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University of Oklahoma Athletics
Sooners End Regular Season at OSU
November 28, 2008 | Football
NORMAN, Okla. -- Oklahoma and Oklahoma State meet in the 103rd renewal
of the Bedlam Series on Saturday night in Stillwater.
Last week, Oklahoma pinned a 65-21 defeat on then-No.
2 Texas Tech while the Cowboys, like much of the Big
12, were idle.
ABC will broadcast the game to the nation beginning at 7 p.m. with Brent Musberger calling the action and Kirk Herbstreit providing analysis. Lisa Salters will report from the sideline. ESPN's College Gameday program will be on site.
Visit Sooner Gameday Central to view complete information for OU fans attending the game in Stillwater plus TV, radio and internet options for fans following the Sooners across the nation.
SoonerSports.com will again bring fans the Sooner Gameday Blog live from the game on Saturday night. The feature provides instantaneous reaction from the field as the game unfolds including observations from our staff, notes from the media relations staff in the press box and fan emails during the game.
• Under Stoops, OU produced its career leader in passing and receiving, while turning out the No. 3 and No. 4 career rushers and the school record holder for single-season rushing, passing and receiving yards.
• Of 81 basic offensive records at OU, 53 have been set under Stoops.
• OU scored at least one TD in every game dating to Nov. 7, 1998.
• OU rushed for 200 yards 40 times under Stoops, 34 in the last five years.
• Also under Stoops, OU has 138 touchdowns of 25+ yards and 277 scoring drives that took less than two minutes.
• OU is the highest scoring program in college football history. In 1,137 games, the Sooners scored 30,298 points, or 26.6 per game. Michigan has 29,532 points in 1,203 games and Nebraska 29,375 in 1,198.
Offense in 2008
• OU has scored a school record 81 TDs to clip the 80 from last season.
• The Sooners have been over 500 yards of total offense eight times, over 600 three times. The best total was 674 yards against Kansas, the most total yardage by an OU team since 829 against Kansas State in 1988.
• Oklahoma set a school record for points scored in a first half with 55 at Kansas State. The 55 points tied the OU record for points in any half. In the modern era (since 1937), the Sooners have scored 50 or more first-half points four times -- twice this season.
• OU ran 97 plays vs. Kansas, the most by the Sooners since 1975.
• OU has 15 scoring drives of 60 seconds or less.
• Oklahoma scored on its first drive in 10 games this season with nine touchdowns and one field goal. The one time OU failed to score on its first possession (Kansas), it scored on its second.
• OU scored 35 first-quarter points vs. Nebraska to equal its one-period best vs. Big 12 foes. For the first time in its history, OU has scored 28 or more points four times in a quarter this season (three in the first quarter).
• Four times this season six OU players have scored in the same game.
• OU had 36 first downs vs. Kansas, 32 vs. Texas Tech, 30 vs. Cincinnati.
• With 55 points at Washington, 58 at Kansas State and 66 at Texas A&M, Oklahoma has eclipsed 50 on the road three times this season. That has not happened at OU since 1987.
Sam Summation
• Sam Bradford threw for 3,121 yards, 36 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 14 games last season. So far this season, he has 3,710 yards with 42 touchdowns and six picks.
• Bradford averages 15.59 yards/comp. That's 3+ yards more than any of the top five passers in the nation.
• Bradford has missed a total of 97 snaps (OU averages 78.3 per game) and 60:42 minutes of possession time (OU averages 29:38 per game) after OU built big leads. Has twice left game before the fourth quarter began.
• No. 1 nationally with 42 touchdown passes despite ranking No. 30 in pass attempts.
• No. 3 nationally in passing yards despite throwing 153 fewer passes than No. 2 and 169 fewer than No. 1.
• No. 2 nationally (No. 1 in FBS) in passing efficiency.
• Ranks No. 4 nationally in total offense despite OU averaging 43.5 rushes and 203.8 rushing yards per game.
• Set OU record for passing yards in a game with 468 vs. Kansas (broke Josh Heupel's 429 vs. Louisville, 1999).
• Has broken NCAA record for TD passes during the frosh/soph seasons with 78. Rex Grossman held it at 55.
• OU quarterbacks have thrown a school-record five TDs in 11 games. Bradford has six of those, four in `08.
• Bradford has an OU record 34 career completions of 40 or more yards. That tops Jason White's 29.
• In `08, he averages one TD pass every 8.3 attempts; one INT every 58.1 attempts (less than one/game).
• Bradford has eight completions that exceeded 50 yards. All eight went for touchdowns.
• Multiple TD throws in 21 games (five each vs. Miami (Fla.), Texas A&M, Cincy, Washington, Texas and Nebraska).
• Threw two picks each against this season Cincinnati and Texas. He also threw five TDs in each of those games.
Senior Receivers Putting Up Big Numbers
• Manuel Johnson had seven touchdown receptions over the TCU, Baylor and Texas games with at least one in each. Malcolm Kelly was the only other OU player to accomplish that feat.
• Juaquin Iglesias has a career total of 3,873 all purpose yards, which ranks No. 10 on the career list at Oklahoma.
• Iglesias has catches in 43 straight games (third-longest in nation, Jarrett Dillard, Rice, 46; Casey Flair, UNLV, 45).
• Iglesias' string of six straight games with a TD catch was snapped vs. Texas. Mark Clayton holds the OU best (8).
