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University of Oklahoma Athletics
Sooners, Jayhawks Clash in Lawrence Saturday
October 23, 2009 | Football
NORMAN, Okla. -- No. 25 Oklahoma (3-3, 1-1 Big 12) travels to No. 24 Kansas (5-1, 1-1 Big 12) to take on the Jayhawks Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Lawrence. ABC has the regional telecast with kickoff slated for 2:30 p.m.
Visit Sooner Gameday Central to view complete information for fans attending the game plus TV, radio and internet options for fans following the Sooners around the world.
SoonerSports.com will again bring fans the Sooner Gameday Blog live from Lawrence Saturday afternoon. 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.
The Game
Oklahoma and Kansas will try to get back on the winning track when they meet at Lawrence this Saturday. Last week, OU dropped a 16-13 decision to No. 3 Texas at Dallas, while the Jayhawks were upset at Colorado, 34-30.
• Oklahoma's three losses are by a total of five points to ranked opponents on road or neutral fields.
• This will mark Oklahoma's fourth game away from Norman. It's the first time since 1999, Bob Stoops' first season at OU, that the Sooners have played fewer home games than road through the first seven games of the season.
The Series
Oklahoma leads it, 67-27-6, including a 31-15-4 advantage in Lawrence. OU has won the last five meetings.
The Coaches
• Bob Stoops (Iowa `83) is 112-27 in his 11th season at Oklahoma. He is 73-15 vs. the Big 12, 40-11 vs. the Big 12 South, 33-4 vs. the Big 12 North, 6-1 in the Big 12 title game, 39-12 vs. non-conference opponents, 63-2 at home, 32-12 on the road, 17-13 on neutral fields, 33-15 vs. ranked opponents, 4-6 in bowls. He is 5-0 vs. Kansas.
• Mark Mangino (Youngstown State `87) is 50-42 in his eighth year at Kansas. He is 0-3 vs. Oklahoma.
The Program
• Oklahoma's all-time record stands at 794-300-53 in 115 seasons. Since WWII, OU leads the nation with 550 victories.
• The Sooners have captured seven national championships (1950, 1955, 1956, 1974, 1975, 1985, 2000).
• OU has 42 bowl appearances (No. 7 nationally) with 24 bowl victories (No. 4 nationally).
• Oklahoma has 42 conference championships, including the last three Big 12 Conference crowns and six Big 12 titles overall (no other league member has more than two)
• OU has produced 148 All-Americans and five Heisman Trophy winners. Sooners have also won the Bednarik (1), Butkus (4), Walter Camp (4), Lombardi (3), Maxwell (2), Nagurski (2), O'Brien (3), (Outland (5), Tatupu (1), Thorpe (3) and Unitas (1) Awards.
• With 31, 10-win seasons, OU leads the nation in total number of years in which the team achieved double-digit victories.
• This is Oklahoma's best decade for total victories. In the 2000s, OU is 105-22-0 (.836) while the Sooners were 102-13-3 (.877) in the 1970s.
Oklahoma Football History & Tradition
Long Time, No Lawrence
Oklahoma hasn't played in Lawrence, Kan., since the 2001 season. That's because the 2005 game between OU and KU was moved to Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium.
• Oklahoma won its last visit to Lawrence, 38-10, when Jason White came off the bench to throw four touchdown passes, all to tight end Trent Smith. That set a school record for touchdown receptions in one game, a mark that was then tied in 2007 when Jermaine Gresham caught four TDs against Texas A&M.
Last Year's Game
Sam Bradford set school records with 482 total yards and 468 passing yards as No. 4 Oklahoma downed No. 16 Kansas in Norman, Okla.
• WR Juaquin Iglesias also set an OU record with 12 receptions. Those catches went for 191 yards.
• Dezmon Briscoe highlighted Kansas' offense with 12 receptions for 269 yards and two touchdowns.
Ties with This Week's Opponent
• Kansas Head Coach Mark Mangino was on Oklahoma's coaching staff from 1999-2001. He was the offensive coordinator when the Sooners won the 2000 national championship. Mangino and OU Head Coach Bob Stoops, both natives of Youngstown, Ohio, also coached together at Kansas State under current Wildcat coach Bill Snyder.
• Current OU coaches, who were on staff with Mangino in Norman include Cale Gundy, Jackie Shipp, Brent Venables (also was with Mangino at Kansas State) and Bobby Jack Wright.
• There are three scholarshipped Kansans on the Oklahoma roster in Brody Eldridge, Jaydan Bird and Marshall Musil. Eldridge, a senior, is from La Cygne (pronounced: luh-SEEN). That community is located 78 miles southeast of Lawrence. Bird is from Conway Springs, near Wichita, and Musil is from La Crosse, which is in northwest Kansas. Both Bird and Musil are true freshmen.
Oklahoma's Big 12 Dominance
• Oklahoma's all-time Big 12 regular season record is 76-30, 82-31 if counting title games. Stoops is 67-14 in the regular season, 73-15 counting all. Before he arrived, OU's Big 12 mark against the league was 8-16.
• The Sooners have won the last three Big 12 titles. No other program has ever won back-to-back titles.
Oklahoma's Most Recent Game | Texas 16, Oklahoma 13
Blog | Photos | Highlights
Oklahoma dropped a hard-fought 16-13 decision to No. 3 Texas in Dallas...
• Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford left the game with a shoulder injury on the first play of the team's second offensive series. He did not return.
• OU's defense was impressive. Texas entered the game as the nation's top scoring team at 47.2 points per game, but was limited to 16.
