998.
On Stoops' watch, OU has 29, 200-yard rushing games with 24 over the last five years.
Also under their current head coach, the Sooners have 98 touchdowns of 25-plus yards and 215 scoring drives that lasted less than two minutes.
RUNNING GAME OPTIONS
With RB Adrian Peterson with a broken collarbone, OU looks elsewhere in the running game ...
Junior Allen Patrick made his first career start against Colorado. He established career highs with 35 attempts for 110 yards against a Buffalo defense ranked No. 9 nationally against the rush. It was the first 100-yard effort of the season against CU. Patrick converted from CB last season. Patrick entered the season with 43 career rushing attempts for 198 yards and two touchdowns -- 28 yards vs. Texas A&M and 27 yards vs. Oklahoma State.
Junior Jacob Gutierrez has two career starts, both last season. He started vs. Baylor last season and got 30 carries for 173 yards and two TD. He underwent knee surgery after an ACL injury sustained in the 2005 Holiday Bowl and missed spring ball. He saw his most extensive action of the season against Colorado when he logged five carries for 19 yards.
The true frosh are Chris Brown, Mossis Madu and DeMarco Murray. Brown saw the first action of his career against Colorado and carried four times for 12 yards and one touchdown.
SANS AD
Because of injury, Adrian Peterson (No. 2 in the nation in rushing and all purpose yards and No. 4 in scoring at the time of his injury) was out for all of last year's Baylor game and more than half of games against Kansas State, Texas and Kansas. OU rushed for 232 vs. K-State (Peterson had 51 before spraining an ankle), 77 vs. Texas (Peterson had 10), 95 vs. Kansas (Peterson had -4) and 205 vs. Baylor (Peterson DNP). Peterson missed no games in 2004.
When playing without Peterson, OU is 4-1 and out-rushed each opponent.
PT CRUISIN'
Paul Thompson, who moved to WR last season, did not return to the QB role until Aug. 3 ...
His completion rate is 61.2% with 11 TD and five INT. His average/completion is 13.3 yards.
Over the last 45 years, most of which were run-dominated, there have been only four in which a Sooner QB completed 60% of his passes -- two by Jason White and two by Josh Heupel.
He has at least one TD pass in six of the seven games and multiple scoring throws in four.
Thompson is coming off his best rushing performance of the season -- five carries for 26 yards against Colorado.
SUPER SOPHS CATCHING ON
Malcolm Kelly went over 500 career receiving yards with six catches for a career-high 121 yards against Washington. He has TD receptions in all but two games. Ranks No. 10 nationally in yards per reception, 17.47 (among players with 30 or more receptions). He had his best game for receptions this season against Colorado with seven, one off his career best.
Juaquin Iglesias has 24 with four or more grabs in four of the last five games.
Manuel Johnson got his first career start in the game against Colorado and responded with two catches for 11 yards and one touchdown.
TRENCH TALK
Oklahoma lost four seniors (two were drafted) who gobbled up 41 starts last season in the offensive line, but there are returnees who either started or saw extensive action ...
The offensive line is young by any standard with three sophomore starters and one true freshman, but that is magnified by the fact that none of the four redshirted. Of the nine players who have seen action on the line this year, all but one have at least two years of eligibility remaining.
Chase Beeler became the second true freshman in as many seasons to play center when he saw action at Oregon. He started the Middle Tennessee game.
ABOUT THE DEFENSE
Oklahoma has forced at least one turnover in 87 of Bob Stoops' 98 games and has at least one interception in 64 of the last 85. OU has multiple picks in 23 of its last 54 outings.
Opponents completed 50 percent of their passes in less than half of the Stoops-coached games -- 46 times in 98 games.
Oklahoma has nine shutouts under its current head coach. Opponents failed to score more than seven points 27 times and scored less than 14 points 51 times against OU.
With 11 starters in 12 games last season there were 132 combined starting assignments. Ninety-six of those return among the personnel on hand for the 2006 season.
RAISING THE RUF
Linebacker Rufus Alexander, Oklahoma's leading tackler for a second straight season, is etching his name on a prestigious list ... the career tackles chart for OU linebackers. With 237, Alexander is No. 18 on a list that includes four Butkus Award winners. OU has produced more Butkus winners than any other program. Alexander needs nine more tackles to move ahead of Mark Driscoll for the No. 17 position.
Alexander is trying to become the first player to lead the Sooners in tackles in consecutive seasons since Rocky Calmus did it three in three straight from 1999-2001.
NIC'D UP
S Nic Harris has started just two games this season, but is No. 4 on the team with 31 tackles and No. 1 in interceptions with three. He has 4.5 tackles for loss, one sack, two hurries and two deflections. Harris started at strong safety against Colorado but otherwise plays the “Roy” position, so named for former OU All-American Roy Williams.
END ALL, BE ALL
A look at one of OU's deepest positions, defensive end ...