• Quentin Chaney has emerged with more than 100 receiving yards twice (105 vs. Kansas, 128 vs. Nebraska).
Gresham, Murray in the "Zone"
• Jermaine Gresham has more touchdown catches than any tight end in OU history. He has 22 for his career, including 10 in `08. He also has more this season than any other Big 12 tight end.
• Gresham is striking from longer distance in 2008. Last season, he averaged 13.8 yards per touchdown catch, but that figure has ballooned to 22.1 this season.
• Demarco Murray has career 32 touchdowns, the most in the first two years of an OU career. Adrian Peterson previously held the mark at 29.
Switzer Must Like This
Oklahoma has rushed for an average 313.5 yards over the last two games. The Sooners have been over 200 yards six times this season with two other games above 190.
• DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown have rushed for 100 or more yards in the same game on four occasions this season.
• Murray has 959 yards and 13 touchdowns on 164 rushes. On a combined 244 rushes, reserves Chris Brown and Mossis Madu have combined for 1,268 yards and 18 touchdowns.
• With Murray at 959 yards and Brown at 899, OU could have two 1,000-yard rushers in the same season for the first time since 1973 when Joe Washington and Waymon Clark did it. Greg Pruitt and Jack Mildren both went over 1,000 yards in 1971 as did Billy Vessels and Buck McPhail in 1952.
The Line on the Line
This offensive line two-deep averages 6-5 (77.1 inches) and 302.8 pounds. During the Stoops era this is the third-heaviest and third-tallest line. This line (two-deep) has combined for 190 starts, 276 games played.
Good Handles
Oklahoma lost its first fumble of the season in game eight at Kansas State. Chris Brown lost the handle with 5:08 remaining in the fourth quarter on a rushing play. That means the Sooners rushed 341 times before losing a fumble. Including all ball handling, OU handed the ball 571 times before losing a fumble. The only other fumble charged to OU this season was on a fourth-quarter onside kick against Texas Tech.
Offensive Miscellany
• OU is No. 5 in the nation in Red Zone Scoring at 60-64 with 56 touchdowns.
• Oklahoma's first half scoring average of 36.1 would rank No. 18 nationally among all teams for entire games.
• There have been five games this season in which six different Sooners scored touchdowns.
• Sam Bradford is completing 63% of his passes on third down (53-of-84) with 39 first downs and 13 TDs.
• Five different receivers have at least six third-down receptions.
• Oklahoma's 43 touchdown passes have gone to nine different receivers.
• OU has completed passes to 17 receivers, which ranks No. 4 nationally.
• Matt Clapp's seven rushing attempts rank No. 2 for a fullback under Stoops.
• OU forced at least one turnover in 114 of Bob Stoops' 130 games and has at least one interception in 84 of the last 113; multiple picks in 37 of the last 832 outings.
• Oklahoma has nine shutouts under its current head coach. Opponents scored less than seven points 30 times and less than 14 in 58 games.
No Easy Road for the Defense
Oklahoma has or will play six teams that are currently ranked among the top 20 nationally in total offense. Similarly, OU has or will play six teams that are currently ranked among the top 25 nationally in scoring offense.
Defensive Miscellany
• Seven of the the 31 rushing or passing touchdowns scored against Oklahoma this season were scored in the fourth quarter of comfortable Sooner victories. Four were scored in the final minute.
• Over the last two seasons, OU has 65 sacks (2.6/game) while allowing 24 0.9/game). In `08, the ratio is 38:11.
• Over the last five games, Oklahoma's defense has logged 17 sacks.
• OU ranks No. 4 nationally in third-down defense (28.3%). Opponents have converted just 45-of-159.
• Oklahoma has 90 tackles for 396 yards in losses compared with just 48 for 146 by the opponents.
Weak Freak
Travis Lewis is having a banner season at weak side linebacker. The redshirt freshman leads the team with 118 tackles (ranks No. 8 nationally with 10.3/game), 19 of which came against Texas when he tied the freshman single-game set by Brian Bosworth in the 1984 Nebraska game.
• Bosworth also has the freshman season tackle record at 133 followed by Lewis, Darrell Reed with 90 and Kevin Murphy with 87. Reed and Murphy were defensive ends.
• Among linebackers, Lewis already has the No. 2 season by tackles for an OU freshman. Bosworth had 133 followed by Lewis then Rocky Calmus with 55. Both Bosworth (twice) and Calmus won the Butkus Award.
Sooners Lose Reynolds to Injury
MLB Ryan Reynolds will miss the remainder of the season after incurring a right knee injury against Texas (game six). The junior concluded the campaign with 46 total tackles, five for loss with two pass deflections and one fumble forced. Reynolds was the only player on OU's team that came into the season with a previous Sooner starting assignment at linebacker.
Takeaways a Group Project
Oklahoma ranks No. 1 nationally in turnover margin (+1.64) with nine turnovers and 27 takeaways ...
• Over the last four games, OU has four turnovers against 18 takeaways. The Sooners had a season-high five takeaways at Kansas State then four more against Nebraska.
• Ten different players have forced a fumble.
• Eight players have fumble recoveries. FS Lendy Holmes has three.
• The 14 INTs thus far have been made by six different players.
• Oklahoma has converted 27 opponent turnovers in 17 touchdowns (63%). A turnover has led to a touchdown in seven of 11 games. The average scoring drive after OU claims a takeaway is 36.8 yards, 4.5 plays and 1:38. OU opponents have converted just three of nine turnovers into touchdowns.