• Defense ruled with eight takeaways. Oklahoma had five of those turnovers with three fumbles and two interceptions. The Sooners logged -16 yards rushing.
• Oklahoma's lone touchdown came on a 35-yard pass from Landry Jones to Ryan Broyles.
• Jones completed 24-of-43 passes for 250 yards with two interceptions and one touchdown. Texas' Colt McCoy was 21-of-39 for 127 yards with one TD and one INT.
• A crowd of 96,009, the second-largest ever to witness an Oklahoma game, was on hand.
Strong Schedule
Current NCAA strength of schedule rankings...
Stoops' Mark Legendary
George Woodruff completed his first 10 years of coaching, all at Penn, in 1901 with 124 victories. That's the only 10-year start that exceeds the 112 games won by Bob Stoops, now in his 11th season at Oklahoma. ...
• All but two of Stoops' wins came against FBS programs.
• Thirty-two of Stoops' wins, nearly one-third, came against ranked opponents.
• Seventy-three of the victories came over Big 12 opponents, including 40 against the Big 12 South.
• Forty-nine Stoops wins occurred away from Norman.
Ambitious Scheduling | Future Schedules
Oklahoma has numerous marquee non-conference opponents coming up on future schedules ...
• Florida State (2010), at Florida State (2011)
• Notre Dame (2012), at Notre Dame (2013)
• Tennessee (2014), at Tennessee (2015)
• Ohio State (2016), at Ohio State (2017)
• LSU (2018), at LSU (2019).
• Under Bob Stoops, Oklahoma has already played Louisville, Notre Dame, North Carolina, Alabama (twice), UCLA (twice), Oregon (twice), Washington (twice), South Florida, Miami (twice) and Cincinnati in regular season contests.
Numerous Nailbiters
OU's three losses were by a total of five points (two by one point) to nationally-ranked foes. Seven of the last 11 losses were by three points or less including four be a single digit.
OU Sets Home Streak Record
Oklahoma has won 27 straight home games, the longest current streak in the nation, and a school record. The current record was set with the win over Tulsa. The previous mark was set at 25 before loss in the 1953 season opener to Notre Dame, 28-21.
• Bob Stoops' teams are 63-2 at home and the Sooners have won 47 of their last 48 on Owen Field.
• Other long OU home streaks and the years they ended include 21 (1975), 20 (1957).
• Other long home streaks under Stoops were 22, 19, 19.
• OU's all-time record at its current facility, which opened in 1923, is 346-78-15 (.805).
Football Facilities Get Upgrade
The $15 million Phase IV of the Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium was completed this summer and included the following ...
• A 9,000 square-foot football locker room, including grooming areas, cold-plunge hydrotherapy, and lounge.
• A 10,000 square-foot athletic training space.
• A 6,500 square-foot equipment room.
• A 4,000 square-foot team meeting room equipped with the latest technology, sound and video equipment and seating for more than 200 added to the more than 8,000 square feet of existing team meeting rooms.
• Expansion of and upgrades to the SoonerVision studio and production facilities.
Stoops Era Yielding Record Attendance
Oklahoma has drawn 5,268,256 fans for Bob Stoops' 65 home games (started in 1999) and all have been sold out.
• The Sooners are 63-2 on Owen Field under Stoops and have won 27 straight, a school record.
• The current string of sellouts is the second longest in school history, trailing a string of 69 from 1971-84.
• The average home attendance of 85,075 in 2008 was a school record. The top nine seasons for football attendance at Oklahoma came on Stoops' watch.
• The largest home crowd in school history was 85,646, on hand for the 2008 OU-Texas Tech game.
• Oklahoma has exceeded its listed seating capacity of 82,112 at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in 39 consecutive home games.
• Oklahoma has played before sellout crowds in 113 of the 139 games (home, away, neutral) since Stoops became the head coach. During that time, a total of 10,139,715 (average of 72,948) have watched the Sooners. The gathering of 96,009 for this season's Texas game was the largest ever to see OU play.
Oklahoma Sets Attendance Records
• Under Stoops, OU produced its career leader in passing and receiving, its No. 3 and No. 5 career rushers and school record holders for season rushing, passing and receiving yards.
• Of 83 offensive records at OU, 55 were set under Stoops.
• OU scored a TD in every game since Nov. 7, 1998.
• OU has rushed for 200 yards 42 times under Stoops, 36 in the last six years.
• Also under Stoops, OU has 143 touchdowns of 25+ yards and 292 scoring drives of 2:00 or less.
• OU is the highest scoring program in college football history. In 1,145 games, the Sooners have scored 30,610 points, or 26.7 per game. Michigan has 29,730 points in 1,209 games and Nebraska 29,625 in 1,205.
Bradford Gets Passing Mark
Sam Bradford became Oklahoma's all-time leading passer with his 96 yards in the season opener, and has since upped that total to 8,403 yards.
• Bradford eclipsed Jason White's mark of 7,922 yards, set from 1999-2004.
• Bradford holds 15 school records at OU. He got his 15th against Baylor with his 14th, 300-yard passing game.
• Due to Bradford's sprained right shoulder joint, OU has run 320 offensive plays minus last year's Heisman winner.
Keeping Up with Jones
Landry Jones played the second half of the season opener, then started Oklahoma's games against Idaho State, Tulsa and Miami before again relieving an injured Sam Bradford during the second series of the Texas game.
• Jones set a school record with six touchdown passes against Tulsa. The previous mark of five was held jointly by Sam Bradford, Jason White and Josh Heupel, two Heisman winners and a Heisman runner-up.
