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University of Oklahoma Athletics
Oklahoma Hosts Cardinals at Owen Field
September 29, 2011 | Football
NORMAN, Okla. -- Oklahoma (No. 1 ESPN/Coaches, No. 2 Associated Press) wraps up the non-conference portion of its schedule when it hosts Ball State. For the first time since 2001, the Sooners interrupted their non-conference slate with a league game -- last week's 38-28 win over Missouri. After this game, OU faces eight-straight in the rugged Big 12.
Saturday's game will kick at 6 p.m. CT and will be televised on a pay-per-view basis. View Sooner Gameday Central for complete information.
THE SERIES
This is the first meeting between these two schools. For only the fourth time in its history, Oklahoma is playing a school from the Mid-American Conference. The most recent of those came in 2004 when the Sooners downed a solid Bowling Green team, 40-24. That was Adrian Peterson's first game in the Crimson and Cream.
The only other meetings with a school currently holding membership in the MAC came against Temple, but that was back in the 1940's. OU downed the Owls in the 1940 home finale, 9-6, then dropped a 14-7 decision in Philadelphia in 1942. Temple didn't join the MAC until 2007.
THE COACHES
Oklahoma: Bob Stoops (Iowa `83) is 132-31 in his 13th season. He is 86-19 vs. the Big 12 including a 7-1 record in the Big 12 title game, 46-12 vs. non-conference opponents, 74-2 at home, 36-16 on the road and 22-13 on neutral fields. He is 0-0 vs. Ball State.
Ball State: Pete Lembo (Georgetown `92) is in his first season at Ball State. Earlier, he served as head coach at Lehigh (2001-05) and Elon (2006-10). His overall coaching mark is 82-37 in 11 seasons.
THE PROGRAM
Oklahoma's all-time record stands at 814-304-53 in 117 seasons. Since WWII, OU leads the nation with 575 victories.
The Sooners have captured seven national championships (1950, 1955, 1956, 1974, 1975, 1985, 2000).
OU has 44 bowl appearances (No. 7 nationally) with 26 bowl victories (No. 4 nationally).
OU has 43 conference championships, including seven Big 12 titles overall (no other school has more than three)
OU has 152 All-Americans and five Heisman winners. Sooners have also won the Bednarik (1), Butkus (4), Camp (4), Lombardi (3), Maxwell (2), Nagurski (2), O'Brien (3), Outland (5), Tatupu (1), Thorpe (3) and Unitas (1) Awards.
OU leads the nation with 32 seasons in which the program has won 10 or more games.
Oklahoma Football History & Tradition
| Sooner Superlatives
SOONERSPORTS.COM
Live video of Bob Stoops' Tuesday media conference (Live air at 12:05 p.m., each Tuesday).
Live/archived audio of Sooner Sports Talk with Bob Stoops (Tuesday nights, starting at 7 p.m., CT).
Live/archived audio of Coaches' Corner radio show (Thursday nights, starting at 7 p.m., CT).
Live in-game stats, blog and audio from the Sooner Radio Network.
Live/archived video of Bob Stoops' post-game press conference.
Archived full-game video and Bob Stoops' review TV show (Show is taped on Sunday of each week).
Roster, schedules, media guides, game notes, depth chart and more at Sooner Gameday Central.
Live Events Schedule | Sooner Gameday Central
THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT: BALL STATE
Ball State is off to a 3-1 start with victories over Indiana (37-20), Buffalo (28-25) and, most recently, Army (48-21). The Cardinals' lone loss came in week two at South Florida, 37-3.
Already, the Cardinals are within one of their 2010 victory total. They were 4-8 last season, including a 3-5 mark in conference play. There are 11 returning starters on this team.
Ball State is in the West Division of the Mid-American Conference along with Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Toledo and Western Michigan.
Oklahoma will represent the highest ranked team that Ball State has ever played. In 2006, the Cardinals lost at No. 2 Michigan, 34-26. They have never played a team that held the No. 1 ranking in either poll.
Earlier this season, Ball State spoiled the debut of Kevin Wilson at Indiana. Wilson was on Oklahoma's staff as offensive coordinator from 2002-10.
The Cardinals are 17-of-17 in the red zone this season.
QB Keith Wenning is yet to throw an interception this season. He is 95-of-130 for 871 yards and seven TDs.
TIES WITH BALL STATE
While not tied directly to Ball State, two members of Oklahoma's staff have roots in the Mid-American's Conference. Bob Stoops' first full-time coaching position was at Kent State in 1988. The Golden Flashes were 5-6 that season, including a 31-20 loss at Ball State. Also, OU's guards and centers coach, James Patton, played at Miami (O.) and then coached there as a graduate assistant in 1993-94 before returning to the full-time staff for one season, 1998.
LAST WEEK
Oklahoma was flat but still pulled out a 38-28 win over Missouri in Norman last Saturday.
Missouri jumped to a 14-3 lead before the Sooners reeled off 28 unanswered points to take a 31-14 advantage. The lead was 38-21 when Missouri scored with 32 seconds remaining in the game. The 11-point deficit was the largest overcome by OU in its series with the Tigers.