More Than Run Stoppers
Defensive ends and blitzers tend to be associated with the sack, but the Sooner interior has played a role in that statistic too. OU's four-man defensive tackle rotation has a combined career total of 23.0 career sacks, and a DT has been credited with a full or have sack in nine games this season.
Oklahoma's special teams under Bob Stoops (since 1999) ...
• There have been 26 special teams touchdowns, including 20 in the last 69 regular season games. Those 20 came via five different kinds of plays -- 11 punt returns, two faked field goals, two blocked punts, four kickoff returns and a faked punt. Special teams also own one safety in that span.
• Oklahoma has returned eight kickoffs and 15 punts for touchdowns.
• The Sooners have blocked 21 kicks.
Many Happy Returns
Information on returns during the Stoops era ...
• Kickoff Returns --86 returns of 25 yards or more with eight touchdowns.
• Punt Returns -- 52 returns of 15 or more yards with 15 touchdowns.
• Interception Returns -- 73 returns of 10 or more yards with 21 touchdowns.
• Fumble Returns -- five returns of 15 or more yards with six touchdowns.
The Season's Returns Are Good
• Oklahoma ranks No. 14 nationally at 24.58 per kickoff return. That figure leads the Big 12. The Sooners led the nation in kickoff returns last season.
• DeMarco Murray ranks No. 14 nationally at 27.40 yards per return. He had 119 kickoff return yards against Nebraska for the fifth-best one-game total in school history. He accomplished that feat on just two returns (one of 62 yards and another of 57).
• Ryan Broyles ranks No. 28 nationally in punt returns average at 10.57 yards and one touchdown, a 68-yarder at Kansas State.
Knall Emerges at Punter
Mike Knall won the starting job in the 10th game (vs. Baylor) of the 2007 season and held it for the remainder of the campaign. Prior to that time he had been used mostly in short-yardage situations as the pooch punter ...
• True to his pooch-punting past, Knall has put 14 of his 47 kicks this season inside the 20. He has only four touchbacks this season. For his career, 23 of 79 boots have been downed inside the 20.
• Knall got off his third 50-yard kick of the season against Nebraska when he booted a 51-yarder.
The Kicking Game
Redshirt freshman Jimmy Stevens is the placekicker. He is the first freshman to tackle that chore since Garrett Hartley did so in the Baylor game of 2004 (Nov. 20). Stevens has been called upon for only four field goals this season. He is 5-of-8 with one that was partially blocked and a 47-yarder that missed wide. The record for fewest field goals in a season at Oklahoma is zero on multiple occasions, most recently in 1962. There have been 10 seasons with single digit attempts, most recently eight in 1988. Stevens has set an OU record this season with 76, eclipsing Trey DiCarlo's mark of 74 in 2003.
• Kicker Matthew Moreland, who handles kickoffs only, has 14 touchbacks in 96 attempts. Seven of those touchbacks came in the last five games, including a season-high-equaling three against Kansas. He has at least one touchback in five of the last six games.
Hold It
WR Carter Whitson, a walk-on, is the team's holder for placements this season. The sophomore played most of his high school career at Shawnee, Okla., before spending his senior season at Broken Arrow High School. He was a quarterback during his prep days. Whitson was the holder at Shawnee during his sophomore season.
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.
Stoops, who is widely known for countless hours of charitable work, most of which is directed towards children, graduated from Iowa in 1983 with a degree in marketing. He and his wife, Carol, have three children: daughter, Mackenzie, and twin sons, Drake and Isaac.
Head Coach Bob Stoops | OU Coaching Staff
LB Jeremy Beal: Ten tackles against Cincinnati ... two sacks in each of the last two games.
ABC will broadcast the game to the nation beginning at 7 p.m. with Brent Musberger calling the action and Kirk Herbstreit providing analysis. Lisa Salters will report from the sideline. ESPN's College Gameday program will be on site.
Visit Sooner Gameday Central to view complete information for OU fans attending the game in Stillwater plus TV, radio and internet options for fans following the Sooners across the nation.
SoonerSports.com will again bring fans the Sooner Gameday Blog live from the game on Saturday night. The feature provides instantaneous reaction from the field as the game unfolds including observations from our staff, notes from the media relations staff in the press box and fan emails during the game.
 OU & Big
12 Game Notes (PDF) | OU
Depth Chart | 2008
OU Football Guide |  Video
Library
|
The Series
Oklahoma leads it, 79-16-7, and has won the last five
meetings between the two. The Sooners hold a 34-6-5
advantage at Stillwater, where they have won two straight.
OU's 63-game advantage in this series is the
widest nationally between any in-state football opponents.
The Coaches
Oklahoma: Bob Stoops (Iowa `83) is 107-23 in
his 10th season with the Sooners. He is 71-14 vs. the
Big 12, 38-10 vs. the Big 12 South, 31-4 vs. the Big
12 North, 5-1 in the Big 12 title game, 36-9 vs. non-conference
opponents, 60-2 at home, 31-11 on the road, 16-10 on
neutral fields, 31-12 vs. ranked opponents, 4-5 in
bowls, 3-4 in January Bowls and 2-4 in BCS games. He
is 7-2 against Oklahoma St. Oklahoma State: Mike Gundy
(Oklahoma State `89)
is 26-20 in his fourth season. He is 0-3 vs. OU.
