OU vs. Kansas Gameday Blog

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6:17 p.m. | Career Day for Iglesias Too
Senior wide receiver is having his best day in a Sooner uniform as well. His 191 receiving yards surpasses his previous career-high of 142 vs. Tulsa in 2007. His 12 catches today also tops his previous career-high of eight.

6:11 p.m. | Career-High for Bradford
Sam Bradford continues to raise the bar for career-best performances. He currently has 461 passing yards today, 50 more than his previous career-high earlier this season against TCU.

6:06 p.m. | Another Sellout
The attendance for today's game was just announced at 85,241, the third-largest crowd in Memorial Stadium history. It is the 60th consecutive home sellout for the Sooners.

6:04 p.m. | OU's Offensive Output
Oklahoma's 637 yards of total offense to this point is the most the Jayhawks have surrendered this season by nearly 200 yards. Kansas gave up 458 yards at South Florida in their only loss of the season.

5:55 p.m. | Who Was That Guy?
I'm sure a question many of you have been asking yourselves at home. That was senior tight end Kolby Smith with his first career touchdown catch. With Brody Eldridge and Eric Mensik out of the lineup with injuries, the Pender, Neb., native is seeing some playing time today and making the most of it.

5:47 p.m. | Churning Yards
Oklahoma's offense has 595 total yards at the start of the fourth quarter. It's already OU's biggest output of the season. Previous high was 594 yards in 92 plays in the 49-17 victory at Baylor.

5:43 p.m. | McCoy Sack
Gerald McCoy finally sacks Reesing behind the line to force the punt. The crowd behind us erupted. McCoy is now credited with four and a half sacks on the season. An OU defensive tackle has notched a sack in five of seven games this season.

5:39 p.m. | Beal on the Ball
That's the third big play this quarter from Jeremy Beal. Just saying.

5:26 p.m. | DeMarco Scores
Murray sidesteps a tackle and high-steps into the end zone for his second touchdown of the game. It's Murray's second multi-score game of the season (two TDs at Baylor). Good to see No. 7 in the end zone. Murray's two rushing TD scampers pushed his career total to 20 on the ground (22 total touchdowns). It is his sixth career multi-scoring performance.

5:17 p.m. | Reesing Elusive
Kansas quarterback Todd Reesing is proving to be as elusive as advertised. OU has pressured Reesing but he steps up in the pocket at the last second and gets rid of the ball. Sooner defensive end Jeremy Beal finally forced a fumble from Reesing on that last play.

5:12 p.m. | Conference Designs
A Sooner fan with an astute eye might note that the end zones are painted crimson with white letters for this conference game. Non-conference games had crimson letters on an unpainted grass background. The pennants above the south video board are also new with colors representing the Big 12 schools.

5:02 p.m. | Touchback 2
Matt Moreland put the last kickoff through the end zone, his second touchback of the half. OU isn't allowing Kansas to return the ball.

5:01 p.m. | Gresham Stretching Record
That last touchdown catch was Gresham's 18th of his career. Gresham extends his record for most touchdown catches of any tight end in Oklahoma history.

4:56 p.m. | Sun and Shadows
With the sun heading lower in the western sky, the shadow from the press box is creeping across the field from the Sooner sideline towards the KU sideline. Could be an issue for receivers looking for the ball...

4:38 p.m. | Jayhawks in the Air
Kansas passed for 235 yards in the first half with Reesing hitting 13 of 21 attempts. Only three of OU's first six opponents passed for more than that total in a complete game against the Sooners: Cincinnati (239 yards), Washington (249) and Texas (277).

4:29 p.m. | TOP Turnaround
After losing the time of possession battle by nearly 15 minutes to Texas last week, the Sooners have turned that statistic back in their favor against the Jayhawks. OU has had the ball for 19:08 compared to KU's 10:52 through the first half.

4:23 p.m. | Murray Looking Strong
It's safe to say DeMarco Murray is having his best game of the season so far. With over 60 yards thus far, he has been running strong and demonstrated his elusiveness with some big runs.

4:14 p.m. | Solid Special Teams
Matt Moreland put that last kickoff into the end zone for a touchback, drawing another exuberant response from the fans. OU's special teams have been much more consistent today.

4:02 p.m. | King of the Gridiron
SoonerVision just highlighted Curtis Lofton as this week's "King of the Gridiron" presented by Jani-King. As we mentioned earlier, Lofton is in attendance at today's game. Probably just a coincidence. Lofton leads the Falcons with 39 tackles this season. For a complete archive of the King of the Gridiron features, click here.

3:59 p.m. | A Mangino Specialty
The shovel pass a couple plays ago should have looked pretty familiar to Sooner fans who remember Mark Mangino's days as the offensive coordinator here at OU.

3:53 p.m. | Taking What's His
Lendy Holmes continues to come up with huge plays for the Sooner defense. That was his second interception of the game. Holmes has now had a hand in six turnovers on the season and has two multiple-turnover games. He recovered two fumbles in OU's last home game against TCU.