The two teams combined for 1,125 yards (592 by Oklahoma), which is the most in the 96-game history of the series.
Landry Jones completed 35-of-48 passes for 448 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions. His favorite receiver was Ryan Broyles, who hauled in 13 grabs for 154 yards and three TDs.
WR Kenny Still did not play in the game. He suffered a head injury in the Florida State game and was held out of the Missouri tilt for precautionary reasons.
OU to Honor 1956 Team
The 1956 National Championship team will reunite this weekend. Members will be honored at the game as will Clendon Thomas, a back on that team, who is being inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame this year.The team was 10-0, but because it played in a bowl in 1955, was not eligible for a bowl in `56. The squad posted six shutouts and scored more than 50 points four times (outscored opponents 466-51). It led the nation in rushing offense with 391 yards per game, in total offense with 481.7 yards per game, and scoring offense with 46.6 points per game.
Recap: Oklahoma 38, Missouri 28
MARQUEE GAMES AWAIT
Future schedules include 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 Bob Stoops, Oklahoma has already played Florida State (twice), Cincinnati (twice), Louisville, Notre Dame, North Carolina, Alabama (twice), UCLA (twice), Oregon (twice), Washington (twice), South Florida, BYU and Miami-Fla. (twice) in regular season contests. Seven of those were played on the road and one on a neutral field. The Sooners are 14-5 in those games.
Oklahoma Future Schedules
STOOPS 100 GAMES ABOVE .500
For the first time in his coaching career, Bob Stoops is 100 games over .500 with a record of 131-31.
At the same point, 162 games into their Sooner tenures, Barry Switzer was 133-25-4 and Bud Wilkinson was 132-26-4. The great Bennie Owen, for whom the stadium's field is named, was 110-39-13.
Stoops' teams are 9-1 in their last 10 vs. ranked foes.
OU Head Coaching History
HOME WINNING STREAK
OU has won a school record 38 consecutive home games, the longest current streak in the nation. It began Sept. 1, 2005, with a 31-15 victory over Tulsa.
It's the 10th-longest streak in NCAA history and No. 5 since WWII. It is the longest since Notre Dame's 38 from 1919-27. Miami holds the NCAA record of 58 (1985-94).
During the streak, OU has out-scored foes by 1,128 points, 1,682 to 564, an average of 44.2 to 14.8.
A Closer Look at Oklahoma's Home Dominance
RECORD-SETTING ATTENDANCE
OU has drawn 6,197,565 fans for Bob Stoops' 76 home games (started in 1999) and all have been sold out.
The Sooners are 74-2 on Owen Field under Stoops.
The current string of sellouts is the longest in school history, eclipsing a mark of 69 from 1971-84.
The top 10 seasons for attendance at Oklahoma during Stoops' tenure as head coach.
The largest OU home crowd was 85,646, for the 2008 Texas Tech game.
The 85,620 on hand for the Tulsa game represented the largest season-opening crowd ever at Oklahoma.
OU exceeded its seating capacity of 82,112 at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in 55 straight home games.
Oklahoma has played before sellout crowds in 128 of the 163 games (76 home, 28 away, 15 neutral) since Stoops became the head coach. During that time, a total of 11,726,103 (average of 71,939) have watched the Sooners.
Oklahoma Sets Attendance Records at Memorial Stadium
REMEMBERING AUSTIN BOX
LB Austin Box passed away in May. The Enid native would have been a senior on this team. To honor his memory, the Sooners keep his locker intact, leave a space for him during stretching drills and wear a helmet decal. In addition, a designated defensive player wears Box's No. 12 in each game. Tom Wort wore it vs. Tulsa, Frank Alexander vs. Florida State and Javon Harris vs. Missouri. That assignment is made each Friday. Landry Jones wears No. 12 on offense.
Under Bob Stoops, OU has produced career leaders in passing, receiving and all-purpose yards, four top 10 career rushers and season record holders in rushing, passing and receiving yards.
Stoops-led Sooner teams have set 47 offensive school records. Those offenses have 162 touchdowns of 25 or more yards and 325 scoring drives of two minutes or less.
Oklahoma has scored in 179 consecutive games dating back to Nov. 7, 1998.
OU rushed for 200 yards 46 times under Stoops.
Oklahoma is the highest scoring college program in history. In 1,216 games, the Sooners have scored 31,406 points. Michigan is next at 30,414 points in 1,247 games.
KEEPING UP WITH JONES
QB Landry Jones won the 2010 Sammy Baugh Award as college football's top passer ...
Already this season, Jones has moved from No. 3 to No. 1 on the school's career passing yards list (see chart). He jumped over a pair of Heisman winners to claim the spot.
In the Missouri game, he set the OU record with his 15th career 300-yard passing game. He also holds the school mark with five, 400-yard games.
Among active players, Jones is No. 2 in career passing yards per game (308.2), No. 4 in completions (754), No. 5 in yards (8,938), No. 5 in touchdown passes (69), No. 8 in total offense (8,700) and No. 8 in touchdowns responsible for (72).