C.J. Ah You was the consensus Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year in 2005. He also captured Defensive MVP honors at the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl.
Calvin Thibodeaux started every game last season and led the team with 10 sacks.
Larry Birdine missed the first 11 games in '05 with a biceps injury, but is still on the Hendricks Watch List. In 2004, he did not start a game while working behind Dan Cody and Jonathan Jackson, yet finished No. 3 in the Big 12 with seven sacks.
John Williams redshirted in 2004. He had four tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery before suffering a season-ending knee injury in the 2005 opener vs. TCU.
Alonzo Dotson is the nephew of former Baylor and Green Bay Packers great Santana Dotson.
RIP AND RUN
Oklahoma has seven interceptions with a return average of 9.7 yards and one touchdown. Last year, Oklahoma returned its 13 interceptions for 220 yards, an average of 16.9 yards, and three TD. The return average was third-highest in the Stoops era. The 2003 team set the standard with a 21.5-yard average on 24 picks.
ABOUT THE SPECIAL TEAMS
Oklahoma's special teams under Bob Stoops ...
There have been 23 special teams TD, including 16 in the last 50 regular season games. Those 16 came via five different kinds of plays -- 10 punt returns, two faked FG, two blocked punts, a kickoff return and a faked punt. The special teams also own one safety in that span.
In total, OU has returned five kickoffs and 13 punts for TD on Stoops' watch (since 1999).
The Sooners have blocked 19 kicks.
Last season OU ran a trick play, blocked a kick or tackled a punter in five of the 12 games.
MANY HAPPY RETURNS
Information on returns during the Stoops era ...
Kickoff Returns -- 43 returns of 25 yards or more with five touchdowns.
Punt Returns -- 43 returns of 15 or more yards with 14 touchdowns.
Interceptions Returns -- 55 returns of 10 or more yards with 15 touchdowns.
Fumble Returns -- Three returns of 15 or more yards with three touchdowns.
THE 2006 RETURN GAME
Oklahoma is averaging 24.1 yards on kickoff returns and 10.2 on punt returns. Last season, the Sooners averaged 18.2 yards on kickoff returns and 7.4 on punt returns.
Reggie Smith has 22 punt returns for a 10.2-yard average. In the Washington game, he picked up an 82-yard punt and returned it 62 yards. He has two of 25 yards or longer. At Oregon, he had a 55-yard kickoff return. He had a 61-yard return for a touchdown against Middle Tennessee. Smith ranks No. 16 nationally in punt returns.
Juaquin Iglesias has been an effective kickoff returner with five for a 29.4-yard average. Four of his returns exceeded 30 yards.
The coverage teams allow just 5.4 yards on punt returns, 19.0 on kickoff returns.
LONG & SHORT OF PUNTING GAME
Michael Cohen is handling the long punts for OU and Mike Knall the short ...
Cohen has 23 of OU's 29 on the season. He is averaging 39.3 yards with six downed inside the 20 (one at the 1).
Knall has five punts downed inside the 20 for the season. Used only in short field situations, he has only one touchback in six kicks.
MCEACHERN GETS A GRIP
Back-up QB Hays McEachern, whose father played at Texas and whose mother was a cheerleader for the Longhorns, is the holder. He is the first QB to hold since Patrick Fletcher in 2000.
CRIMSON SNAPPER
OU lost Jacob Rice to graduation. He was the long snapper for all 52 games of his career. Derek Shaw has taken over the duties. The true freshman is perfect in 58 snaps this season.
SOONERS HAVE HART-LEY
K Garrett Hartley is in his third season in the starter's role. He won the job in the regular season finale of his true freshman season (2004) ...
Hartley is 13-of-14 on field goals and 26-of-26 on PATs this season. His lone miss was a blocked kick. He has kicked off 47 times with 22 touchbacks.
His field goals made percentage of .929 leads the nation among kickers with at least 10 attempts.
The junior ranks No. 3 nationally with 1.86 field goals made per game and No. 9 in scoring with 9.29 points per game.
He made a career-high four field goals at Oregon.
Hartley has three career makes of 50 yards or longer. His long for this season is 46, which he has done twice.
Last season, Hartley made 14-of-22 field goals and 37-of-38 PATs.
INDIVIDUAL PLAYER NOTES
DE C.J. Ah You: Season high six tackles vs. Texas ... consensus Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year and Defensive MVP of the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl last season ... his family prepared a Hawaiian BBQ following the spring game.
LB Rufus Alexander: Tops Oklahoma with 48 total tackles and was in double digits in the first two games ... tied school record five TFL vs. Middle Tennessee ... interception vs. Iowa State.
LB Lewis Baker: Recovered a fumble at Oregon.
C Chase Beeler: Started for an injured Jon Cooper vs. Middle Tennessee
DT Cory Bennett: Logged a career-high six tackles against UAB.
