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University of Oklahoma Athletics
Game Notes: Oklahoma vs. Utah State
September 01, 2010 | Football
NORMAN, Okla. -- Oklahoma (No. 8 ESPN/Coaches, No. 7 Associated Press) opens the 2010 season at home against the Utah State Aggies. This is the 116th season of football for OU, which played its first game 12 years before the territory of Oklahoma achieved statehood. The Sooners are opening at home for the 10th time in Bob Stoops' 12 seasons as head coach.
THE SERIES
Oklahoma won the four previous meetings, all played in Norman, with Utah State. The only one that occurred on Bob Stoops' watch came in 2007 when the No. 4-ranked Sooners posted a 54-3 victory. RB DeMarco Murray, who notched a 92-yard touchdown run, is the only current Oklahoma player who scored in that game.
USU: Gary Andersen (Utah `86) is 4-8 in his second season at Utah State.
THE COACHES
Oklahoma: Bob Stoops (Iowa `83) is 117-29 in his 12th season. He is 77-17 vs. the Big 12, 42-12 vs. the Big 12 South, 35-5 vs. the Big 12 North, 6-1 in the Big 12 title game, 40-12 vs. non-conference opponents, 66-2 at home, 33-14 on the road, 18-13 on neutral fields, 35-15 vs. ranked opponents, 5-6 in bowls. He is 1-0 vs. Utah State.
THE PROGRAM
Oklahoma's all-time record stands at 799-302-53 in 115 seasons.
Since World War II, OU leads the nation with 560 victories.
The Sooners have captured seven national championships (1950, 1955, 1956, 1974, 1975, 1985, 2000).
OU has 43 bowl appearances (No. 7 nationally) with 25 bowl victories (No. 4 nationally).
Oklahoma has 42 conference championships, including three of the last four Big 12 Conference crowns and six Big 12 titles overall (no other league member has more than three).
OU has produced 150 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).
Oklahoma Football History & Tradition
MILESTONES WITHIN REACH
Oklahoma has won 799 games since the program's inception in 1895. The next victory will be the 800th, making OU the seventh program to reach that mark.
OU has 68 straight sellouts, one shy of the school record.
The last 98 Oklahoma football games have been on television. The second game (Florida State) will represent the 100th in a row to be televised.
OU has won its last 30 home games, the longest current streak in the nation. That's the 19th-longest home field streak of all time, the eighth-longest streak since WWII.
DURING THIS HOME STREAK
A look at data during the 30-game home field winning streak. It began on 9/1/05 with a 31-15 win over Tulsa ...
The Sooners outscored their opponents by nearly 1,000 points -- 1,362-439, an average score of 45.4 to 14.6.
OU scored 50+ pts., 11 times, 60+ five and a high of 79 vs. North Texas in `07 opener, Sam Bradford's first game.
The low OU scoring total was 24 points twice.
Oklahoma's defense has posted four shutouts during the streak and held the foe to single digits eight times.
QBs: Rhett Bomar, Paul Thompson, Sam Bradford, Landry Jones.
Eighteen Sooners were taken in the NFL Draft.
STREAK: INDIVIDUAL BESTS
Most passing yards: Sam Bradford vs. KU 2008, 468y
Most rushing yards: Allen Patrick vs. OSU 2007, 29-202
Most receiving yards: M. Johnson vs. TCU 2008, 5-206
Most receptions: Juaquin Iglesias VS. KU 2008 12-191
Most tackles in a game Curtis Lofton vs. Missouri, 2007 18
Most interceptions: Lendy Holmes vs. KU 2008, 2-11
Most sacks: Jeremy Beal vs. Tulsa 2009, 3-15
STREAK: TEAM BESTS
Most points: 79 vs. North Texas, 2007
Most rushing yards: 343 vs. Utah State, 2007
Most receiving yards: 468 vs. Kansas, 2008
Most total yards: 674 vs. Kansas, 2008
OU Individual Records Set During Streak
Total Offense: 482, Sam Bradford vs. Kansas, 2008
Passing Yards: 468, S. Bradford vs. Kansas, 2008
Receiving Yards: 206, M. Johnson vs. TCU, 2008
TD Passes: 6, Landry Jones vs. Tulsa, 2009
TD Receptions: 4 (tied), J. Gresham vs. Texas A&M, 2007
Field Goals: 4 (tied), Jimmy Stevens vs. Baylor, 2009
Punting Average: 58.83, Tress Way vs. Okla St., 2009
50-yd Punts: 5, Tress Way Tress Way vs. Okla St., 2009
OU Team Records Set During Streak
Passing Yards: 468 vs. Kansas, 2008
Tackles for Loss: 17 vs. Idaho State, 2009
Attendance: 85,646 vs. Texas Tech, 2008
LOTS TO CELEBRATE
The 2000 National Championship team will be honored at this game. That team went 13-0 and won the national title with a 13-2 triumph over Florida State in the Orange Bowl. The team will convene for a Friday night reception. The National Award Winners Honor Wall unveiling is Sept. 4, at 2:30 p.m., inside Gate 7. That event is by invitation only. Attendees include J.D. Roberts, Jerry Tubbs, Derrick Strait, Billy Sims, Rocky Calmus and Rickey Dixon.
THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT
Utah State head coach Gary Andersen is in his second season. He was Utah's defensive coordinator from 2004-08. Prior to USU, he had one year of experience as a college head coach, Southern Utah in 2003.
In his first season, Andersen led the Aggies to a 4-8 mark, USU's most wins since 2002. The team was 3-5 in the Western Athletic Conference, matching the 2008 season for USU's top record in its five WAC seasons.
USU lost four tilts by eight points or fewer last season.
The Aggies ranked No. 12 in the nation last season in total offense with 439.3 yards per game. QB Diondre Borel was No. 15 in total offense with 278.6 yards/game.
The Achilles heal last season was defense. The Aggies ranked No. 113 in total defense at 455.1 yards per game. They were No. 110 against the rush at 205.5 yards per game and 107th in scoring defense at 34.0.
Utah State also played a Big 12 foe last season, Texas A&M, and lost at College Station, 38-30.
TIES WITH UTAH STATE
Oklahoma QB coach Josh Heupel, a native of Aberdeen, SD, played two years at Snow JC in Ephraim, Utah. He transferred to Oklahoma prior to the 1999 season then quarterbacked OU to the national title in 2000. OU has not had a Utah player since C.J. Ah You, (2005-06). The Highland, Utah, DE began at BYU in 2001. He transferred to Snow JC in 2004 before moving to OU. Ah You's brother, Matt, is a senior LB at USU.
FOR OPENERS
OU is 87-22-6 in season openers, 44-9-5 mark at home. Bob Stoops is 9-2 in openers at Oklahoma. He is 8-1 in openers played in Norman.
LAST SEASON IN REVIEW
Oklahoma finished the season with an 8-5 mark, 5-3 in the Big 12, good for third place in the South Division. The Sooners earned a spot in the 76th Brut Sun Bowl where they knocked off Stanford, 31-27.
All-American Total Jumps to 150: Oklahoma added two All-Americans to its staggering total in defensive tackle Gerald McCoy and offensive tackle Trent Williams, both of whom were consensus picks. The Sooner program has averaged 1.3 All-Americans per year since its inception, which actually predates All-America teams.
Sooners Played Second Most Difficult Schedule: Based on its opponents' record, OU played the second-most difficult schedule. The Oklahoma foes were a combined 82-52. Only Mississippi State faced a tougher slate.
OU lost 26 starting assignments to injuries. Two were returning All-Americans -- QB Sam Bradford (Heisman winner) and TE Jermaine Gresham.
The group that was lost included four All-Big 12 performers, four seniors and two captains. OU used 10 different starters in the offensive line and had 10 different o-line combinations.
2010 SEASON
Twenty-three full or part-time position starters return. Among those players returning are last season's leaders in passing yards (Landry Jones), receiving yards (Ryan Broyles), tackles (Travis Lewis) and interceptions (Quinton Carter), and the No. 2 rusher (DeMarco Murray). The 12 opponents on the 2010 schedule combined for a record of 90-64 in 2009 and nine played in bowl games.
NON-CONS
Bob Stoops' teams are 40-12 against non-conference opponents, 34-6 in regular season non-league games and 27-1 on Owen Field.
OKLAHOMA AND AP POLL
Oklahoma opens the season ranked No. 7 in the first Associated Press poll. Here is a look at OU's history in the poll, which began in 1938 ...
Oklahoma has appeared in the AP poll in 63 of its 75 seasons of existence (84%). There have been 1,005 polls released and OU has appeared in 688 of those (68%).
The Sooners are in the preseason top 25 for the 52nd time.
AMBITIOUS SCHEDULING
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, OU has already played Louisville, Notre Dame, North Carolina, Alabama (twice), UCLA (twice), Oregon (twice), Washington (twice), South Florida, Miami (Fla.) and Cincinnati in regular season tilts.
SOONER CAPTAINS
As selected in a team vote, they are Jeremy Beal, Landry Jones and Travis Lewis.
RECORD-SETTING ATTENDANCE
Oklahoma has drawn 5,348,398 fans for Bob Stoops' 68 home games (started in 1999) and all have been sold out.
The Sooners are 66-2 on Owen Field under Stoops and have won 30 straight, a school record and the nation's longest current streak).
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 42 consecutive home games.
Oklahoma has played before sellout crowds in 119 of the 1463 games (home, away, neutral) since Stoops became the head coach. During that time, a total of 10,551,288 (average of 72,269) have watched the Sooners.
Oklahoma Sets Attendance Records at Memorial Stadium
Under Stoops, OU produced career leaders in passing and receiving, its No. 3 and No. 5 career rushers and season record holders in rushing, passing and receiving yards.
Some 57 offensive records have been set in Stoops' tenure at Oklahoma.
OU has scored in every game dating back to Nov. 7, 1998.
OU has rushed for 200 yards 43 times under Stoops, 37 in the last six years.
Also under Stoops, OU has 147 touchdowns of 25+ yards and 300 scoring drives of 2:00 or less.
OU is the highest scoring program in college football history. In 1,154 games, the Sooners have scored 30,916 points. Michigan has 29,940 points in 1,213 games and Nebraska 29,928 in 1,219.