STILLS HAS MISSED TWO OF THREE
WR Kenny Stills missed the Tulsa (coaches' decision) and Missouri (injury) games. In his lone appearance, at Florida State, he had seven catches for a career-high 125 yards. His acrobatic TD catch with 7:00 left broke a 13-13 tie and gave OU a lead it did not relinquish.
Stills is 89 yards of 1,000 receiving yards for his career.
PLAY-CALLING BALANCED
Through three games, OU has 124 rushing attempts (49%) and 129 passing attempts (50%). Last year's team ran the ball on 48% of their snaps and passed on 52%.
The last Oklahoma team that ran more than it threw was the 2008 squad that produced Heisman winner Sam Bradford, won the Big 12 crown and earned a spot in the BCS Championship game opposite Florida. That team ran 589 times out of 1,106 total plays (53%).
FOURTEEN SCREAMING "I'M OPEN!"
Fourteen different Sooners have a reception this season. That's the total number who had catches over last year's 14-game schedule. Eight players have at least five grabs.
Due in part to Still's absence in two games, WR Ryan Broyles has 34 of the 92 catches (37%).
THE RECORD BOOK BROYLES
Ryan Broyles, a consensus All-American and one of three finalists for the 2010 Biletnikoff Award, has set Oklahoma's records for receptions in a game, season and career; yards in a game, season and career and touchdowns receptions in a season (tied) and career.
Broyles is the career leader among the NCAA's active players in receptions (300), touchdown receptions (39), receiving yards (3,796) and punt return yards (1,016). He's No. 3 on the active touchdowns list at 42.
He is just 17 receptions shy of the NCAA career record. Taylor Stubblefield of Purdue set that mark from 2001-04. Broyles is currently No. 5 on that career list and needs only seven catches to take sole possession of No. 2.
With 39 career TD receptions, he is tied for No. 10 on the all-time NCAA list.
Broyles is No. 2 in Big 12 career receptions, just four away from breaking the mark of 303 held by Texas Tech's Taurean Henderson (2002-05). He's also No. 2 in yards with 3,796, 618 away from No. 1. His TD total of 39 is No. 3, four from breaking Rashaun Woods' record of 42.
Has 100+ yards receiving in 13 of the last 18 games and a TD grab in 13 of the last 19.
Has at least one catch in 42 straight games, the second-longest string nationally (Houston's Tyron Carrier, 43.
He already has 34 catches for 367 yards this season. That average of 11.3 catches per game is running ahead from his NCAA-leading average 9.4 last season.
ONE WHALEY OF A RUNNING BACK
Oklahoma's leading rusher is walk-on junior Dominique Whaley, a transfer from Langston (Okla.) University.
In the opener against Tulsa, he rushed 18 times for 131 yards and four touchdowns. He fell just one TD shy of tying the NCAA mark for most in a debut game. That record is held by former Sooner DeMarco Murray at five.
At Florida State, he led OU with 21 tries for 71 yards. He gained all 29 yards in the Sooners' final scoring drive to set up a 31-yard FG that gave the team a 10-point lead.
Whaley attended Lawton (Okla.) MacArthur High School, but as an Army "brat" lived in several places, including Germany, before that time.
MILLARD NO PLODDER
Oklahoma fullback Trey Millard has reeled off big gains this season. He's averaging 7.8 yards per rush and 9.2 yards per reception.
OU BACKFIELD OFF LIMITS
Oklahoma has given up just one sack on the season and just 14 tackles for loss. OU has absorbed 43 negative yards this season for an average of just 14 per game. Sooner opponents average 27.3 negative yards per game.
OU has forced at least one turnover in 144 of Stoops' 163 games and has at least one interception in 106 of the last 142 with multiple picks in 65 of the last 114 outings.
Oklahoma has 13 shutouts under its current head coach. Opponents failed to score more than seven points in 34 games and scored less than 14 in 64 games.
TAKEAWAY STREAK ENDS AT EIGHT
Oklahoma's defense had claimed at least one takeaway in eight consecutive games before Missouri got out of town last Saturday night with no turnovers.
Over those eight games, the opponents handed over the ball 19 times, an average of 2.4 times per game.
LEWIS ASCENDS OU TACKLE LIST
With his 377 career tackles (the second-highest total by a Bob Stoops player at OU), senior WLB Travis Lewis has cracked the career top 10 tackle list at OU. The record is held by the late Daryl Hunt at 530. Lewis, now at No. 7, trails No. 6 Tyrell Peters by three.
His 377 career stops, the third-best total among active players nationally.
Lewis, who suffered a broken bone in the big toe of his left foot in preseason drills, missed the opener vs. Tulsa.
Lewis has led Oklahoma in tackles in each of his first three seasons and has become only the sixth player in school history to lead the team in three consecutive years. The last to do it was Rocky Calmus, the Butkus Award winner in his senior campaign, from 1999-01. No player has had the lead in four seasons.