3:46 p.m. | Big Quarter for Iglesias
A couple notes from the media relations staff up in the press box: Juaquin Iglesias' 104 receiving yards in the opening quarter marked just the 12th time in school history that an OU receiver has eclipsed the 100-yard total in a single quarter.

His six catches in the opening quarter is the second-most in a first-quarter by any OU receiver, one shy of Eddie Hinton's seven receptions in the first quarter of OU's 1968 contest with OSU.

3:42 p.m. | Mascot Trivia
Wondering what a Jayhawk is exactly? The nickname comes from the Civil War era when the term "jayhawker" was used to describe those people who were dedicated to keeping Kansas a free state. The Jayhawk mascot is a combination of two birds, the blue jay and the sparrow hawk. Visit KU's history and traditions page for more information, including an illustration of the evolution of the Jayhawk.

3:34 p.m. | Crowd Approves Coverage
OU's good coverage on that last kickoff drew a sarcastic cheer from the crowd at Memorial Stadium.

3:19 p.m. | First Quarter Defense
That was the first touchdown the Sooners have allowed in the first quarter all season. Through the first six games, OU's defense surrendered only two field goals in the opening stanza.

3:17 p.m. | Sideline Sightings
A few former Sooners we saw on a quick stroll down the sideline: Atlanta Falcons starting linebacker Curtis Lofton, Lewis Baker and Paul Thompson.

3:10 p.m. | Give it Up for Clapp
It took OU three drives, but Matt Clapp puts the Sooners on the board by walking into the end zone for a touchdown. It is the second score of the year for the junior from Phoenix, Ariz.

3:04 p.m. | Ball Hawk
Senior defensive back Lendy Holmes literally stole that ball out of the hands of the KU receiver. Great determination for Holmes and a rarity for Kansas quarterback Todd Reesing. That was only Reesing's 11th interception in 20 starts for the Jayhawks. Statistically speaking, Holmes has been one of OU's most disruptive players this season. He now has two interceptions, two fumble recoveries, one forced one fumble and one blocked kick.

3:01 p.m. | Stoops' Coaching Tree
Facing off against former understudy Mark Mangino, it's important to point out that Head Coach Bob Stoops has the most extensive coaching tree in college football (current FBS coaches hired from current school). Current head coaches who formerly served under Stoops are Mike Leach, Texas Tech; Chuck Long, San Diego State; Mark Mangino, Kansas; Mike Stoops, Arizona; Kevin Sumlin, Houston.

2:52 p.m. | Harris in the Middle
While Austin Box was announced as the starter at middle linebacker, senior Nic Harris is lining up at the position on Kansas' first offensive possession. The transition should be seamless for Harris, who has great size and a firm grasp of the defense. Harris has started each of the last 26 games for the Sooners. Gerald McCoy is the only other player on defense who has double-digit consecutive starts.

2:46 p.m. | Streak Ends
Oklahoma's streak of scoring on every opening drive ended with the missed field goal. Not only had OU scored on every drive but the Sooners had hit the end zone in all six prior games this season.

2:42 p.m. | Opening Drive
Quick impressions from OU's opening drive: Kansas is looking to put pressure on Bradford but Sam keeps threading the ball down the sideline while Matt Clapp and Juaquin Iglesias have made some impressive catches.

2:41 p.m. | Down and Distance
How nice is it to be back at Owen Field where you can see the down and distance plus quick stats on both teams? Cotton Bowl was nice but they have some work to do on helping the fans keep up with official info from the field.

2:37 p.m. | Let's Rumble
Two old Big 8 rivals are set to get after it here in Norman. We're just waiting to be joined by ABC TV coverage.

2:31 p.m. | Box in the Middle
Austin Box was announced as the starter at middle linebacker on the video board and received recognition from the crowd. Ryan Reynolds is here on the sideline in front of us resting on an equipment trunk. Coach Bobby Jack Wright came over and shook Reynold's hand.

2:18 p.m. | Pre-Game Underway
Right behind the alumni band, the 2008 Pride of Oklahoma is revving up the crowd. Get ready for the drum major's strut followed by the traditional run of the Sooner Schooner.

2:16 p.m. | Sooners to Locker Room
Oklahoma just met at midfield and then headed for the southeast ramp up to the locker room. The Alumni Band is now taking the field.

2:13 p.m. | Favorite Receiver
Just played on the video board: fans can text in their favorite receiver of the Stoops' era. Text in "OU1" to vote for Mark Clayton, "OU2" for Malcolm Kelly" or "OU3" for Juaquin Iglesias. Text your message to 72645.

2:08 p.m. | Bennie Owen
Oklahoma's first great coach and the man for whom the field is named at Memorial Stadium, Bennie Owen, was an alumnus of Kansas (1897-99). Owen played under Wylie Woodruff and Fielding Yost in Lawrence.