The Program
• Oklahoma's all-time
record stands at 789-296-53.
• The Sooners own seven
national championships (1950, 1955, 1956, 1974, 1975,
1985, 2000).
• OU
has 41 bowl appearances (No. 7 nationally) with 24
victories (No. 4 nationally).
• Oklahoma has won 41 conference titles.
• Since
WWII, Oklahoma is the most successful college football
program with 553 victories.
• Some 144 All-Americans
and four Heisman Trophy winners have come from the
Oklahoma program.
• OU leads the nation in 10-win seasons with 31 overall.
• Oklahoma's best decade for total victories
came in the 1970s when the Sooners were 102-13-3
(.877). In the 2000s, OU is 100-18-0 (.847).
• Oklahoma
Football History & Tradition
Ties With This Week's Opponent
• Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy is the brother
of OU running backs coach Cale Gundy. From Midwest
City, the two both played quarterback at their respective
schools.
• The schools' strength and conditioning coaches,
Jerry Schmidt (OU) and Rob Glass (OSU) were together
on the Florida staff from 1995-98.
More on this Series
Oklahoma played its first night game ever against Oklahoma
State (Oklahoma A&M at the time) on Oct. 2, 1943,
at Taft Stadium in Oklahoma City. A crowd of 12,000
saw the Sooners prevail, 22-13.
• There have been just two more night games in the
series. The next one took place on Nov. 30, 1985, when
OU won the famous "ice bowl" at Stillwater
by a 13-0 count before the Oct. 24, 1998 game, which
OSU won at Stillwater, 41-26.
Oklahoma's Most Recent Game | Oklahoma
65, Texas Tech 21
Blog | 
Pics | Video
A crowd of 85,646, the largest to ever witness any
event in the state of Oklahoma, and some 10.33 million
television viewers from across the country (an easy
ratings win for ABC) saw No. 5 Oklahoma rout No. 2
Texas Tech, 65-21 ...
• Oklahoma led 28-0 before Tech finally scored and
enjoyed a 42-7 bulge at halftime.
• The OU defense doused the Red Raiders with four sacks
(Graham Harrell had been sacked just five times all
season coming into the game) and three takeaways, two
of which were returned inside the TTU five. Tech was
held 26.9 points below its average scoring total and
160.5 yards under its total offense average.
• LB Travis Lewis led the Sooner defense with 13 tackles.
He also returned an interception 47 yards. LB Keenan
Clayton had a 53-yard fumble return and DE Jeremy Beal
logged a pair of sacks.
• Sam Bradford completed 14-of-19 passes for 306 yards
with four touchdowns and no interceptions. He also
rushed for 18 yards. Bradford's four TD passes
went to four different players, and a total of six
Sooners scored touchdowns in the game.
• For the fourth time this season, both DeMarco
Murray (125) and Chris Brown (108) eclipsed 100 rushing
yards in the same game. Brown ran for three touchdowns,
Murray for two. Murray also caught four passes for
71 yards.
Washington Victory No. 100 for Coach Stoops
Oklahoma's 55-14 victory at Washington on Sept.
13, represented an historic milestone of 100 victories
for Sooner head coach Bob Stoops ...
• Stoops became the eighth-fastest coach to 100
victories in NCAA history by doing so in 122 games,
the same number it took for former OU head coach Barry
Switzer to hit the mark. Another OU great, Bud Wilkinson,
picked up his 100th victory in game 111. He is No.
3 on the list.
• Oklahoma is the only school in NCAA history
to produce four, 100-win coaches. The others are Bennie
Owen (122-54-165 from 1905-26), Wilkinson (145-29-4
from 1947-63) and Switzer (157-29-4 from 1973-88).
• Stoops is only the second coach in NCAA history,
and the first in the modern era, to win 100 games in
his first 10 seasons. His victory total, regardless
of what it is at season's end, will rank No.
2 in NCAA history for 10 seasons. Penn's George
Woodruff holds the mark at 124 wins. His 10th season
was 1901. Switzer is third on that list at 98.
• Stoops is one of three coaches with an average
of 10 victories per season with at least 10 seasons
of coaching. The others were Tom Osborne (255 in 25
seasons at Nebraska) and George Woodruff (142 in 12
seasons, mostly at Penn).
• Stoops' teams are 102-22 with one national
title and five league crowns in 10 seasons (9+). In
the 10 years before he arrived in Norman, the OU football
fortunes had taken a rare dip. The program was 61-50-3
with no championships and only three bowl trips.
Sooner Seniors
The 20 seniors who will be participating in their final
regular season game ... DT Cory Bennett, DB Brett Bowers,
OL Branndon Braxton, DB Cortney Carter, WR Quentin
Chaney, C Jon Cooper, DE Alan Davis, RB Derek Gove,
QB Joey Halzle, S Nic Harris, S Lendy Holmes, WR Juaquin
Iglesias, C Kyle Johnson, WR Manuel Johnson, P Mike
Knall, OT Phil Loadholt, OG Duke Robinson, TE Kolby
Smith, OG Brandon Walker.
• Over the last four seasons during which most of this
group played the Sooners are 40-11 overall, 25-8 in
the Big 12 with two Big 12 titles and three bowl appearances.
This group of four-year players lost its first home
game but then won 24 straight.
The Sooners Briefly
• OU was No. 4 in both of preseason polls. It marked
the 10th straight season that was ranked in the first
AP poll.