The San Antonio native had 108 stops last season.
As a freshman in 2007, Lewis had 144 tackles to break Brian Bosworth's OU freshman record of 133.
Lewis has double-digit tackle totals in 15 of his 43 career games.
He registered his eighth career interception against Nebraska in last season's Big 12 Championship Game. That equals the most by a linebacker in Sooner history. He has 156 career return yards on those picks, an average of 19.5 per return. Lewis had three takeaways in that game against the Cornhuskers including a pair of fumble recoveries.
FRANK TALK
DE Frank Alexander is off to a dominant start. The senior has 3.5 tackles for loss including 2.5 sacks thus far. He has been credited with at least half a sack in each of the three games.
In the opener against Tulsa, Alexander had two passes broken up and an interception, which he returned 27 yards.
PAPER OR PLASTIC?
Oklahoma has 11 sacks through three games ...
Nine players have been credited with at least half a sack this season.
The 11 sacks have gone for 60 yards in losses , or an average of 5.5 per sack. The lowest total in a game so far this season was two against Missouri.
The Sooners had a season-high six at Florida State. They have 16 over their last three games away from Norman (seven vs. Nebraska in 2010 Big 12 Championship game, three vs. UConn in Fiesta Bowl, six at FSU game.).
The Sooners are averaging 7.3 tackles for loss per game.
INTERCEPTION RETURN AVERAGE HIGH
Oklahoma has four interceptions this season for a whopping 108 yards in returns. That's an average of 27.0 yards per return. The top interception return average of the Bob Stoops era was in 2002 when the Sooners logged 516 yards on 24 picks.
HURST TAKES OVER LONGEST STREAK
When Travis Lewis was out due to a broken bone in his left foot, CB Demontre Hurst took over with the longest string of starts on defense. He has 17. Lewis had 41.
OU IMPROVES IN PASS-HAPPY ERA
Despite this pass-happy era of college football, only once under Bob Stoops has an Oklahoma team allowed a season completion rate of 60% or higher. The 2010 finished at just 54.6%, which was the third-lowest figure in the Big 12 Conference for the season.
It's happening again this season. To date, Sooner opponents are completing just 54.0% of their passes (54-of-100).
None of Oklahoma's first three opponents have passes for 300 yards.
Last season, six Sooner opponents failed to complete 50 percent of their passes, including three of the last five foes (Texas Tech, Nebraska and Connecticut). With 71 break-ups, the Sooners had one of their best seasons in that category. Over the previous seven seasons, the best total at Oklahoma had been 61 (twice). The school record was set in 2000 with an incredible 110. The 2009 team had just 45.
Oklahoma's special teams under Bob Stoops:
There have been 27 special teams touchdowns, including 21 in the last 80 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.
OU has returned eight kickoffs and 16 punts for TDs.
The Sooners have blocked 24 kicks.
MANY HAPPY RETURNS
Information on returns during the Stoops era ...
Kickoff Returns --94 returns of 25 yards or more with eight touchdowns.
Punt Returns -- 61 returns of 15 or more yards with 16 touchdowns.
Interception Returns -- 85 returns of 10 or more yards with 23 touchdowns.
Fumble Returns -- six returns of 15 or more yards with eight touchdowns.
COVER TEAM A STONE WALL
Again this season, Oklahoma's punt coverage unit has been stout -- it ranks No. 8 nationally giving up 0.0 yards per return (seven teams have negative return averages).
OU finished 2010 ranked No. 2 nationally in punt return defense at 3.04 yards/return. It was the second straight season that the Sooners held that position. OU foes finished the season with 24 returns for 73 yards.
Oklahoma ranked No. 5 nationally in net punting last season at 40.5 yards. The 2009 team ranked No. 7.
For the 2010 season, OU surrendered four returns of 15 or more yards, but otherwise none exceeded six. Six foes finished the game with negative punt return yards.
The bugaboo has been kickoffs. The Sooners surrendered four for touchdowns last season, nine over the last three campaigns. So far in 2011, the longest kickoff return allowed thus far is 27 yards.
OU blocked two punts last season and both resulted in safeties (vs. Colorado and Texas A&M).
BROYLES CAN BE LETHAL
PR Ryan Broyles has more punt returns (91), more average returns per game (2.2) and more total punt return yards (1,016) than any other active players in NCAA FBS play.
He ranks No. 7 among active NCAA punt returners with an average of 10.92 yards per return.
The trend is to kick away from the Sooner standout. He has had two or fewer returns in nine of the last 17 games.
WAY GOOD AT PUNTER
In 2010, P Tress Way had 19 boots of 50+ yards with 18 inside the 20 and an average of 44.0 yards on 73 kicks. His average ranked No. 20 nationally, but he had more attempts than anyone ahead of him on that list.
Way has 44 punts of 50+ yards in his career. Jeff Ferguson (1998-01), set that OU record with 52
Way is No. 7 among active NCAA punters with a career average of 44.39. It should be noted that Way has maintained that average on more kicks than any of the three players ahead of him. He has 147.