• This marks the 19th time since 1954 that Oklahoma's starting QB has been injured and replaced by a back-up. It is the third time it has happened on Bob Stoops' watch.
A Man for All Positions
Brody Eldridge, listed as a tight end on the OU roster, started the season opener against BYU at center. He then started games two-five at tight end before moving to left guard for the Texas game.
• Eldridge is the only player FBS player in the nation this season (not including special teams) to start at three different positions.
• Eldridge is also the first OU player to start at three different positions during one season in the modern era. The last player to start at three different positions in a career was Brandon Daniels, who was a free safety, quarterback and wide receiver from 1996-99.
• It should be noted that both of Eldridge's starts on the offensive line were made against ranked opponents -- No. 20 BYU, No. 3 Texas.
Position Changes
Several players have either changed positions or worked in dual spots in pre-season drills ...
• Former linebacker Brandon Crow moved to fullback.
• RB Mossis Madu is now at slot receiver.
• TE Brody Eldridge worked at center and has played there and at left guard.
• Under Bob Stoops, OU's position changes have a history of working out well. Perhaps the most notable was Jammal Brown's move from defensive tackle to becoming the 2004 Outland winner at offensive tackle.
Gresham Out for Season
Jermaine Gresham did not play this season after season-ending knee surgery.
• The senior entered the 2009 season with 26 touchdown receptions, seven shy of the NCAA record of 33 set by Ibn Green of Louisville from 1996-99. Missouri's Chase Coffman holds the Big 12 mark at 30. Gresham already had more TD receptions and yards than any TE at Oklahoma. Gresham has 1,629 yards.
Trench Talk
OU has one returning starter on the o-line ...
• The four players who are not back started 148 games at OU. Three are in the NFL -- OT Phil Loadholt (Vikings), C Jon Cooper (Vikings) and OG Duke Robinson (Panthers).
• The returning OU offensive linemen entered the season 44 games played and 22 starts.
• OU returns two linemen with starting experience, tackle Trent Williams and guard Brian Simmons. Williams entered the season 20 career starts, 19 at right tackle and one at left tackle (2008 season opener).
• So far this season, nine different players have had starting assignments on the OU line. The latest was Tavaris Jeffries, who started at right guard vs. Miami.
• TE Brody Eldridge started at center for the opener against BYU, left guard against Texas.
About the Offense in 2008
• OU scored a school record 99 TDs to clip the 80 in 2003.
• With 716 points, it was the highest scoring team in the modern era of college football. It also was the first in that span to score 60+ points in five consecutive games.
• It was the first team ever with a 4,000-yard passer (Bradford) and two 1,000-yard rushers (Chris Brown and DeMarco Murray).
• OU forced at least one turnover in 123 of Bob Stoops' 139 games and has at least one interception in 921 of the last 121; multiple picks in 44 of the last 92 outings.
• Oklahoma has 11 shutouts under its current head coach. Opponents failed to score more than seven points 31 times and scored less than 15 in 59 games.
Sooner 'D' Nationally
OU's ranks No. 1 nationally in red zone defense (62%), No. 3 in scoring defense (9.7), No. 4 in tackles for loss (8.8), No. 4 in sacks (3.8), No. 5 in rushing defense (68.3), No. 8 in total defense (258.2), No. 12 in first downs allowed (15.2), No. 14 in turnovers gained (16), No. 18 in INTs (9) and No. 24 in pass efficiency defense (102.2).
BTW TFL
The number is somewhat skewed by the record-tying total of 17 against Idaho State, but it's worth noting that Oklahoma is averaging 8.8 tackles for loss per game this season. Last year's team, averaged 7.6 per game. • Nineteen Sooners have tackles for loss this season led by DE Jeremy Beal and Gerald McCoy with 9.5.
Pick Streak
CB Brian Jackson has an interception in four straight games, a first in the Stoops era, which included Thorpe Award (top defensive back) winners Roy Williams and Derrick Strait. Jackson's four picks rank No. 6 nationally.
• Idaho State is the only opponent that did not throw an interceptions against Oklahoma this season. The Bengals attempted a season-low (by OU opponents) 26 passes.
The Real Beal
DE Jeremy Beal has 9.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks ...
• Career-high 12 tackles vs. Texas.
• He has 6.5 sacks over the last four games.
• I He is the only player in school history to log two, three-sacks games in the same season (Tulsa, Miami).
• Of his 30 tackles this season, 9.5 were behind the line.
• With 16 career sacks, the junior needs 2.0 more to crack OU's career top 10 list.
The Real McCoy
A frontrunner for several national awards, DT Gerald McCoy, still a junior, is the most experienced player on the defense with 33 career starts.
• The Sooners intercepted Tim Tebow twice in last year's BCS title game and McCoy had one of those with a 12-yard return. Now, both of OU's starting defensive tackles have a career interception. Adrian Taylor picked off a Baylor pass in 2007 and ran it back 18 yards.
• McCoy is tied for the team lead with 9.5 TFL. He now has 27 for his career or 43% of his 63 career stops.
The End(s)
OU's defensive ends -- Frank Alexander, Jeremy Beal and Auston English -- all have extensive experience ...
• The trio has combined for 74 career games played, 52 starts, 225 tackles, 66.5 tackles for 322 yards in losses and 36.5 sacks for 253 yards in losses.
• English is the only senior in the group. Alexander is a sophomore and Beal a junior.