2:04 p.m. | It's Football Time in Oklahoma
The stadium is filling up here with a half hour before kickoff. We've been watching Kansas quarterback Todd Reesing as he warms up. Reesing appears about three or four inches shorter than any of the other KU quarterbacks. The guy is a gamer. He appears loose and is offering encouragement to teammates.

1:59 p.m. | Stoops Greets Players
Coach Stoops is making his traditional pre-game rounds as the Sooner players are stretching on the south side of the field. Stoops makes it a point to visit with each player before kickoff. As a player, it must feel good to have the head coach offer individual encouragement before the game.

1:51 p.m. | Alumni Band & Dress
It's Homecoming in Norman this week and the alumni band will march out before the Pride and perform Boomer Sooner. The Seed Sower statue on campus sported a dress and a sign that read: "KU, you're not in Kansas anymore." The dress gets points for originality but I'm sure the Jayhawks have heard that refrain plenty of times before.

1:43 p.m. | Arute in the House
ABC's Jack Arute just strolled by the Sooner bench. He's in long sleeves and a tie. Bet that tie's loosened from the heat pretty soon. Feels like mid-80s here on the field with plenty of sun and not much breeze. Wasn't summer supposed to be over a few weeks ago?

1:31 p.m. | Kansas on Field
It feels pretty warm down here on the field with full sun. The inflatable fingers (courtesy OG+E) handed out to the student section are doubling as fans. We're set up and now blogging from the sideline. KU offensive players just took the field and are warming up on the north end of the field.

1:11 p.m. | A&M vs. Tech
Are you keeping up with the game in College Station? The Aggies are up 23-20 in the third quarter at Kyle Field. Remember, throughout the OU-Kansas game, you can check national and Big 12 scores by clicking the link on the top right of this page.

1:07 p.m. | Perfect Weather
Seriously, could you ask for better weather in Norman? Don't want to take any luster off Gary England's pre-game forecast but it's crystal-clear with a light breeze. Temps in the low- to mid-70s for kickoff.

10:51 a.m. | Homecoming Parade
Oklahoma's Homecoming parade starts 11:30 a.m. The parade begins at the intersection of Elm Street and Boyd Street and ends at the intersection of Jenkins Avenue and Felgar Street. The parade will include more than 12 floats representing children's books, The Pride of Oklahoma, the Sooner Spirit Squad, cars, motorcycles and the Homecoming court. More...

9:24 a.m. | News from the North
Here's a scan of the headlines from the Kansas perspective: Dugan Arnett of the Lawrence Journal-World determines Oklahoma has few flaws and provides his position matchups, Tully Corcoran of the Topeka Capital-Journal suggests Kansas needs to hit Bradford, the New York Times wonders if the Jayhawks are overmatched and Blair Kerkhoff of the Kansas City Star writes that Missouri and KU are carrying the banner for the Big 12 North today.

9:17 a.m. | Around the Nation
The most compelling matchups in college football are here in the Big 12 this Saturday but there are a few national games worthy of an Oklahoma fan's interest:

Ole Miss at No. 2 Alabama, 2:30 p.m. (CBS)

Michigan at No. 3 Penn State, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN)

Texas-El Paso at Tulsa, 7 p.m. (CBSC)

8:59 a.m. | Today in the Big 12
Here's a quick rundown of action in the Big 12 Conference today:

No. 7 Texas Tech at Texas A&M, 11 a.m.

Nebraska at Iowa State, 11:30 a.m. (Versus)

Baylor at No. 8 Oklahoma State, 2 p.m.

No. 16 Kansas at No. 4 Oklahoma, 2:30 p.m. (ABC)

Kansas State at Colorado, 6 p.m. (FSSW)

No. 11 Missouri at No. 1 Texas, 7 p.m. (ABC)

8:49 a.m. | ABC Coverage Map
If you're wondering if ABC will have the OU-Kansas game live where you live, view the coverage map provided by the network. The Oklahoma game will be available to 43% of the nation's ABC affiliates mostly west of the Mississippi River. The Northeast, Great Lakes area and Florida receive Ohio State at Michigan State while the Middle Atlantic receives North Carolina at Virginia.

8:42 a.m. | Saturday's Headlines
A quick scan of the morning's headlines: Guerin Emig of the Tulsa World has quotes from Nic Harris on nickel and diming, Berry Tramel of the Oklahoman opines about Stoops and Venables while John Shinn of the Norman Transcript expects the Sooners to run the ball.

8:30 a.m. | No. 4 Oklahoma vs. No. 16 Kansas
Welcome to the SoonerSports.com Gameday Blog. Throughout the day, you can view commentary from our staff, observations from the field at Memorial Stadium, notes from the media relations staff in the press box plus fan emails and reaction during the game.

The No. 4 Sooners host No. 16 Kansas at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman on Saturday. ABC has the television broadcast beginning at 2:30 p.m. Central.

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