This season, Way has played a central role in field position with 10 of his 13 punts downed inside the opponents' 20 yard line. The opponents' average field position this season after one of Way's punts has been the 18.5 yard line.
FOOT FACTS
With Jimmy Stevens nursing a muscle pull, Michael Hunnicutt handled the kicking duties in the win over Missouri. He made his lone field goal try (26 yards) and all five PATs. Hunnicutt made a 27-yard FG against Tulsa.
Stevens has made 16 of his last 17 field goals, all over his last five games played.
At Oklahoma, Stevens ranks No. 6 all-time with 42 field goals made and No. 2 with 180 points after touchdown. He's No. 6 in kick scoring at 306.
Patrick O'Hara has settled into the kickoff role for the Sooners. He has 18 thus far with three touchbacks. He averages 67.3 yards per kickoff and opponents are averaging 19.9 yards per return.
Saturday's game will kick at 6 p.m. CT and will be televised on a pay-per-view basis. View Sooner Gameday Central for complete information.
THE SERIES
This is the first meeting between these two schools. For only the fourth time in its history, Oklahoma is playing a school from the Mid-American Conference. The most recent of those came in 2004 when the Sooners downed a solid Bowling Green team, 40-24. That was Adrian Peterson's first game in the Crimson and Cream.The only other meetings with a school currently holding membership in the MAC came against Temple, but that was back in the 1940's. OU downed the Owls in the 1940 home finale, 9-6, then dropped a 14-7 decision in Philadelphia in 1942. Temple didn't join the MAC until 2007.THE COACHES
Oklahoma: Bob Stoops (Iowa `83) is 132-31 in his 13th season. He is 86-19 vs. the Big 12 including a 7-1 record in the Big 12 title game, 46-12 vs. non-conference opponents, 74-2 at home, 36-16 on the road and 22-13 on neutral fields. He is 0-0 vs. Ball State.Ball State: Pete Lembo (Georgetown `92) is in his first season at Ball State. Earlier, he served as head coach at Lehigh (2001-05) and Elon (2006-10). His overall coaching mark is 82-37 in 11 seasons. OU, Opponent & Big
12 Game Notes | OU
Depth Chart | 2011
OU Football Guide
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THE PROGRAM
Oklahoma's all-time record stands at 814-304-53 in 117 seasons. Since WWII, OU leads the nation with 575 victories. The Sooners have captured seven national championships (1950, 1955, 1956, 1974, 1975, 1985, 2000). OU has 44 bowl appearances (No. 7 nationally) with 26 bowl victories (No. 4 nationally). OU has 43 conference championships, including seven Big 12 titles overall (no other school has more than three)OU has 152 All-Americans and five Heisman winners. Sooners have also won the Bednarik (1), Butkus (4), Camp (4), Lombardi (3), Maxwell (2), Nagurski (2), O'Brien (3), Outland (5), Tatupu (1), Thorpe (3) and Unitas (1) Awards.OU leads the nation with 32 seasons in which the program has won 10 or more games.Oklahoma Football History & Tradition
| Sooner SuperlativesSOONERSPORTS.COM
Live video of Bob Stoops' Tuesday media conference (Live air at 12:05 p.m., each Tuesday).Live/archived audio of Sooner Sports Talk with Bob Stoops (Tuesday nights, starting at 7 p.m., CT).Live/archived audio of Coaches' Corner radio show (Thursday nights, starting at 7 p.m., CT).Live in-game stats, blog and audio from the Sooner Radio Network.Live/archived video of Bob Stoops' post-game press conference.Archived full-game video and Bob Stoops' review TV show (Show is taped on Sunday of each week).Roster, schedules, media guides, game notes, depth chart and more at Sooner Gameday Central. Live Events Schedule | Sooner Gameday Central THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT: BALL STATE
Ball State is off to a 3-1 start with victories over Indiana (37-20), Buffalo (28-25) and, most recently, Army (48-21). The Cardinals' lone loss came in week two at South Florida, 37-3. Already, the Cardinals are within one of their 2010 victory total. They were 4-8 last season, including a 3-5 mark in conference play. There are 11 returning starters on this team.Ball State is in the West Division of the Mid-American Conference along with Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Toledo and Western Michigan.Oklahoma will represent the highest ranked team that Ball State has ever played. In 2006, the Cardinals lost at No. 2 Michigan, 34-26. They have never played a team that held the No. 1 ranking in either poll.Earlier this season, Ball State spoiled the debut of Kevin Wilson at Indiana. Wilson was on Oklahoma's staff as offensive coordinator from 2002-10.The Cardinals are 17-of-17 in the red zone this season.QB Keith Wenning is yet to throw an interception this season. He is 95-of-130 for 871 yards and seven TDs.TIES WITH BALL STATE
While not tied directly to Ball State, two members of Oklahoma's staff have roots in the Mid-American's Conference. Bob Stoops' first full-time coaching position was at Kent State in 1988. The Golden Flashes were 5-6 that season, including a 31-20 loss at Ball State. Also, OU's guards and centers coach, James Patton, played at Miami (O.) and then coached there as a graduate assistant in 1993-94 before returning to the full-time staff for one season, 1998.LAST WEEK
Oklahoma was flat but still pulled out a 38-28 win over Missouri in Norman last Saturday.