Hush the Rush
• Oklahoma limited Idaho State to -22 yards on 32 rushing attempts. That was the second-best rushing defense performance by the Sooners under Bob Stoops. The 2006 team limited Baylor to -48 (on 20 attempts), mostly on five sacks. OU had just two sacks vs. ISU.
• In the opener, BYU rushed 33 times for 28 yards.
• Baylor had 17 rushes for 6 yards.
Tougher Slate, Better Results
Through six games last season, including just one against a ranked opponent (at home), OU had surrendered 99 first downs and 409 offensive plays. Through six games this season, three against ranked foes (all away from Norman), the foes have 91 first downs and 402 plays.
Weak Freak
LB Travis Lewis led Oklahoma last season with 144 tackles, a figure that ranked No. 4 nationally and established a school record for stops by a freshman (besting Brian Bosworth's mark of 133).
• Lewis has two double-digit tackle games this season and nine in his 20 career games.
• The sophomore is closing in on the 200-tackle mark for his career. He's at 195. Daryl Hunt owns the school record of 530. To crack the top 10, Lewis would have to eclipse Lee Roy Selmon's total of 335.
Turnovers = Points
Last season, Oklahoma converted 22 of 34 takeaways into touchdowns, including two that the defense returned to the end zone. That conversion rate was .647.
• The Sooners turned a turnover into a touchdown in nine of 14 games last season.
• Thus far through the 2009 season, Oklahoma has 16 takeaways. The team converted eight of those into scores amounting to 48 points (conversion rate is .500).
• Oklahoma's offense has turned a takeaway into points at least once in five games this season.
• The OU defense has scored in each of Bob Stoops' 11 seasons. The only position that has not scored a touchdown during that time is defensive tackle.
Oklahoma's special teams under Bob Stoops ...
• There have been 26 special teams touchdowns, including 20 in the last 73 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.
• OU has returned eight kickoffs and 15 punts for TDs.
• The Sooners have blocked 22 kicks.
Many Happy Returns
Information on returns during the Stoops era ...
• Kickoff Returns --91 returns of 25 yards+ with eight TD.
• Punt Returns -- 56 ret., of 15+ with 15 touchdowns.
• Interception Returns -- 80 ret., of 10+ yards with 21 TD.
• Fumble Returns -- five returns of 15+ yards with 7 TD.
Getting His Way at Punter
Tress Way is averaging 43.7 yards on 22 punts with seven downed inside the 20 and eight of 50+ yards ...
• His ranks No. 18 nationally in punting average.
• The best punting average achieved in Bob Stoops' tenure at Oklahoma was 42.8 yards in 2006.
• Way unleashed a 71 yard punt at Miami, the longest by a Sooner since Mike Cohen's 72-yarder in 2006.
• Way was called on to attempt a 54-yard field goal at the 1:28 mark of the fourth quarter in the BYU game, but the kick fell short. It was his only collegiate attempt.
• The second-team punter is WR Cameron Kenney. At Garden City (Kan.) CC last season, Kenney had a 47-yard punting average. He also converted 11-of-13 PATs and 8-of-9 FGs, including makes from 40, 41 and 52 yards. OU has not a position player in a kicking role since DB Darrol Ray punted in 1978.
Dom is Dominant
Dominique Franks has a 30+ yard punt return in each of the last three games. He inherited the role after Ryan Broyles suffered a shoulder injury against Miami.
• He ranks No. 6 nationally at 17.0 yards per return.
• Franks had four returns for 100 total yards against Baylor, the first 100-yard punt return game by a Sooner since 2003 when All-America return specialist Antonio Perkins accomplished the feat against Missouri.
Whitson Holding Steady
WR Carter Whitson is in his second year as the holder for place kicks. A quarterback for part of his high school career, Whitson is the first holder to serve in that role for back-to-back seasons during Bob Stoops' tenure.
• Whitson's back-up is QB John Nimmo, a steady golfing partner with Sam Bradford.
• Whitson had a two-yard rush on a faked field goal at Miami. The play resulted in a first down and kept alive a drive that later yielded a field goal.
Got it Covered
Last season, OU opponents returned four kickoffs for TDs and averaged 23.8 per return. This year, there have been no TDs and the return average is down to 20.4.
Stevens Off to a Good Start
Sophomore Jimmy Stevens returns at placekicker and is on the watch list for the Lou Groza Award ...
• Stevens is 11-of-13 on field goals with the misses coming from 40and 45 yards. His 1.8 FG/game ranks No. 8 nationally. He has made 21-of-22 PATs with the lone miss coming in rainy conditions at OU's home opener.
• He tied the school record for field goals made when he went 4-of-4 against Baylor.
• Stevens made 8-of-12 field goals last season with a long of 42 yards at Texas A&M. He set a school record with 94 point after touchdown conversions.
• Stevens ranked second on the team in points with 118. Chris Brown, with 21 touchdowns, scored 126 to lead the team. Brown became the first running back to lead the team in scoring since 2005 when Adrian Peterson did so with 14 touchdowns. Brown's TD total was the best by a Sooner since Billy Sims got 23 in 1979.
• The back-up for placements is punter Tress Way. Way is also the back-up for kickoffs.
• Matthew Moreland, who handled kickoffs last season, looks is in that role again this season. Moreland had 121 kickoffs with 15 touchbacks and only two out of bounds last season. Way is Moreland's back-up.
Visit Sooner Gameday Central to view complete information for fans attending the game plus TV, radio and internet options for fans following the Sooners around the world.
SoonerSports.com will again bring fans the Sooner Gameday Blog live from Lawrence Saturday afternoon. 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.