• Oklahoma was tabbed for a first-place finish in the
Big 12's South Division in a preseason polling
of league media. Defensive end Auston English was named
the league's preseason defensive player of the year.
• Last season, Oklahoma was 11-3 overall, 6-2 in the
Big 12. The Sooners won their fifth Big 12 crown (second
straight) and 41st league title overall before advancing
to the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.
• Three players from the `07 team left early
for the NFL: WR Malcolm Kelly (Redskins), LB Curtis
Lofton (Falcons) and DB Reggie Smith (49ers).
Oklahoma and the Big 12
• Oklahoma's all-time Big 12 regular season record
is 72-29, 77-30 if counting title games. Stoops is
64-13 in the regular season, 69-14 counting all. Before
he arrived, OU's Big 12 mark was 8-16.
• Oklahoma has won five Big 12 titles. That's
more than double any other league member. Texas and
Nebraska both have two. No other school has more than
one.
Marquee Matchups Await OU on Future Schedules | Future
Schedules
Non-conference games on future schedules include at
Miami (Fla.) in 2009, at Florida State (2011), Notre
Dame (2012), at Notre Dame (2013), Tennessee (2014),
at Tennessee (2015), Ohio State (2016), at Ohio State
(2017) and LSU in 2018 and 2019. Under Stoops, Oklahoma
already played Louisville, Notre Dame, North Carolina,
Alabama (twice), UCLA (twice), Oregon (twice), Washington
(twice), South Florida and Miami (Fla.) in regular
season contests.
Stoops Era Yielding Record Attendance
Oklahoma has drawn 4,909,241 fans for Bob Stops' 62
home games (started in 1999) ...
• All 62 have been sold out and the Sooners have
prevailed 57 times.
• This year's average home attendance of
85,075 was the largest in school history. The top nine
seasons for OU home attendance have come on Stoops' watch.
• The crowd of 85,646 for `08 Texas Tech
game was the largest to see a sporting event in the
state of Oklahoma.
• OU has exceeded its listed capacity of 82,112
in 35 consecutive games.
• Oklahoma has played before sellout crowds in
107 of Stoops' 130 games. A total of 9,538,749,
or an average of 73,337, has seen those games.
• Oklahoma
Sets Attendance Records at Memorial Stadium
Home Field Honchos
Bob Stoops' teams are 60-2 at Gaylord Family
- Oklahoma Memorial Stadium and have won their last
24 in a row there (longest current home field winning
streak in the nation), and 44 of their last 45. The
current streak is the longest under Stoops, who has
twice coached the Sooners to 19 straight wins at home,
and is tied for second-longest in school history. The
top mark at Oklahoma was 25, a string that ended in
1953. A streak of 21 ended in 1975 and another of 20
ended in 1957.
 |
About the Offense |
• Under Stoops, OU produced its career leader in passing and receiving, while turning out the No. 3 and No. 4 career rushers and the school record holder for single-season rushing, passing and receiving yards.
• Of 81 basic offensive records at OU, 53 have been set under Stoops.
• OU scored at least one TD in every game dating to Nov. 7, 1998.
• OU rushed for 200 yards 40 times under Stoops, 34 in the last five years.
• Also under Stoops, OU has 138 touchdowns of 25+ yards and 277 scoring drives that took less than two minutes.
• OU is the highest scoring program in college football history. In 1,137 games, the Sooners scored 30,298 points, or 26.6 per game. Michigan has 29,532 points in 1,203 games and Nebraska 29,375 in 1,198.
Offense in 2008
• OU has scored a school record 81 TDs to clip the 80 from last season.
• The Sooners have been over 500 yards of total offense eight times, over 600 three times. The best total was 674 yards against Kansas, the most total yardage by an OU team since 829 against Kansas State in 1988.
• Oklahoma set a school record for points scored in a first half with 55 at Kansas State. The 55 points tied the OU record for points in any half. In the modern era (since 1937), the Sooners have scored 50 or more first-half points four times -- twice this season.
• OU ran 97 plays vs. Kansas, the most by the Sooners since 1975.
• OU has 15 scoring drives of 60 seconds or less.
• Oklahoma scored on its first drive in 10 games this season with nine touchdowns and one field goal. The one time OU failed to score on its first possession (Kansas), it scored on its second.
• OU scored 35 first-quarter points vs. Nebraska to equal its one-period best vs. Big 12 foes. For the first time in its history, OU has scored 28 or more points four times in a quarter this season (three in the first quarter).
• Four times this season six OU players have scored in the same game.
• OU had 36 first downs vs. Kansas, 32 vs. Texas Tech, 30 vs. Cincinnati.
• With 55 points at Washington, 58 at Kansas State and 66 at Texas A&M, Oklahoma has eclipsed 50 on the road three times this season. That has not happened at OU since 1987.
Sam Summation
• Sam Bradford threw for 3,121 yards, 36 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 14 games last season. So far this season, he has 3,710 yards with 42 touchdowns and six picks.
• Bradford averages 15.59 yards/comp. That's 3+ yards more than any of the top five passers in the nation.
• Bradford has missed a total of 97 snaps (OU averages 78.3 per game) and 60:42 minutes of possession time (OU averages 29:38 per game) after OU built big leads. Has twice left game before the fourth quarter began.
• No. 1 nationally with 42 touchdown passes despite ranking No. 30 in pass attempts.