Missouri jumped to a 14-3 lead before the Sooners reeled off 28 unanswered points to take a 31-14 advantage. The lead was 38-21 when Missouri scored with 32 seconds remaining in the game. The 11-point deficit was the largest overcome by OU in its series with the Tigers.The two teams combined for 1,125 yards (592 by Oklahoma), which is the most in the 96-game history of the series.Landry Jones completed 35-of-48 passes for 448 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions. His favorite receiver was Ryan Broyles, who hauled in 13 grabs for 154 yards and three TDs.WR Kenny Still did not play in the game. He suffered a head injury in the Florida State game and was held out of the Missouri tilt for precautionary reasons.OU to Honor 1956 Team
The 1956 National Championship team will reunite this weekend. Members will be honored at the game as will Clendon Thomas, a back on that team, who is being inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame this year.
The team was 10-0, but because it played in a bowl in 1955, was not eligible for a bowl in `56. The squad posted six shutouts and scored more than 50 points four times (outscored opponents 466-51). It led the nation in rushing offense with 391 yards per game, in total offense with 481.7 yards per game, and scoring offense with 46.6 points per game. Recap: Oklahoma 38, Missouri 28MARQUEE GAMES AWAIT
Future schedules include 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 Bob Stoops, Oklahoma has already played Florida State (twice), Cincinnati (twice), Louisville, Notre Dame, North Carolina, Alabama (twice), UCLA (twice), Oregon (twice), Washington (twice), South Florida, BYU and Miami-Fla. (twice) in regular season contests. Seven of those were played on the road and one on a neutral field. The Sooners are 14-5 in those games.
Oklahoma Future SchedulesSTOOPS 100 GAMES ABOVE .500
For the first time in his coaching career, Bob Stoops is 100 games over .500 with a record of 131-31.
At the same point, 162 games into their Sooner tenures, Barry Switzer was 133-25-4 and Bud Wilkinson was 132-26-4. The great Bennie Owen, for whom the stadium's field is named, was 110-39-13.Stoops' teams are 9-1 in their last 10 vs. ranked foes. OU Head Coaching HistoryHOME WINNING STREAK
OU has won a school record 38 consecutive home games, the longest current streak in the nation. It began Sept. 1, 2005, with a 31-15 victory over Tulsa.
It's the 10th-longest streak in NCAA history and No. 5 since WWII. It is the longest since Notre Dame's 38 from 1919-27. Miami holds the NCAA record of 58 (1985-94).During the streak, OU has out-scored foes by 1,128 points, 1,682 to 564, an average of 44.2 to 14.8.A Closer Look at Oklahoma's Home DominanceRECORD-SETTING ATTENDANCE
OU has drawn 6,197,565 fans for Bob Stoops' 76 home games (started in 1999) and all have been sold out.
The Sooners are 74-2 on Owen Field under Stoops. The current string of sellouts is the longest in school history, eclipsing a mark of 69 from 1971-84.The top 10 seasons for attendance at Oklahoma during Stoops' tenure as head coach.The largest OU home crowd was 85,646, for the 2008 Texas Tech game.The 85,620 on hand for the Tulsa game represented the largest season-opening crowd ever at Oklahoma.OU exceeded its seating capacity of 82,112 at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in 55 straight home games.Oklahoma has played before sellout crowds in 128 of the 163 games (76 home, 28 away, 15 neutral) since Stoops became the head coach. During that time, a total of 11,726,103 (average of 71,939) have watched the Sooners.Oklahoma Sets Attendance Records at Memorial Stadium
REMEMBERING AUSTIN BOX
LB Austin Box passed away in May. The Enid native would have been a senior on this team. To honor his memory, the Sooners keep his locker intact, leave a space for him during stretching drills and wear a helmet decal. In addition, a designated defensive player wears Box's No. 12 in each game. Tom Wort wore it vs. Tulsa, Frank Alexander vs. Florida State and Javon Harris vs. Missouri. That assignment is made each Friday. Landry Jones wears No. 12 on offense.
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OFFENSE |
Under Bob Stoops, OU has produced career leaders in passing, receiving and all-purpose yards, four top 10 career rushers and season record holders in rushing, passing and receiving yards. Stoops-led Sooner teams have set 47 offensive school records. Those offenses have 162 touchdowns of 25 or more yards and 325 scoring drives of two minutes or less.Oklahoma has scored in 179 consecutive games dating back to Nov. 7, 1998. OU rushed for 200 yards 46 times under Stoops.Oklahoma is the highest scoring college program in history. In 1,216 games, the Sooners have scored 31,406 points. Michigan is next at 30,414 points in 1,247 games. KEEPING UP WITH JONES
QB Landry Jones won the 2010 Sammy Baugh Award as college football's top passer ...