LAST SEASON
In a year during which injuries played such a key role, the offense bore most of the brunt. Of the 11 players who started the season opener, only five started the finale. One of those five, Trent Williams, started the opener at left tackle, but was in the center role for the bowl game. His position change and the absence of three others were due to injuries.
During the season, Chris Brown and DeMarco Murray became just the sixth running back tandem in school history to exceed 2,000 career rushing yards while playing on the same roster. Brown completed his eligibility in `09. That duo became the first to share a roster spot and exceed 40 career touchdowns. Both had 45 at the end of last season. OU's string of seasons with a 1,000-yard rusher ended at five, but that was due to substitution patterns. Brown (749) and Murray (705) combined for 1,454 yards.
MURRAY LETHEL BY LAND, AIR
With 41 receptions last season, DeMarco Murray had the third-best season ever for a Sooner back. For his career, Murray has 86 receptions for 977 yards. That yardage figure ranks No. 2 for an OU running back behind 1,337 by Quentin Griffin from 1999-02. Over his career, Murray has averaged 27 receiving yards per game so at that pace he would need at least 13 games to eclipse Griffin's mark.
Griffin also has the receptions mark for backs at 169 and Murray is holding down the No. 2 spot.
Murray does lead all Oklahoma backs in touchdown receptions with eight.
Not to be lost is Murray's rushing prowess. He will enter his senior year with 2,471 career yards. He needs 255 yards to crack perhaps OU's most prestigious top-10 list, the career rushing category.
BROYLES' BREAKOUT SEASON
Ryan Broyles finished last season with 86 receptions for 1,120 yards and 15 touchdowns.
He set school records for receptions in a season, receptions in a game (13 vs. Stanford), touchdown receptions in a season (15, tied) and receptions per game (6.61).
His Sun Bowl effort -- 13 receptions, 156 yards, three touchdowns -- was record-setting. The TD total set an OU bowl and Sun Bowl mark. The receptions total was an OU bowl record and the second-highest total in the 76-year history of the Sun Bowl.
Broyles' 21 career TD receptions is tied for No. 3 all-time at OU with Malcolm Kelly (2005-07).
With 102 points, he became the first WR to lead OU in scoring (stats tracked for 72 seasons).
KEEPING UP WITH JONES
Landry Jones led the nation's freshmen quarterbacks in passing yards (3,198) and touchdown passes (26) last season. His yardage figure also was an Oklahoma freshman record, surpassing the 3,121 by Sam Bradford in 2007.
Jones set a school record for touchdown passes in a game with six against Tulsa.
SAM WAS EFFICIENT
Sam Bradford, the No. 1 pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, finished his career as the NCAA leader in career passing efficiency. His rating was 175.62, which broke the mark of 168.89 held by Boise State's Ryan Dinwiddie (2000-03). Bradford led the NCAA in pass efficiency in each of his two full seasons of eligibility to become just the fourth player to lead that statistic in two straight years.
GOOD SIGN ON THE LINE
The injury problem on OU's offensive line became so significant last season that only eight scholarship linemen were available for the Sun Bowl with two players appearing twice on the five-position depth chart. Only six linemen saw action in the game, including converted tight end Eric Mensik in just his second game at tackle and All-America tackle Trent Williams (now the Washington Redskins' starting left tackle) playing center for the first time.
Entering the 2010 season, there are 16 scholarship offensive linemen on the Sooner roster with no repeats on the two-deep.
The current depth chart features just two seniors and the only senior starter is Mensik at right tackle. Despite the relative youth of the line, the current two-deep includes players who have combined to play in 58 games.
OU has forced at least one turnover in 129 of Bob Stoops' 146 games and has at least one interception in 95 of the last 126 with multiple picks in 46 of the last 97 outings.
Oklahoma has 11 shutouts under its current head coach. Opponents failed to score more than seven points 32 times and scored less than 14 in 60 games.
WEAK FREAK
Weakside linebacker Travis Lewis has led Oklahoma in tackles in each of his first two seasons. His 109 last season were 21 more than any other player on the team and raised his career total to 253.
Lewis has now positioned himself to make a run at the prestigious career top-10 tackle list at Oklahoma. The record is held by the late Daryl Hunt at 530. The No. 10 spot belongs to Lee Roy Selmon at 335, 82 ahead of Lewis. Lewis has averaged 12.4 tackles per game during his career, which would put him on pace to move ahead of Selmon in game seven.
Tracking down big names is nothing new for Lewis. As a freshman in 2007, he racked up 144 tackles to break Brian Bosworth's Oklahoma freshman record of 133.
In 27 career games played, Lewis has 10 or more tackles 11 times.
THE REAL BEAL
Defensive end Jeremy Beal looks like a candidate to become Oklahoma's first Ted Hendricks Award winner.
Last season, Beal ranked No. 14 nationally in tackles for loss (1.46 per game/19 total) and No. 16 in sacks (0.8 per game and 11 total).
His 11 sacks last season rank No. 4 for a season at OU.
Beal is the only player in school history to notch two, three-sack games in the same year. He had three each against Tulsa and Miami last season.