DE Larry Birdine: Missed the first 11 games last season with a torn left biceps muscle, but came back to play in the Holiday Bowl ... got the first sack Oregon allowed this season.
OT Branndon Braxton: The starter at right tackle before suffering a season-ending broken leg against Colorado ... from the same hometown as Bob Stoops -- Youngstown, Ohio.
DB Jason Carter: Got his second career blocked punt when he got one against Washington ... started at Oregon and recorded a career-best 10 tackles.
FB Matt Clapp: OU opened in double TEs for the opener, but Clapp got most of the reps at FB ... missed three games with an injury then was back for the Texas game.
SS Keenan Clayton: Started the first two games at strong safety.
DT Steven Coleman: Stellar off-season vaulted him well into the four-man rotation ... got first career sack (15 yards) and career-high four tackles against Texas.
P Michael Cohen: The long-range punter, he had no attempts vs. Middle Tennessee ... has at least one 50-yard boot in three games.
C Jon Cooper: Started first three games then missed the Middle Tennessee game due to injury ... regained starting role for Texas game.
TE Joe Jon Finley: Has added 41 pounds since coming to OU ... career-high four receptions and one touchdown against UAB.
DT DeMarcus Granger: Two stops in each of the first three games.
TE Jermaine Gresham: Had a 22-yard TD reception against Middle Tennessee ... a 41-yard reception against Texas.
RB Jacob Gutierrez: Knee injury suffered in the Holiday Bowl kept him out of spring practice ... rushed for 173 yards against Baylor last season.
QB Joey Halzle: Mid-year transfer who has displayed an accurate throwing touch.
DB Nic Harris: Two interceptions at Oregon, the first of the season for the Ducks ... also got a pick against Middle Tennessee ... hit the QB on a pass that was intercepted by OU vs. Colorado.
K Garrett Hartley: See notes elsewhere in this release.
DB Lendy Holmes: Switched from WR to CB in the spring ... got first CB start at Oregon ... career high two tackles for loss against Iowa State ... started the last two games.
WR Juaquin Iglesias: Five grabs against Washington for 44 yards ... averaged 33 yards on kickoff returns against UAB and caught two passes for 10 yards ... five catches for 78 yards at Oregon ... four catches for 56 yards and one TD vs. Middle Tennessee ... five for 69 vs. Texas.
WR Manuel Johnson: Missed opener with an ankle injury, then had one grab for six yards vs. Washington ... two catches vs. Middle Tennessee ... career high five catches (69 yards) and first career rush against Texas (9 yards) ... TD grab against Colorado.
WR Malcolm Kelly: Had six grabs for 121 yards vs. Washington ... three for 66 at Oregon with a 31-yard TD ... five receptions for 164 yards and one TD vs. Middle Tennessee -- set an OU quarter record with 134 receiving yards (on three catches) in the first ... two TD catches against Iowa State.
LB Zach Latimer: Second on team with 46 tackles ... forced fumble vs. Washington ... had a 22-yard interception return for a TD vs. Middle Tennessee ... also had two sacks vs. the Blue Raiders ... pass interception vs. Colorado.
LB Curtis Lofton: Challenging on the strong side ... first career start vs. Colorado.
OL Chris Messner: Starter at left tackle ... he started at right tackle most of last season when he pulled down the line's highest grade ... played some center vs. Middle Tennessee.
RB Allen Patrick: Became the starter when Peterson was injured ... 35 carries for 110 yards and one touchdown ... established a then-career high of 52 yards against Middle Tennessee.
DT Carl Pendleton: Career-high two TFL vs. Iowa State.
RB Adrian Peterson: See information listed earlier in the release.
LB Demarrio Pleasant: The starter at strong side linebacker ... recovered a fumble against Washington ... missed Colorado game with injury.
FB Ian Pleasant: Not related to Demarrio Pleasant ... first career reception at Oregon when he had two for 13 yards.
OL George Robinson: Soph who could play guard or tackle ... made first start in opener.
CB Reggie Smith: Has started for OU at CB, SS, PR and KR ... started 10 games at SS last season as a true freshman ... had a 62-yard punt return against Washington on a punt that traveled 82 yards ... 55-yard KO return and two PBU at Oregon ... 61-yard punt return for TD vs. Middle Tennessee ... has one reception for 12 yards.
WR Fred Strong: First three catches of career in the opener ... four in first start (Washington).
DE Calvin Thibodeaux: Season-high five tackles vs. Washington and Texas.
QB Paul Thompson: See notes earlier in the release.
CB Marcus Walker: Has battled back from two shoulder surgeries and will be a factor at CB ... he has four career starts there ... career-high four PBU at Oregon.
FS Darien Williams: Career-high 13 tackles vs. Washington ... two sacks vs. Iowa State and one interceptions for 35 yards.
CB D.J. Wolfe: Recovered a fumble vs. UAB ... started the first two games, then lost his job only to regain it against Texas.
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