Already this season, Jones has moved from No. 3 to No. 1 on the school's career passing yards list (see chart). He jumped over a pair of Heisman winners to claim the spot. In the Missouri game, he set the OU record with his 15th career 300-yard passing game. He also holds the school mark with five, 400-yard games.Among active players, Jones is No. 2 in career passing yards per game (308.2), No. 4 in completions (754), No. 5 in yards (8,938), No. 5 in touchdown passes (69), No. 8 in total offense (8,700) and No. 8 in touchdowns responsible for (72).STILLS HAS MISSED TWO OF THREE
WR Kenny Stills missed the Tulsa (coaches' decision) and Missouri (injury) games. In his lone appearance, at Florida State, he had seven catches for a career-high 125 yards. His acrobatic TD catch with 7:00 left broke a 13-13 tie and gave OU a lead it did not relinquish.
Stills is 89 yards of 1,000 receiving yards for his career.PLAY-CALLING BALANCED
Through three games, OU has 124 rushing attempts (49%) and 129 passing attempts (50%). Last year's team ran the ball on 48% of their snaps and passed on 52%.
The last Oklahoma team that ran more than it threw was the 2008 squad that produced Heisman winner Sam Bradford, won the Big 12 crown and earned a spot in the BCS Championship game opposite Florida. That team ran 589 times out of 1,106 total plays (53%).FOURTEEN SCREAMING "I'M OPEN!"
Fourteen different Sooners have a reception this season. That's the total number who had catches over last year's 14-game schedule. Eight players have at least five grabs.
Due in part to Still's absence in two games, WR Ryan Broyles has 34 of the 92 catches (37%). THE RECORD BOOK BROYLES
Ryan Broyles, a consensus All-American and one of three finalists for the 2010 Biletnikoff Award, has set Oklahoma's records for receptions in a game, season and career; yards in a game, season and career and touchdowns receptions in a season (tied) and career.
Broyles is the career leader among the NCAA's active players in receptions (300), touchdown receptions (39), receiving yards (3,796) and punt return yards (1,016). He's No. 3 on the active touchdowns list at 42.He is just 17 receptions shy of the NCAA career record. Taylor Stubblefield of Purdue set that mark from 2001-04. Broyles is currently No. 5 on that career list and needs only seven catches to take sole possession of No. 2.With 39 career TD receptions, he is tied for No. 10 on the all-time NCAA list.Broyles is No. 2 in Big 12 career receptions, just four away from breaking the mark of 303 held by Texas Tech's Taurean Henderson (2002-05). He's also No. 2 in yards with 3,796, 618 away from No. 1. His TD total of 39 is No. 3, four from breaking Rashaun Woods' record of 42.Has 100+ yards receiving in 13 of the last 18 games and a TD grab in 13 of the last 19. Has at least one catch in 42 straight games, the second-longest string nationally (Houston's Tyron Carrier, 43.He already has 34 catches for 367 yards this season. That average of 11.3 catches per game is running ahead from his NCAA-leading average 9.4 last season. ONE WHALEY OF A RUNNING BACK
Oklahoma's leading rusher is walk-on junior Dominique Whaley, a transfer from Langston (Okla.) University.
In the opener against Tulsa, he rushed 18 times for 131 yards and four touchdowns. He fell just one TD shy of tying the NCAA mark for most in a debut game. That record is held by former Sooner DeMarco Murray at five.At Florida State, he led OU with 21 tries for 71 yards. He gained all 29 yards in the Sooners' final scoring drive to set up a 31-yard FG that gave the team a 10-point lead.Whaley attended Lawton (Okla.) MacArthur High School, but as an Army "brat" lived in several places, including Germany, before that time.MILLARD NO PLODDER
Oklahoma fullback Trey Millard has reeled off big gains this season. He's averaging 7.8 yards per rush and 9.2 yards per reception.
OU BACKFIELD OFF LIMITS
Oklahoma has given up just one sack on the season and just 14 tackles for loss. OU has absorbed 43 negative yards this season for an average of just 14 per game. Sooner opponents average 27.3 negative yards per game.
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DEFENSE |
OU has forced at least one turnover in 144 of Stoops' 163 games and has at least one interception in 106 of the last 142 with multiple picks in 65 of the last 114 outings.Oklahoma has 13 shutouts under its current head coach. Opponents failed to score more than seven points in 34 games and scored less than 14 in 64 games.TAKEAWAY STREAK ENDS AT EIGHT
Oklahoma's defense had claimed at least one takeaway in eight consecutive games before Missouri got out of town last Saturday night with no turnovers.