The senior ranks No. 6 for sacks at Oklahoma in a career with 20.5. He is creeping up on the top-10 list for tackles for loss. He has 38, which is two shy of tying Darrell Reed, Tony Casillas and Lee Roy Selmon for the No. 9 spot.
Q TIPS
Quinton Carter has emerged as one of the top defensive backs in the nation. The safety finished the 2009 season with 88 tackles, which ranked No. 2 on the team, to go with four interceptions, a figure that tied for the Oklahoma lead.
Carter, who saw spot duty in his first two seasons, started all 13 games in 2009 when his tackle total for the season more than doubled the 37 he had registered as a freshman and sophomore combined.
Has 19 special teams tackles over the last two seasons and all 19 were solo.
TAYLOR MADE
DT Adrian Taylor spent the last two seasons lining up in the shadow of first-round NFL draft pick Gerald McCoy. That may explain why he has sometimes gone unnoticed. His numbers suggest he should hold a more prominent profile ...
The senior has started 27 consecutive games.
He had 37 total tackles last season, three more than McCoy.
CORNER CONVERSATION
Oklahoma will be looking to replace both starting cornerbacks. Brian Jackson completed his eligibility while Dominique Franks opted to come out after his junior season. Both scored touchdowns for OU last season, Jackson on a 52-yard fumble recovery against Texas A&M and Franks on an 85-yard interception return at Kansas. It was one of three defensive TDs Franks scored during his career.
The candidates to take over are Jamell Fleming at boundary corner and Demontre Hurst at field corner. The pair tied for No. 3 on last year's team in special teams tackles with 9 each.
The pair has combined for 40 games played at Oklahoma -- 27 by Fleming and 13 by Hurst.
DEFENSIVE MISCELLANY
Oklahoma had three shutouts last season, its best total since getting five in 1986.
Sooner opponents scored just 20 first-quarter points in 2009, an average of 1.5/game.
In 13 games, the 2009 Sooner defense played against eight of the top 50 scoring teams and seven of the top 40 total offenses.
Oklahoma's special teams under Bob Stoops ...
There have been 27 special teams touchdowns, including 21 in the last 78 regular season games. Those 21 came via five different kinds of plays -- 12 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 16 punts for touchdowns.
The Sooners have blocked 24 kicks.
MANY HAPPY RETURNS
Information on returns during the Stoops era ...
Kickoff Returns --93 returns of 25 yards or more with eight touchdowns.
Punt Returns -- 60 returns of 15 or more yards with 16 touchdowns.
Interception Returns -- 81 returns of 10 or more yards with 21 touchdowns.
Fumble Returns -- six returns of 15 or more yards with eight touchdowns.
PUNT RETURNS SUCCESSFUL
Oklahoma ranked No. 3 nationally last season in punt returns (16.26), a figure that also coincided with Ryan Broyles' individual ranking (15.87).
The team average was the best at Oklahoma since 1974 when the average return went for 16.4 yards. What makes the average even more impressive is the fact that OU ranked No. 2 in the Big 12 last season in punt return attempts at 43, just one behind Nebraska's 44.
For the second straight year, Broyles returned a punt for a touchdown, this time an 87-yarder against Oklahoma State.
When Broyles was shelved by an injury, Dominique Franks returned 11 punts for an average of 17.0.
A LOW RANKING THEY'LL TAKE
Last season, thanks to a defense that allowed just 34 scoring plays (2.6/game), Oklahoma tied for last in the Big 12 in kickoff return attempts with just 33.
COVER TEAM A STONE WALL
As good as Oklahoma was at returning punts, the same could not be said of the Sooner opponents. The Sooner foes ran back just 17 punts for a paltry 30 yards. That 1.76-yard average ranked No. 2 nationally.
Oklahoma was No. 5 in net punting nationally at 40.3 yards per kick.
The longest punt return OU surrendered last season was 19 yards, which occurred on just one occasion. No other punt return during the season exceeded six yards.
WAY GOOD AT PUNTER
P Tress Way had arguably the best season ever for an OU punter in 2009, and was just a redshirt freshman. He punted 61 times for an average of 45.7 yards with 22 of 50+ yards and 17 inside the 20.
Way's average ranked No. 1 in the Big 12 and No. 3 nationally. It also was the second-best average in OU history, the best by a punter with at least 35 attempts.
He averaged a school-record 58.8 yards on six punts against Oklahoma State, including one 74-yarder, the longest by an OU player since 2005.
Way's 22 kicks of 50 or more yards last season positions him to make a run at the career mark. Jeff Ferguson (1998-01) set that record with 52. Ferguson was an All-American and Ray Guy finalist in 2001.
KICKER BY COMMITTEE
That was the case last season when three different players took a turn at the placements.
Jimmy Stevens began the season in the job, making 11-of-13 field goals.
Tress Way went 1-of-6, although it should be noted that four of his attempts were from beyond 40 yards.
Patrick O'Hara wrapped up the season as the kicker. He had never played football before kicking in the Texas A&M game. He made 6-of-9 field goals.
Oklahoma attempted 28 field goals last season, 15 more than in 2008 and the most since the 2001 team tried 30.
NEW FACES IN KEY PLACES
The Sooners will have new players handling kickoff and holding chores. It is expected that Way may handle the kickoffs, while the holding duties could go to John Nimmo. Nimmo is a senior quarterback from Ponca City, Okla. He has been a regular golf partner with Sam Bradford.