• No. 3 nationally in passing yards despite throwing 153 fewer passes than No. 2 and 169 fewer than No. 1.
• No. 2 nationally (No. 1 in FBS) in passing efficiency.
• Ranks No. 4 nationally in total offense despite OU averaging 43.5 rushes and 203.8 rushing yards per game.
• Set OU record for passing yards in a game with 468 vs. Kansas (broke Josh Heupel's 429 vs. Louisville, 1999).
• Has broken NCAA record for TD passes during the frosh/soph seasons with 78. Rex Grossman held it at 55.
• OU quarterbacks have thrown a school-record five TDs in 11 games. Bradford has six of those, four in `08.
• Bradford has an OU record 34 career completions of 40 or more yards. That tops Jason White's 29.
• In `08, he averages one TD pass every 8.3 attempts; one INT every 58.1 attempts (less than one/game).
• Bradford has eight completions that exceeded 50 yards. All eight went for touchdowns.
• Multiple TD throws in 21 games (five each vs. Miami (Fla.), Texas A&M, Cincy, Washington, Texas and Nebraska).
• Threw two picks each against this season Cincinnati and Texas. He also threw five TDs in each of those games.
Senior Receivers Putting Up Big Numbers
• Manuel Johnson had seven touchdown receptions over the TCU, Baylor and Texas games with at least one in each. Malcolm Kelly was the only other OU player to accomplish that feat.
• Juaquin Iglesias has a career total of 3,873 all purpose yards, which ranks No. 10 on the career list at Oklahoma.
• Iglesias has catches in 43 straight games (third-longest in nation, Jarrett Dillard, Rice, 46; Casey Flair, UNLV, 45).
• Iglesias' string of six straight games with a TD catch was snapped vs. Texas. Mark Clayton holds the OU best (8).
• Quentin Chaney has emerged with more than 100 receiving yards twice (105 vs. Kansas, 128 vs. Nebraska).
Gresham, Murray in the "Zone"
• Jermaine Gresham has more touchdown catches than any tight end in OU history. He has 22 for his career, including 10 in `08. He also has more this season than any other Big 12 tight end.
• Gresham is striking from longer distance in 2008. Last season, he averaged 13.8 yards per touchdown catch, but that figure has ballooned to 22.1 this season.
• Demarco Murray has career 32 touchdowns, the most in the first two years of an OU career. Adrian Peterson previously held the mark at 29.
Switzer Must Like This
Oklahoma has rushed for an average 313.5 yards over the last two games. The Sooners have been over 200 yards six times this season with two other games above 190.
• DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown have rushed for 100 or more yards in the same game on four occasions this season.
• Murray has 959 yards and 13 touchdowns on 164 rushes. On a combined 244 rushes, reserves Chris Brown and Mossis Madu have combined for 1,268 yards and 18 touchdowns.
• With Murray at 959 yards and Brown at 899, OU could have two 1,000-yard rushers in the same season for the first time since 1973 when Joe Washington and Waymon Clark did it. Greg Pruitt and Jack Mildren both went over 1,000 yards in 1971 as did Billy Vessels and Buck McPhail in 1952.
The Line on the Line
This offensive line two-deep averages 6-5 (77.1 inches) and 302.8 pounds. During the Stoops era this is the third-heaviest and third-tallest line. This line (two-deep) has combined for 190 starts, 276 games played.
Good Handles
Oklahoma lost its first fumble of the season in game eight at Kansas State. Chris Brown lost the handle with 5:08 remaining in the fourth quarter on a rushing play. That means the Sooners rushed 341 times before losing a fumble. Including all ball handling, OU handed the ball 571 times before losing a fumble. The only other fumble charged to OU this season was on a fourth-quarter onside kick against Texas Tech.
Offensive Miscellany
• OU is No. 5 in the nation in Red Zone Scoring at 60-64 with 56 touchdowns.
• Oklahoma's first half scoring average of 36.1 would rank No. 18 nationally among all teams for entire games.
• There have been five games this season in which six different Sooners scored touchdowns.
• Sam Bradford is completing 63% of his passes on third down (53-of-84) with 39 first downs and 13 TDs.
• Five different receivers have at least six third-down receptions.
• Oklahoma's 43 touchdown passes have gone to nine different receivers.
• OU has completed passes to 17 receivers, which ranks No. 4 nationally.
• Matt Clapp's seven rushing attempts rank No. 2 for a fullback under Stoops.
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About the Defense |
• OU forced at least one turnover in 114 of Bob Stoops' 130 games and has at least one interception in 84 of the last 113; multiple picks in 37 of the last 832 outings.
• Oklahoma has nine shutouts under its current head coach. Opponents scored less than seven points 30 times and less than 14 in 58 games.
No Easy Road for the Defense
Oklahoma has or will play six teams that are currently ranked among the top 20 nationally in total offense. Similarly, OU has or will play six teams that are currently ranked among the top 25 nationally in scoring offense.
Defensive Miscellany
• Seven of the the 31 rushing or passing touchdowns scored against Oklahoma this season were scored in the fourth quarter of comfortable Sooner victories. Four were scored in the final minute.
• Over the last two seasons, OU has 65 sacks (2.6/game) while allowing 24 0.9/game). In `08, the ratio is 38:11.
• Over the last five games, Oklahoma's defense has logged 17 sacks.
• OU ranks No. 4 nationally in third-down defense (28.3%). Opponents have converted just 45-of-159.