The Game
Oklahoma and Kansas will try to get back on the winning track when they meet at Lawrence this Saturday. Last week, OU dropped a 16-13 decision to No. 3 Texas at Dallas, while the Jayhawks were upset at Colorado, 34-30.
• Oklahoma's three losses are by a total of five points to ranked opponents on road or neutral fields.
• This will mark Oklahoma's fourth game away from Norman. It's the first time since 1999, Bob Stoops' first season at OU, that the Sooners have played fewer home games than road through the first seven games of the season.
 OU, Kansas & Big 12 Game Notes | OU Depth Chart | 2009 OU Football Guide
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The Series
Oklahoma leads it, 67-27-6, including a 31-15-4 advantage in Lawrence. OU has won the last five meetings.
The Coaches
• Bob Stoops (Iowa `83) is 112-27 in his 11th season at Oklahoma. He is 73-15 vs. the Big 12, 40-11 vs. the Big 12 South, 33-4 vs. the Big 12 North, 6-1 in the Big 12 title game, 39-12 vs. non-conference opponents, 63-2 at home, 32-12 on the road, 17-13 on neutral fields, 33-15 vs. ranked opponents, 4-6 in bowls. He is 5-0 vs. Kansas.
• Mark Mangino (Youngstown State `87) is 50-42 in his eighth year at Kansas. He is 0-3 vs. Oklahoma.
The Program
• Oklahoma's all-time record stands at 794-300-53 in 115 seasons. Since WWII, OU leads the nation with 550 victories.
• The Sooners have captured seven national championships (1950, 1955, 1956, 1974, 1975, 1985, 2000).
• OU has 42 bowl appearances (No. 7 nationally) with 24 bowl victories (No. 4 nationally).
• Oklahoma has 42 conference championships, including the last three Big 12 Conference crowns and six Big 12 titles overall (no other league member has more than two)
• OU has produced 148 All-Americans and five Heisman Trophy winners. Sooners have also won the Bednarik (1), Butkus (4), Walter Camp (4), Lombardi (3), Maxwell (2), Nagurski (2), O'Brien (3), (Outland (5), Tatupu (1), Thorpe (3) and Unitas (1) Awards.
• With 31, 10-win seasons, OU leads the nation in total number of years in which the team achieved double-digit victories.
• This is Oklahoma's best decade for total victories. In the 2000s, OU is 105-22-0 (.836) while the Sooners were 102-13-3 (.877) in the 1970s.
Oklahoma Football History & Tradition
Long Time, No Lawrence
Oklahoma hasn't played in Lawrence, Kan., since the 2001 season. That's because the 2005 game between OU and KU was moved to Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium.
• Oklahoma won its last visit to Lawrence, 38-10, when Jason White came off the bench to throw four touchdown passes, all to tight end Trent Smith. That set a school record for touchdown receptions in one game, a mark that was then tied in 2007 when Jermaine Gresham caught four TDs against Texas A&M.
Last Year's Game
Sam Bradford set school records with 482 total yards and 468 passing yards as No. 4 Oklahoma downed No. 16 Kansas in Norman, Okla.
• WR Juaquin Iglesias also set an OU record with 12 receptions. Those catches went for 191 yards.
• Dezmon Briscoe highlighted Kansas' offense with 12 receptions for 269 yards and two touchdowns.
Ties with This Week's Opponent
• Kansas Head Coach Mark Mangino was on Oklahoma's coaching staff from 1999-2001. He was the offensive coordinator when the Sooners won the 2000 national championship. Mangino and OU Head Coach Bob Stoops, both natives of Youngstown, Ohio, also coached together at Kansas State under current Wildcat coach Bill Snyder.
• Current OU coaches, who were on staff with Mangino in Norman include Cale Gundy, Jackie Shipp, Brent Venables (also was with Mangino at Kansas State) and Bobby Jack Wright.
• There are three scholarshipped Kansans on the Oklahoma roster in Brody Eldridge, Jaydan Bird and Marshall Musil. Eldridge, a senior, is from La Cygne (pronounced: luh-SEEN). That community is located 78 miles southeast of Lawrence. Bird is from Conway Springs, near Wichita, and Musil is from La Crosse, which is in northwest Kansas. Both Bird and Musil are true freshmen.
Oklahoma's Big 12 Dominance
• Oklahoma's all-time Big 12 regular season record is 76-30, 82-31 if counting title games. Stoops is 67-14 in the regular season, 73-15 counting all. Before he arrived, OU's Big 12 mark against the league was 8-16.
• The Sooners have won the last three Big 12 titles. No other program has ever won back-to-back titles.
Oklahoma's Most Recent Game | Texas 16, Oklahoma 13
Blog | Photos | Highlights
Oklahoma dropped a hard-fought 16-13 decision to No. 3 Texas in Dallas...
• Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford left the game with a shoulder injury on the first play of the team's second offensive series. He did not return.
• OU's defense was impressive. Texas entered the game as the nation's top scoring team at 47.2 points per game, but was limited to 16.
• Defense ruled with eight takeaways. Oklahoma had five of those turnovers with three fumbles and two interceptions. The Sooners logged -16 yards rushing.
• Oklahoma's lone touchdown came on a 35-yard pass from Landry Jones to Ryan Broyles.
• Jones completed 24-of-43 passes for 250 yards with two interceptions and one touchdown. Texas' Colt McCoy was 21-of-39 for 127 yards with one TD and one INT.
• A crowd of 96,009, the second-largest ever to witness an Oklahoma game, was on hand.
Strong Schedule
Current NCAA strength of schedule rankings...