THE SERIES
Oklahoma won the four previous meetings, all played in Norman, with Utah State. The only one that occurred on Bob Stoops' watch came in 2007 when the No. 4-ranked Sooners posted a 54-3 victory. RB DeMarco Murray, who notched a 92-yard touchdown run, is the only current Oklahoma player who scored in that game.USU: Gary Andersen (Utah `86) is 4-8 in his second season at Utah State.THE COACHES
Oklahoma: Bob Stoops (Iowa `83) is 117-29 in his 12th season. He is 77-17 vs. the Big 12, 42-12 vs. the Big 12 South, 35-5 vs. the Big 12 North, 6-1 in the Big 12 title game, 40-12 vs. non-conference opponents, 66-2 at home, 33-14 on the road, 18-13 on neutral fields, 35-15 vs. ranked opponents, 5-6 in bowls. He is 1-0 vs. Utah State.
 OU, Opponent & Big
12 Game Notes | OU
Depth Chart | 2010
OU Football Guide
|
THE PROGRAM
Oklahoma's all-time record stands at 799-302-53 in 115 seasons. Since World War II, OU leads the nation with 560 victories.The Sooners have captured seven national championships (1950, 1955, 1956, 1974, 1975, 1985, 2000).OU has 43 bowl appearances (No. 7 nationally) with 25 bowl victories (No. 4 nationally).Oklahoma has 42 conference championships, including three of the last four Big 12 Conference crowns and six Big 12 titles overall (no other league member has more than three).OU has produced 150 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).Oklahoma Football History & Tradition
MILESTONES WITHIN REACH
Oklahoma has won 799 games since the program's inception in 1895. The next victory will be the 800th, making OU the seventh program to reach that mark. OU has 68 straight sellouts, one shy of the school record. The last 98 Oklahoma football games have been on television. The second game (Florida State) will represent the 100th in a row to be televised. OU has won its last 30 home games, the longest current streak in the nation. That's the 19th-longest home field streak of all time, the eighth-longest streak since WWII.DURING THIS HOME STREAK
A look at data during the 30-game home field winning streak. It began on 9/1/05 with a 31-15 win over Tulsa ...
The Sooners outscored their opponents by nearly 1,000 points -- 1,362-439, an average score of 45.4 to 14.6.OU scored 50+ pts., 11 times, 60+ five and a high of 79 vs. North Texas in `07 opener, Sam Bradford's first game.The low OU scoring total was 24 points twice.Oklahoma's defense has posted four shutouts during the streak and held the foe to single digits eight times.QBs: Rhett Bomar, Paul Thompson, Sam Bradford, Landry Jones.Eighteen Sooners were taken in the NFL Draft. STREAK: INDIVIDUAL BESTS
Most passing yards: Sam Bradford vs. KU 2008, 468y
Most rushing yards: Allen Patrick vs. OSU 2007, 29-202
Most receiving yards: M. Johnson vs. TCU 2008, 5-206
Most receptions: Juaquin Iglesias VS. KU 2008 12-191
Most tackles in a game Curtis Lofton vs. Missouri, 2007 18
Most interceptions: Lendy Holmes vs. KU 2008, 2-11
Most sacks: Jeremy Beal vs. Tulsa 2009, 3-15
STREAK: TEAM BESTS
Most points: 79 vs. North Texas, 2007
Most rushing yards: 343 vs. Utah State, 2007
Most receiving yards: 468 vs. Kansas, 2008
Most total yards: 674 vs. Kansas, 2008
OU Individual Records Set During Streak
Total Offense: 482, Sam Bradford vs. Kansas, 2008
Passing Yards: 468, S. Bradford vs. Kansas, 2008
Receiving Yards: 206, M. Johnson vs. TCU, 2008
TD Passes: 6, Landry Jones vs. Tulsa, 2009
TD Receptions: 4 (tied), J. Gresham vs. Texas A&M, 2007
Field Goals: 4 (tied), Jimmy Stevens vs. Baylor, 2009
Punting Average: 58.83, Tress Way vs. Okla St., 2009
50-yd Punts: 5, Tress Way Tress Way vs. Okla St., 2009
OU Team Records Set During Streak
Passing Yards: 468 vs. Kansas, 2008
Tackles for Loss: 17 vs. Idaho State, 2009
Attendance: 85,646 vs. Texas Tech, 2008
LOTS TO CELEBRATE
The 2000 National Championship team will be honored at this game. That team went 13-0 and won the national title with a 13-2 triumph over Florida State in the Orange Bowl. The team will convene for a Friday night reception. The National Award Winners Honor Wall unveiling is Sept. 4, at 2:30 p.m., inside Gate 7. That event is by invitation only. Attendees include J.D. Roberts, Jerry Tubbs, Derrick Strait, Billy Sims, Rocky Calmus and Rickey Dixon.
THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT
Utah State head coach Gary Andersen is in his second season. He was Utah's defensive coordinator from 2004-08. Prior to USU, he had one year of experience as a college head coach, Southern Utah in 2003.In his first season, Andersen led the Aggies to a 4-8 mark, USU's most wins since 2002. The team was 3-5 in the Western Athletic Conference, matching the 2008 season for USU's top record in its five WAC seasons. USU lost four tilts by eight points or fewer last season.The Aggies ranked No. 12 in the nation last season in total offense with 439.3 yards per game. QB Diondre Borel was No. 15 in total offense with 278.6 yards/game.The Achilles heal last season was defense. The Aggies ranked No. 113 in total defense at 455.1 yards per game. They were No. 110 against the rush at 205.5 yards per game and 107th in scoring defense at 34.0.Utah State also played a Big 12 foe last season, Texas A&M, and lost at College Station, 38-30. TIES WITH UTAH STATE
Oklahoma QB coach Josh Heupel, a native of Aberdeen, SD, played two years at Snow JC in Ephraim, Utah. He transferred to Oklahoma prior to the 1999 season then quarterbacked OU to the national title in 2000. OU has not had a Utah player since C.J. Ah You, (2005-06). The Highland, Utah, DE began at BYU in 2001. He transferred to Snow JC in 2004 before moving to OU. Ah You's brother, Matt, is a senior LB at USU.
FOR OPENERS
OU is 87-22-6 in season openers, 44-9-5 mark at home. Bob Stoops is 9-2 in openers at Oklahoma. He is 8-1 in openers played in Norman.
LAST SEASON IN REVIEW
Oklahoma finished the season with an 8-5 mark, 5-3 in the Big 12, good for third place in the South Division. The Sooners earned a spot in the 76th Brut Sun Bowl where they knocked off Stanford, 31-27.
All-American Total Jumps to 150: Oklahoma added two All-Americans to its staggering total in defensive tackle Gerald McCoy and offensive tackle Trent Williams, both of whom were consensus picks. The Sooner program has averaged 1.3 All-Americans per year since its inception, which actually predates All-America teams.Sooners Played Second Most Difficult Schedule: Based on its opponents' record, OU played the second-most difficult schedule. The Oklahoma foes were a combined 82-52. Only Mississippi State faced a tougher slate.OU lost 26 starting assignments to injuries. Two were returning All-Americans -- QB Sam Bradford (Heisman winner) and TE Jermaine Gresham.The group that was lost included four All-Big 12 performers, four seniors and two captains. OU used 10 different starters in the offensive line and had 10 different o-line combinations. 2010 SEASON
Twenty-three full or part-time position starters return. Among those players returning are last season's leaders in passing yards (Landry Jones), receiving yards (Ryan Broyles), tackles (Travis Lewis) and interceptions (Quinton Carter), and the No. 2 rusher (DeMarco Murray). The 12 opponents on the 2010 schedule combined for a record of 90-64 in 2009 and nine played in bowl games.
NON-CONS
Bob Stoops' teams are 40-12 against non-conference opponents, 34-6 in regular season non-league games and 27-1 on Owen Field.
OKLAHOMA AND AP POLL
Oklahoma opens the season ranked No. 7 in the first Associated Press poll. Here is a look at OU's history in the poll, which began in 1938 ...
Oklahoma has appeared in the AP poll in 63 of its 75 seasons of existence (84%). There have been 1,005 polls released and OU has appeared in 688 of those (68%).The Sooners are in the preseason top 25 for the 52nd time. AMBITIOUS SCHEDULING
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, OU has already played Louisville, Notre Dame, North Carolina, Alabama (twice), UCLA (twice), Oregon (twice), Washington (twice), South Florida, Miami (Fla.) and Cincinnati in regular season tilts. SOONER CAPTAINS
As selected in a team vote, they are Jeremy Beal, Landry Jones and Travis Lewis.
RECORD-SETTING ATTENDANCE
Oklahoma has drawn 5,348,398 fans for Bob Stoops' 68 home games (started in 1999) and all have been sold out.
The Sooners are 66-2 on Owen Field under Stoops and have won 30 straight, a school record and the nation's longest current streak). 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 42 consecutive home games.Oklahoma has played before sellout crowds in 119 of the 1463 games (home, away, neutral) since Stoops became the head coach. During that time, a total of 10,551,288 (average of 72,269) have watched the Sooners.Oklahoma Sets Attendance Records at Memorial Stadium
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About the Offense |
Under Stoops, OU produced career leaders in passing and receiving, its No. 3 and No. 5 career rushers and season record holders in rushing, passing and receiving yards. Some 57 offensive records have been set in Stoops' tenure at Oklahoma.OU has scored in every game dating back to Nov. 7, 1998.OU has rushed for 200 yards 43 times under Stoops, 37 in the last six years.Also under Stoops, OU has 147 touchdowns of 25+ yards and 300 scoring drives of 2:00 or less.OU is the highest scoring program in college football history. In 1,154 games, the Sooners have scored 30,916 points. Michigan has 29,940 points in 1,213 games and Nebraska 29,928 in 1,219. LAST SEASON
In a year during which injuries played such a key role, the offense bore most of the brunt. Of the 11 players who started the season opener, only five started the finale. One of those five, Trent Williams, started the opener at left tackle, but was in the center role for the bowl game. His position change and the absence of three others were due to injuries.During the season, Chris Brown and DeMarco Murray became just the sixth running back tandem in school history to exceed 2,000 career rushing yards while playing on the same roster. Brown completed his eligibility in `09. That duo became the first to share a roster spot and exceed 40 career touchdowns. Both had 45 at the end of last season. OU's string of seasons with a 1,000-yard rusher ended at five, but that was due to substitution patterns. Brown (749) and Murray (705) combined for 1,454 yards. MURRAY LETHEL BY LAND, AIR
With 41 receptions last season, DeMarco Murray had the third-best season ever for a Sooner back. For his career, Murray has 86 receptions for 977 yards. That yardage figure ranks No. 2 for an OU running back behind 1,337 by Quentin Griffin from 1999-02. Over his career, Murray has averaged 27 receiving yards per game so at that pace he would need at least 13 games to eclipse Griffin's mark.