• Oklahoma has 90 tackles for 396 yards in losses compared with just 48 for 146 by the opponents.
Weak Freak
Travis Lewis is having a banner season at weak side linebacker. The redshirt freshman leads the team with 118 tackles (ranks No. 8 nationally with 10.3/game), 19 of which came against Texas when he tied the freshman single-game set by Brian Bosworth in the 1984 Nebraska game.
• Bosworth also has the freshman season tackle record at 133 followed by Lewis, Darrell Reed with 90 and Kevin Murphy with 87. Reed and Murphy were defensive ends.
• Among linebackers, Lewis already has the No. 2 season by tackles for an OU freshman. Bosworth had 133 followed by Lewis then Rocky Calmus with 55. Both Bosworth (twice) and Calmus won the Butkus Award.
Sooners Lose Reynolds to Injury
MLB Ryan Reynolds will miss the remainder of the season after incurring a right knee injury against Texas (game six). The junior concluded the campaign with 46 total tackles, five for loss with two pass deflections and one fumble forced. Reynolds was the only player on OU's team that came into the season with a previous Sooner starting assignment at linebacker.
Takeaways a Group Project
Oklahoma ranks No. 1 nationally in turnover margin (+1.64) with nine turnovers and 27 takeaways ...
• Over the last four games, OU has four turnovers against 18 takeaways. The Sooners had a season-high five takeaways at Kansas State then four more against Nebraska.
• Ten different players have forced a fumble.
• Eight players have fumble recoveries. FS Lendy Holmes has three.
• The 14 INTs thus far have been made by six different players.
• Oklahoma has converted 27 opponent turnovers in 17 touchdowns (63%). A turnover has led to a touchdown in seven of 11 games. The average scoring drive after OU claims a takeaway is 36.8 yards, 4.5 plays and 1:38. OU opponents have converted just three of nine turnovers into touchdowns.
More Than Run Stoppers
Defensive ends and blitzers tend to be associated with the sack, but the Sooner interior has played a role in that statistic too. OU's four-man defensive tackle rotation has a combined career total of 23.0 career sacks, and a DT has been credited with a full or have sack in nine games this season.
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About the Special Teams |
Oklahoma's special teams under Bob Stoops (since 1999) ...
• There have been 26 special teams touchdowns, including 20 in the last 69 regular season games. Those 20 came via five different kinds of plays -- 11 punt returns, two faked field goals, two blocked punts, four kickoff returns and a faked punt. Special teams also own one safety in that span.
• Oklahoma has returned eight kickoffs and 15 punts for touchdowns.
• The Sooners have blocked 21 kicks.
Many Happy Returns
Information on returns during the Stoops era ...
• Kickoff Returns --86 returns of 25 yards or more with eight touchdowns.
• Punt Returns -- 52 returns of 15 or more yards with 15 touchdowns.
• Interception Returns -- 73 returns of 10 or more yards with 21 touchdowns.
• Fumble Returns -- five returns of 15 or more yards with six touchdowns.
The Season's Returns Are Good
• Oklahoma ranks No. 14 nationally at 24.58 per kickoff return. That figure leads the Big 12. The Sooners led the nation in kickoff returns last season.
• DeMarco Murray ranks No. 14 nationally at 27.40 yards per return. He had 119 kickoff return yards against Nebraska for the fifth-best one-game total in school history. He accomplished that feat on just two returns (one of 62 yards and another of 57).
• Ryan Broyles ranks No. 28 nationally in punt returns average at 10.57 yards and one touchdown, a 68-yarder at Kansas State.
Knall Emerges at Punter
Mike Knall won the starting job in the 10th game (vs. Baylor) of the 2007 season and held it for the remainder of the campaign. Prior to that time he had been used mostly in short-yardage situations as the pooch punter ...
• True to his pooch-punting past, Knall has put 14 of his 47 kicks this season inside the 20. He has only four touchbacks this season. For his career, 23 of 79 boots have been downed inside the 20.
• Knall got off his third 50-yard kick of the season against Nebraska when he booted a 51-yarder.
The Kicking Game
Redshirt freshman Jimmy Stevens is the placekicker. He is the first freshman to tackle that chore since Garrett Hartley did so in the Baylor game of 2004 (Nov. 20). Stevens has been called upon for only four field goals this season. He is 5-of-8 with one that was partially blocked and a 47-yarder that missed wide. The record for fewest field goals in a season at Oklahoma is zero on multiple occasions, most recently in 1962. There have been 10 seasons with single digit attempts, most recently eight in 1988. Stevens has set an OU record this season with 76, eclipsing Trey DiCarlo's mark of 74 in 2003.
• Kicker Matthew Moreland, who handles kickoffs only, has 14 touchbacks in 96 attempts. Seven of those touchbacks came in the last five games, including a season-high-equaling three against Kansas. He has at least one touchback in five of the last six games.
Hold It
WR Carter Whitson, a walk-on, is the team's holder for placements this season. The sophomore played most of his high school career at Shawnee, Okla., before spending his senior season at Broken Arrow High School. He was a quarterback during his prep days. Whitson was the holder at Shawnee during his sophomore season.
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Oklahoma Head Coach Bob Stoops |
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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 the observers and experts of the game to define Stoops' impact. Rarely have the pundits had it so easy.