Opp. Wins |
Opp. Losses |
Opp. % |
|
| 1. Virginia Tech | 27 |
6 |
.818 |
| 2. Oklahoma | 18 |
5 |
.783 |
| 2. Florida State | 18 |
5 |
.783 |
| 4. Arkansas | 21 |
6 |
.778 |
| 5. Washington | 26 |
9 |
.743 |
| 6. Colorado State | 23 |
8 |
.742 |
| 7. Arizona | 19 |
7 |
.731 |
| 8. Florida | 17 |
7 |
.708 |
| 9. Iowa | 19 |
8 |
.704 |
| 10. Arkansas State | 13 |
6 |
.684 |
Stoops' Mark Legendary
George Woodruff completed his first 10 years of coaching, all at Penn, in 1901 with 124 victories. That's the only 10-year start that exceeds the 112 games won by Bob Stoops, now in his 11th season at Oklahoma. ...
• All but two of Stoops' wins came against FBS programs.
• Thirty-two of Stoops' wins, nearly one-third, came against ranked opponents.
• Seventy-three of the victories came over Big 12 opponents, including 40 against the Big 12 South.
• Forty-nine Stoops wins occurred away from Norman.
Ambitious Scheduling | Future Schedules
Oklahoma has numerous marquee non-conference opponents coming up on future schedules ...
• Florida State (2010), at Florida State (2011)
• Notre Dame (2012), at Notre Dame (2013)
• Tennessee (2014), at Tennessee (2015)
• Ohio State (2016), at Ohio State (2017)
• LSU (2018), at LSU (2019).
• Under Bob Stoops, Oklahoma has already played Louisville, Notre Dame, North Carolina, Alabama (twice), UCLA (twice), Oregon (twice), Washington (twice), South Florida, Miami (twice) and Cincinnati in regular season contests.
Numerous Nailbiters
OU's three losses were by a total of five points (two by one point) to nationally-ranked foes. Seven of the last 11 losses were by three points or less including four be a single digit.
OU Sets Home Streak Record
Oklahoma has won 27 straight home games, the longest current streak in the nation, and a school record. The current record was set with the win over Tulsa. The previous mark was set at 25 before loss in the 1953 season opener to Notre Dame, 28-21.
• Bob Stoops' teams are 63-2 at home and the Sooners have won 47 of their last 48 on Owen Field.
• Other long OU home streaks and the years they ended include 21 (1975), 20 (1957).
• Other long home streaks under Stoops were 22, 19, 19.
• OU's all-time record at its current facility, which opened in 1923, is 346-78-15 (.805).
Football Facilities Get Upgrade
The $15 million Phase IV of the Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium was completed this summer and included the following ...
• A 9,000 square-foot football locker room, including grooming areas, cold-plunge hydrotherapy, and lounge.
• A 10,000 square-foot athletic training space.
• A 6,500 square-foot equipment room.
• A 4,000 square-foot team meeting room equipped with the latest technology, sound and video equipment and seating for more than 200 added to the more than 8,000 square feet of existing team meeting rooms.
• Expansion of and upgrades to the SoonerVision studio and production facilities.
Stoops Era Yielding Record Attendance
Oklahoma has drawn 5,268,256 fans for Bob Stoops' 65 home games (started in 1999) and all have been sold out.
• The Sooners are 63-2 on Owen Field under Stoops and have won 27 straight, a school record.
• The current string of sellouts is the second longest in school history, trailing a string of 69 from 1971-84.
• The average home attendance of 85,075 in 2008 was a school record. The top nine seasons for football attendance at Oklahoma came on Stoops' watch.
• The largest home crowd in school history was 85,646, on hand for the 2008 OU-Texas Tech game.
• Oklahoma has exceeded its listed seating capacity of 82,112 at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in 39 consecutive home games.
• Oklahoma has played before sellout crowds in 113 of the 139 games (home, away, neutral) since Stoops became the head coach. During that time, a total of 10,139,715 (average of 72,948) have watched the Sooners. The gathering of 96,009 for this season's Texas game was the largest ever to see OU play.
Oklahoma Sets Attendance Records
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About the Sooner Offense |
• Under Stoops, OU produced its career leader in passing and receiving, its No. 3 and No. 5 career rushers and school record holders for season rushing, passing and receiving yards.
• Of 83 offensive records at OU, 55 were set under Stoops.
• OU scored a TD in every game since Nov. 7, 1998.
• OU has rushed for 200 yards 42 times under Stoops, 36 in the last six years.
• Also under Stoops, OU has 143 touchdowns of 25+ yards and 292 scoring drives of 2:00 or less.
• OU is the highest scoring program in college football history. In 1,145 games, the Sooners have scored 30,610 points, or 26.7 per game. Michigan has 29,730 points in 1,209 games and Nebraska 29,625 in 1,205.
Bradford Gets Passing Mark
Sam Bradford became Oklahoma's all-time leading passer with his 96 yards in the season opener, and has since upped that total to 8,403 yards.
• Bradford eclipsed Jason White's mark of 7,922 yards, set from 1999-2004.
• Bradford holds 15 school records at OU. He got his 15th against Baylor with his 14th, 300-yard passing game.
• Due to Bradford's sprained right shoulder joint, OU has run 320 offensive plays minus last year's Heisman winner.
Keeping Up with Jones
Landry Jones played the second half of the season opener, then started Oklahoma's games against Idaho State, Tulsa and Miami before again relieving an injured Sam Bradford during the second series of the Texas game.