Griffin also has the receptions mark for backs at 169 and Murray is holding down the No. 2 spot.
Murray does lead all Oklahoma backs in touchdown receptions with eight.Not to be lost is Murray's rushing prowess. He will enter his senior year with 2,471 career yards. He needs 255 yards to crack perhaps OU's most prestigious top-10 list, the career rushing category. BROYLES' BREAKOUT SEASON
Ryan Broyles finished last season with 86 receptions for 1,120 yards and 15 touchdowns.
He set school records for receptions in a season, receptions in a game (13 vs. Stanford), touchdown receptions in a season (15, tied) and receptions per game (6.61). His Sun Bowl effort -- 13 receptions, 156 yards, three touchdowns -- was record-setting. The TD total set an OU bowl and Sun Bowl mark. The receptions total was an OU bowl record and the second-highest total in the 76-year history of the Sun Bowl. Broyles' 21 career TD receptions is tied for No. 3 all-time at OU with Malcolm Kelly (2005-07).With 102 points, he became the first WR to lead OU in scoring (stats tracked for 72 seasons). KEEPING UP WITH JONES
Landry Jones led the nation's freshmen quarterbacks in passing yards (3,198) and touchdown passes (26) last season. His yardage figure also was an Oklahoma freshman record, surpassing the 3,121 by Sam Bradford in 2007.
Jones set a school record for touchdown passes in a game with six against Tulsa. SAM WAS EFFICIENT
Sam Bradford, the No. 1 pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, finished his career as the NCAA leader in career passing efficiency. His rating was 175.62, which broke the mark of 168.89 held by Boise State's Ryan Dinwiddie (2000-03). Bradford led the NCAA in pass efficiency in each of his two full seasons of eligibility to become just the fourth player to lead that statistic in two straight years.
GOOD SIGN ON THE LINE
The injury problem on OU's offensive line became so significant last season that only eight scholarship linemen were available for the Sun Bowl with two players appearing twice on the five-position depth chart. Only six linemen saw action in the game, including converted tight end Eric Mensik in just his second game at tackle and All-America tackle Trent Williams (now the Washington Redskins' starting left tackle) playing center for the first time.
Entering the 2010 season, there are 16 scholarship offensive linemen on the Sooner roster with no repeats on the two-deep.The current depth chart features just two seniors and the only senior starter is Mensik at right tackle. Despite the relative youth of the line, the current two-deep includes players who have combined to play in 58 games. |
About the Defense |
OU has forced at least one turnover in 129 of Bob Stoops' 146 games and has at least one interception in 95 of the last 126 with multiple picks in 46 of the last 97 outings.Oklahoma has 11 shutouts under its current head coach. Opponents failed to score more than seven points 32 times and scored less than 14 in 60 games. WEAK FREAK
Weakside linebacker Travis Lewis has led Oklahoma in tackles in each of his first two seasons. His 109 last season were 21 more than any other player on the team and raised his career total to 253.
Lewis has now positioned himself to make a run at the prestigious career top-10 tackle list at Oklahoma. The record is held by the late Daryl Hunt at 530. The No. 10 spot belongs to Lee Roy Selmon at 335, 82 ahead of Lewis. Lewis has averaged 12.4 tackles per game during his career, which would put him on pace to move ahead of Selmon in game seven.Tracking down big names is nothing new for Lewis. As a freshman in 2007, he racked up 144 tackles to break Brian Bosworth's Oklahoma freshman record of 133.In 27 career games played, Lewis has 10 or more tackles 11 times. THE REAL BEAL
Defensive end Jeremy Beal looks like a candidate to become Oklahoma's first Ted Hendricks Award winner.
Last season, Beal ranked No. 14 nationally in tackles for loss (1.46 per game/19 total) and No. 16 in sacks (0.8 per game and 11 total).His 11 sacks last season rank No. 4 for a season at OU.Beal is the only player in school history to notch two, three-sack games in the same year. He had three each against Tulsa and Miami last season.The senior ranks No. 6 for sacks at Oklahoma in a career with 20.5. He is creeping up on the top-10 list for tackles for loss. He has 38, which is two shy of tying Darrell Reed, Tony Casillas and Lee Roy Selmon for the No. 9 spot. Q TIPS
Quinton Carter has emerged as one of the top defensive backs in the nation. The safety finished the 2009 season with 88 tackles, which ranked No. 2 on the team, to go with four interceptions, a figure that tied for the Oklahoma lead.