Under Stoops, Oklahoma has won 107 games (107-23), nine bowl games, six of the BCS variety, had one string of 88 consecutive appearances in the AP poll and captured five Big 12 crowns (the next highest total in the league is two). His 2000 team won the national championship. On a playing field leveled by scholarship limits and parity, this era stares down the Oklahoma standard and does not blink.
The achievement 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 mentioned with the land rush and dust bowl.
Stoops, born Sept. 9, 1960, 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 record-setting passers and receivers, five 1,000-yard rushers, suffocating defense and special teams units that rank among the most dynamic in the land. Every facet has been impacted.
His players have snagged 16 national awards, including the 2003 Heisman Trophy won by Jason White. There have been more than 60 academic honorees, 62 All-Big 12 players, 24 All-Americans and 36 NFL draft choices.
Stoops has won a total of 10 national coach of the year awards and has been Big 12 Coach of the year three times.
This is one of the finest coaches in the history of one of college football's most storied traditions.
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) during Bill Snyder's rein.
With the Wildcats, he played a key role in an 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.Stoops, who is widely known for countless hours of charitable work, most of which is directed towards children, graduated from Iowa in 1983 with a degree in marketing. He and his wife, Carol, have three children: daughter, Mackenzie, and twin sons, Drake and Isaac.
Head Coach Bob Stoops | OU Coaching Staff
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Quick Notes on the Sooners |
LB Jeremy Beal: Ten tackles against Cincinnati ... two sacks in each of the last two games.
DT Cory Bennett: Leads DTs in games played with 49 ... sacks vs. Washington and TCU.
OT Branndon Braxton: Missed Baylor, Texas games with an injury.
RB Chris Brown: Three TDs vs. UTC, A&M and Tech ... nearly one-third (31%) of his career rushes have resulted in a TD or first down -- 315 carries with 75 first downs, 20 TDs ... season high 142 yards at KSU .
WR Ryan Broyles: Seven grabs for 141 yards and one TD in his debut against Cincy ... two TDs at Washington ... 68-yard punt return for TD at Kansas State ... 40-yard punt return vs. A&M and 91 receiving yards vs. The Aggies.
WR Quentin Chaney: Six grabs for 105 yards against Kansas ... five catches for 128 yards and a 48-yard TD vs. Nebraska.
FB Matt Clapp: Has seven rushes and seven receptions this season ... 25-yard TD reception vs. A&M.
LB Keenan Clayton: Career-high 14 stops at Baylor ... three PBU vs. Kansas ... five FF this season is an OU record ... INT at A&M ... 53-yard fumble return against Texas Tech.
C Jon Cooper: His 40 career starts lead the team ... tied for team lead in overall (85%) and pass (92%) grade while topping the team in knockdowns (118) and snaps (775) ... played 95 of 97 snaps vs. Kansas.
TE Brody Eldridge: Missed three games with an ankle injury but is back now..
DE Auston English: Had 4.0 TFL, 2.5 sacks in opener ... two sacks vs. Kansas ... missed last two games with sprained knee.
CB Dominique Franks: Interceptions vs. Cincy, Kansas, Nebraska (18-yd. TD) ... 39-yard fumble return for TD at A&M.
DT DeMarcus Granger: Injured left foot at Washington and missed two games ... recovered a fumble at KSU.
TE Jermaine Gresham: Five of his 10 his touchdown reception covered at least 22 yards ... has TD grab in five of the last six
QB Joey Halzle: Hit 21-of-41 for 291 yards in a back-up role at Texas Tech last season, 14-of-16 in `08 opener.
DB Nic Harris: Made first career start at middle linebacker vs. Kansas ... has 46 career starts at safety.
DB Lendy Holmes: INT vs. Cincy ... two FR vs. TCU ... two picks against Kansas.
CB Brian Jackson: Forced one fumble and recovered two at Washington ... leads the team with eight pass deflections.
WR Manuel Johnson: Missed most of Kansas game and all of Kansas State game with an elbow injury ... played sparingly against Nebraska.
P Mike Knall: Has 14 punts inside the 20 so far in 2008.
OT Phil Loadholt: Down 13 pounds from last season ... tied for team lead in overall grade (85%) and run grade (79%) ... had the best one-game grade on the team this season with 90% against Cincinnati ... 93% or higher pass grade in three straight.
LB Travis Lewis: Team's leading tackler with 105 ... 19 tackles vs. Texas ... 15 tackles and two INT at Kansas State.
RB Mossis Madu: Scored two touchdowns at Washington.
DT Gerald McCoy: Named to Allstate AFCA Good Works Team ... four sacks over the last three games.
RB DeMarco Murray: OU's leading rusher has been over 100 yards four times in `08 ... scored seven touchdowns -- three rushing and four receiving over the last two games ... career-high seven receptions at A&M.
OG Duke Robinson: Graded over 80% five times with a high of 84% against Kansas ... season-high 10 knockdowns and 72 plays against the Jayhawks.
DT Adrian Taylor: Career-high five tackles and two sacks against TCU.
OG Brandon Walker: Had the highest overall grade of all OU offensive lineman last season (80%) ... at 80% again this year ... 16 knockdowns at Kansas State, 83 for the season (No. 2 on the team).
OT Trent Williams: Starter at right tackle since starting the opener at left tackle ... coming off best grade of season with 89% against Nebraska ... 16 knockdowns at Kansas State .
Friday, July 10
Wednesday, July 08
Thursday, June 25
Monday, June 22