• Jones set a school record with six touchdown passes against Tulsa. The previous mark of five was held jointly by Sam Bradford, Jason White and Josh Heupel, two Heisman winners and a Heisman runner-up.
• This marks the 19th time since 1954 that Oklahoma's starting QB has been injured and replaced by a back-up. It is the third time it has happened on Bob Stoops' watch.
A Man for All Positions
Brody Eldridge, listed as a tight end on the OU roster, started the season opener against BYU at center. He then started games two-five at tight end before moving to left guard for the Texas game.
• Eldridge is the only player FBS player in the nation this season (not including special teams) to start at three different positions.
• Eldridge is also the first OU player to start at three different positions during one season in the modern era. The last player to start at three different positions in a career was Brandon Daniels, who was a free safety, quarterback and wide receiver from 1996-99.
• It should be noted that both of Eldridge's starts on the offensive line were made against ranked opponents -- No. 20 BYU, No. 3 Texas.
Position Changes
Several players have either changed positions or worked in dual spots in pre-season drills ...
• Former linebacker Brandon Crow moved to fullback.
• RB Mossis Madu is now at slot receiver.
• TE Brody Eldridge worked at center and has played there and at left guard.
• Under Bob Stoops, OU's position changes have a history of working out well. Perhaps the most notable was Jammal Brown's move from defensive tackle to becoming the 2004 Outland winner at offensive tackle.
Gresham Out for Season
Jermaine Gresham did not play this season after season-ending knee surgery.
• The senior entered the 2009 season with 26 touchdown receptions, seven shy of the NCAA record of 33 set by Ibn Green of Louisville from 1996-99. Missouri's Chase Coffman holds the Big 12 mark at 30. Gresham already had more TD receptions and yards than any TE at Oklahoma. Gresham has 1,629 yards.
Trench Talk
OU has one returning starter on the o-line ...
• The four players who are not back started 148 games at OU. Three are in the NFL -- OT Phil Loadholt (Vikings), C Jon Cooper (Vikings) and OG Duke Robinson (Panthers).
• The returning OU offensive linemen entered the season 44 games played and 22 starts.
• OU returns two linemen with starting experience, tackle Trent Williams and guard Brian Simmons. Williams entered the season 20 career starts, 19 at right tackle and one at left tackle (2008 season opener).
• So far this season, nine different players have had starting assignments on the OU line. The latest was Tavaris Jeffries, who started at right guard vs. Miami.
• TE Brody Eldridge started at center for the opener against BYU, left guard against Texas.
About the Offense in 2008
• OU scored a school record 99 TDs to clip the 80 in 2003.
• With 716 points, it was the highest scoring team in the modern era of college football. It also was the first in that span to score 60+ points in five consecutive games.
• It was the first team ever with a 4,000-yard passer (Bradford) and two 1,000-yard rushers (Chris Brown and DeMarco Murray).
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About the Sooner Defense |
• OU forced at least one turnover in 123 of Bob Stoops' 139 games and has at least one interception in 921 of the last 121; multiple picks in 44 of the last 92 outings.
• Oklahoma has 11 shutouts under its current head coach. Opponents failed to score more than seven points 31 times and scored less than 15 in 59 games.
Sooner 'D' Nationally
OU's ranks No. 1 nationally in red zone defense (62%), No. 3 in scoring defense (9.7), No. 4 in tackles for loss (8.8), No. 4 in sacks (3.8), No. 5 in rushing defense (68.3), No. 8 in total defense (258.2), No. 12 in first downs allowed (15.2), No. 14 in turnovers gained (16), No. 18 in INTs (9) and No. 24 in pass efficiency defense (102.2).
BTW TFL
The number is somewhat skewed by the record-tying total of 17 against Idaho State, but it's worth noting that Oklahoma is averaging 8.8 tackles for loss per game this season. Last year's team, averaged 7.6 per game. • Nineteen Sooners have tackles for loss this season led by DE Jeremy Beal and Gerald McCoy with 9.5.
Pick Streak
CB Brian Jackson has an interception in four straight games, a first in the Stoops era, which included Thorpe Award (top defensive back) winners Roy Williams and Derrick Strait. Jackson's four picks rank No. 6 nationally.
• Idaho State is the only opponent that did not throw an interceptions against Oklahoma this season. The Bengals attempted a season-low (by OU opponents) 26 passes.
The Real Beal
DE Jeremy Beal has 9.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks ...
• Career-high 12 tackles vs. Texas.
• He has 6.5 sacks over the last four games.
• I He is the only player in school history to log two, three-sacks games in the same season (Tulsa, Miami).
• Of his 30 tackles this season, 9.5 were behind the line.
• With 16 career sacks, the junior needs 2.0 more to crack OU's career top 10 list.
The Real McCoy
A frontrunner for several national awards, DT Gerald McCoy, still a junior, is the most experienced player on the defense with 33 career starts.
• The Sooners intercepted Tim Tebow twice in last year's BCS title game and McCoy had one of those with a 12-yard return. Now, both of OU's starting defensive tackles have a career interception. Adrian Taylor picked off a Baylor pass in 2007 and ran it back 18 yards.
• McCoy is tied for the team lead with 9.5 TFL. He now has 27 for his career or 43% of his 63 career stops.
The End(s)
OU's defensive ends -- Frank Alexander, Jeremy Beal and Auston English -- all have extensive experience ...
• The trio has combined for 74 career games played, 52 starts, 225 tackles, 66.5 tackles for 322 yards in losses and 36.5 sacks for 253 yards in losses.
• English is the only senior in the group. Alexander is a sophomore and Beal a junior.