Carter, who saw spot duty in his first two seasons, started all 13 games in 2009 when his tackle total for the season more than doubled the 37 he had registered as a freshman and sophomore combined.Has 19 special teams tackles over the last two seasons and all 19 were solo. TAYLOR MADE
DT Adrian Taylor spent the last two seasons lining up in the shadow of first-round NFL draft pick Gerald McCoy. That may explain why he has sometimes gone unnoticed. His numbers suggest he should hold a more prominent profile ...
The senior has started 27 consecutive games.He had 37 total tackles last season, three more than McCoy. CORNER CONVERSATION
Oklahoma will be looking to replace both starting cornerbacks. Brian Jackson completed his eligibility while Dominique Franks opted to come out after his junior season. Both scored touchdowns for OU last season, Jackson on a 52-yard fumble recovery against Texas A&M and Franks on an 85-yard interception return at Kansas. It was one of three defensive TDs Franks scored during his career.
The candidates to take over are Jamell Fleming at boundary corner and Demontre Hurst at field corner. The pair tied for No. 3 on last year's team in special teams tackles with 9 each.The pair has combined for 40 games played at Oklahoma -- 27 by Fleming and 13 by Hurst. DEFENSIVE MISCELLANY
Oklahoma had three shutouts last season, its best total since getting five in 1986.Sooner opponents scored just 20 first-quarter points in 2009, an average of 1.5/game.In 13 games, the 2009 Sooner defense played against eight of the top 50 scoring teams and seven of the top 40 total offenses. |
About the Special Teams |
Oklahoma's special teams under Bob Stoops ...
There have been 27 special teams touchdowns, including 21 in the last 78 regular season games. Those 21 came via five different kinds of plays -- 12 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 16 punts for touchdowns. The Sooners have blocked 24 kicks.MANY HAPPY RETURNS
Information on returns during the Stoops era ...
Kickoff Returns --93 returns of 25 yards or more with eight touchdowns. Punt Returns -- 60 returns of 15 or more yards with 16 touchdowns. Interception Returns -- 81 returns of 10 or more yards with 21 touchdowns. Fumble Returns -- six returns of 15 or more yards with eight touchdowns.PUNT RETURNS SUCCESSFUL
Oklahoma ranked No. 3 nationally last season in punt returns (16.26), a figure that also coincided with Ryan Broyles' individual ranking (15.87).
The team average was the best at Oklahoma since 1974 when the average return went for 16.4 yards. What makes the average even more impressive is the fact that OU ranked No. 2 in the Big 12 last season in punt return attempts at 43, just one behind Nebraska's 44.For the second straight year, Broyles returned a punt for a touchdown, this time an 87-yarder against Oklahoma State.When Broyles was shelved by an injury, Dominique Franks returned 11 punts for an average of 17.0.A LOW RANKING THEY'LL TAKE
Last season, thanks to a defense that allowed just 34 scoring plays (2.6/game), Oklahoma tied for last in the Big 12 in kickoff return attempts with just 33.
COVER TEAM A STONE WALL
As good as Oklahoma was at returning punts, the same could not be said of the Sooner opponents. The Sooner foes ran back just 17 punts for a paltry 30 yards. That 1.76-yard average ranked No. 2 nationally.
Oklahoma was No. 5 in net punting nationally at 40.3 yards per kick.The longest punt return OU surrendered last season was 19 yards, which occurred on just one occasion. No other punt return during the season exceeded six yards. WAY GOOD AT PUNTER
P Tress Way had arguably the best season ever for an OU punter in 2009, and was just a redshirt freshman. He punted 61 times for an average of 45.7 yards with 22 of 50+ yards and 17 inside the 20.
Way's average ranked No. 1 in the Big 12 and No. 3 nationally. It also was the second-best average in OU history, the best by a punter with at least 35 attempts.He averaged a school-record 58.8 yards on six punts against Oklahoma State, including one 74-yarder, the longest by an OU player since 2005.Way's 22 kicks of 50 or more yards last season positions him to make a run at the career mark. Jeff Ferguson (1998-01) set that record with 52. Ferguson was an All-American and Ray Guy finalist in 2001. KICKER BY COMMITTEE
That was the case last season when three different players took a turn at the placements.
Jimmy Stevens began the season in the job, making 11-of-13 field goals.Tress Way went 1-of-6, although it should be noted that four of his attempts were from beyond 40 yards.Patrick O'Hara wrapped up the season as the kicker. He had never played football before kicking in the Texas A&M game. He made 6-of-9 field goals.Oklahoma attempted 28 field goals last season, 15 more than in 2008 and the most since the 2001 team tried 30. NEW FACES IN KEY PLACES
The Sooners will have new players handling kickoff and holding chores. It is expected that Way may handle the kickoffs, while the holding duties could go to John Nimmo. Nimmo is a senior quarterback from Ponca City, Okla. He has been a regular golf partner with Sam Bradford.
FB Highlights: OU 24, Michigan 13
Saturday, September 06
Brent Venables Postgame vs Michigan
Saturday, September 06
Ben Arbuckle Postgame vs Michigan
Saturday, September 06
In the Booth: OU vs Michigan
Saturday, September 06