Hush the Rush
• Oklahoma limited Idaho State to -22 yards on 32 rushing attempts. That was the second-best rushing defense performance by the Sooners under Bob Stoops. The 2006 team limited Baylor to -48 (on 20 attempts), mostly on five sacks. OU had just two sacks vs. ISU.
• In the opener, BYU rushed 33 times for 28 yards.
• Baylor had 17 rushes for 6 yards.
Tougher Slate, Better Results
Through six games last season, including just one against a ranked opponent (at home), OU had surrendered 99 first downs and 409 offensive plays. Through six games this season, three against ranked foes (all away from Norman), the foes have 91 first downs and 402 plays.
Weak Freak
LB Travis Lewis led Oklahoma last season with 144 tackles, a figure that ranked No. 4 nationally and established a school record for stops by a freshman (besting Brian Bosworth's mark of 133).
• Lewis has two double-digit tackle games this season and nine in his 20 career games.
• The sophomore is closing in on the 200-tackle mark for his career. He's at 195. Daryl Hunt owns the school record of 530. To crack the top 10, Lewis would have to eclipse Lee Roy Selmon's total of 335.
Turnovers = Points
Last season, Oklahoma converted 22 of 34 takeaways into touchdowns, including two that the defense returned to the end zone. That conversion rate was .647.
• The Sooners turned a turnover into a touchdown in nine of 14 games last season.
• Thus far through the 2009 season, Oklahoma has 16 takeaways. The team converted eight of those into scores amounting to 48 points (conversion rate is .500).
• Oklahoma's offense has turned a takeaway into points at least once in five games this season.
• The OU defense has scored in each of Bob Stoops' 11 seasons. The only position that has not scored a touchdown during that time is defensive tackle.
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About the Sooner Special Teams |
Oklahoma's special teams under Bob Stoops ...
• There have been 26 special teams touchdowns, including 20 in the last 73 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.
• OU has returned eight kickoffs and 15 punts for TDs.
• The Sooners have blocked 22 kicks.
Many Happy Returns
Information on returns during the Stoops era ...
• Kickoff Returns --91 returns of 25 yards+ with eight TD.
• Punt Returns -- 56 ret., of 15+ with 15 touchdowns.
• Interception Returns -- 80 ret., of 10+ yards with 21 TD.
• Fumble Returns -- five returns of 15+ yards with 7 TD.
Getting His Way at Punter
Tress Way is averaging 43.7 yards on 22 punts with seven downed inside the 20 and eight of 50+ yards ...
• His ranks No. 18 nationally in punting average.
• The best punting average achieved in Bob Stoops' tenure at Oklahoma was 42.8 yards in 2006.
• Way unleashed a 71 yard punt at Miami, the longest by a Sooner since Mike Cohen's 72-yarder in 2006.
• Way was called on to attempt a 54-yard field goal at the 1:28 mark of the fourth quarter in the BYU game, but the kick fell short. It was his only collegiate attempt.
• The second-team punter is WR Cameron Kenney. At Garden City (Kan.) CC last season, Kenney had a 47-yard punting average. He also converted 11-of-13 PATs and 8-of-9 FGs, including makes from 40, 41 and 52 yards. OU has not a position player in a kicking role since DB Darrol Ray punted in 1978.
Dom is Dominant
Dominique Franks has a 30+ yard punt return in each of the last three games. He inherited the role after Ryan Broyles suffered a shoulder injury against Miami.
• He ranks No. 6 nationally at 17.0 yards per return.
• Franks had four returns for 100 total yards against Baylor, the first 100-yard punt return game by a Sooner since 2003 when All-America return specialist Antonio Perkins accomplished the feat against Missouri.
Whitson Holding Steady
WR Carter Whitson is in his second year as the holder for place kicks. A quarterback for part of his high school career, Whitson is the first holder to serve in that role for back-to-back seasons during Bob Stoops' tenure.
• Whitson's back-up is QB John Nimmo, a steady golfing partner with Sam Bradford.
• Whitson had a two-yard rush on a faked field goal at Miami. The play resulted in a first down and kept alive a drive that later yielded a field goal.
Got it Covered
Last season, OU opponents returned four kickoffs for TDs and averaged 23.8 per return. This year, there have been no TDs and the return average is down to 20.4.
Stevens Off to a Good Start
Sophomore Jimmy Stevens returns at placekicker and is on the watch list for the Lou Groza Award ...
• Stevens is 11-of-13 on field goals with the misses coming from 40and 45 yards. His 1.8 FG/game ranks No. 8 nationally. He has made 21-of-22 PATs with the lone miss coming in rainy conditions at OU's home opener.
• He tied the school record for field goals made when he went 4-of-4 against Baylor.
• Stevens made 8-of-12 field goals last season with a long of 42 yards at Texas A&M. He set a school record with 94 point after touchdown conversions.
• Stevens ranked second on the team in points with 118. Chris Brown, with 21 touchdowns, scored 126 to lead the team. Brown became the first running back to lead the team in scoring since 2005 when Adrian Peterson did so with 14 touchdowns. Brown's TD total was the best by a Sooner since Billy Sims got 23 in 1979.
• The back-up for placements is punter Tress Way. Way is also the back-up for kickoffs.
• Matthew Moreland, who handled kickoffs last season, looks is in that role again this season. Moreland had 121 kickoffs with 15 touchbacks and only two out of bounds last season. Way is Moreland's back-up.
Thursday, June 25
Monday, June 22
Monday, May 18
Thursday, April 30