Over those eight games, the opponents handed over the ball 19 times, an average of 2.4 times per game.LEWIS ASCENDS OU TACKLE LIST
With his 377 career tackles (the second-highest total by a Bob Stoops player at OU), senior WLB Travis Lewis has cracked the career top 10 tackle list at OU. The record is held by the late Daryl Hunt at 530. Lewis, now at No. 7, trails No. 6 Tyrell Peters by three.His 377 career stops, the third-best total among active players nationally.Lewis, who suffered a broken bone in the big toe of his left foot in preseason drills, missed the opener vs. Tulsa.Lewis has led Oklahoma in tackles in each of his first three seasons and has become only the sixth player in school history to lead the team in three consecutive years. The last to do it was Rocky Calmus, the Butkus Award winner in his senior campaign, from 1999-01. No player has had the lead in four seasons. The San Antonio native had 108 stops last season. As a freshman in 2007, Lewis had 144 tackles to break Brian Bosworth's OU freshman record of 133.Lewis has double-digit tackle totals in 15 of his 43 career games.He registered his eighth career interception against Nebraska in last season's Big 12 Championship Game. That equals the most by a linebacker in Sooner history. He has 156 career return yards on those picks, an average of 19.5 per return. Lewis had three takeaways in that game against the Cornhuskers including a pair of fumble recoveries.FRANK TALK
DE Frank Alexander is off to a dominant start. The senior has 3.5 tackles for loss including 2.5 sacks thus far. He has been credited with at least half a sack in each of the three games.
In the opener against Tulsa, Alexander had two passes broken up and an interception, which he returned 27 yards. PAPER OR PLASTIC?
Oklahoma has 11 sacks through three games ...
Nine players have been credited with at least half a sack this season. The 11 sacks have gone for 60 yards in losses , or an average of 5.5 per sack. The lowest total in a game so far this season was two against Missouri.The Sooners had a season-high six at Florida State. They have 16 over their last three games away from Norman (seven vs. Nebraska in 2010 Big 12 Championship game, three vs. UConn in Fiesta Bowl, six at FSU game.).The Sooners are averaging 7.3 tackles for loss per game.INTERCEPTION RETURN AVERAGE HIGH
Oklahoma has four interceptions this season for a whopping 108 yards in returns. That's an average of 27.0 yards per return. The top interception return average of the Bob Stoops era was in 2002 when the Sooners logged 516 yards on 24 picks.
HURST TAKES OVER LONGEST STREAK
When Travis Lewis was out due to a broken bone in his left foot, CB Demontre Hurst took over with the longest string of starts on defense. He has 17. Lewis had 41.
OU IMPROVES IN PASS-HAPPY ERA
Despite this pass-happy era of college football, only once under Bob Stoops has an Oklahoma team allowed a season completion rate of 60% or higher. The 2010 finished at just 54.6%, which was the third-lowest figure in the Big 12 Conference for the season.
It's happening again this season. To date, Sooner opponents are completing just 54.0% of their passes (54-of-100).None of Oklahoma's first three opponents have passes for 300 yards.Last season, six Sooner opponents failed to complete 50 percent of their passes, including three of the last five foes (Texas Tech, Nebraska and Connecticut). With 71 break-ups, the Sooners had one of their best seasons in that category. Over the previous seven seasons, the best total at Oklahoma had been 61 (twice). The school record was set in 2000 with an incredible 110. The 2009 team had just 45. |
SPECIAL TEAMS |
Oklahoma's special teams under Bob Stoops:
There have been 27 special teams touchdowns, including 21 in the last 80 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.OU has returned eight kickoffs and 16 punts for TDs. The Sooners have blocked 24 kicks.MANY HAPPY RETURNS
Information on returns during the Stoops era ...
Kickoff Returns --94 returns of 25 yards or more with eight touchdowns. Punt Returns -- 61 returns of 15 or more yards with 16 touchdowns. Interception Returns -- 85 returns of 10 or more yards with 23 touchdowns. Fumble Returns -- six returns of 15 or more yards with eight touchdowns.COVER TEAM A STONE WALL
Again this season, Oklahoma's punt coverage unit has been stout -- it ranks No. 8 nationally giving up 0.0 yards per return (seven teams have negative return averages).
OU finished 2010 ranked No. 2 nationally in punt return defense at 3.04 yards/return. It was the second straight season that the Sooners held that position. OU foes finished the season with 24 returns for 73 yards.Oklahoma ranked No. 5 nationally in net punting last season at 40.5 yards. The 2009 team ranked No. 7.For the 2010 season, OU surrendered four returns of 15 or more yards, but otherwise none exceeded six. Six foes finished the game with negative punt return yards.The bugaboo has been kickoffs. The Sooners surrendered four for touchdowns last season, nine over the last three campaigns. So far in 2011, the longest kickoff return allowed thus far is 27 yards.OU blocked two punts last season and both resulted in safeties (vs. Colorado and Texas A&M).BROYLES CAN BE LETHAL
PR Ryan Broyles has more punt returns (91), more average returns per game (2.2) and more total punt return yards (1,016) than any other active players in NCAA FBS play.
He ranks No. 7 among active NCAA punt returners with an average of 10.92 yards per return.The trend is to kick away from the Sooner standout. He has had two or fewer returns in nine of the last 17 games.WAY GOOD AT PUNTER
In 2010, P Tress Way had 19 boots of 50+ yards with 18 inside the 20 and an average of 44.0 yards on 73 kicks. His average ranked No. 20 nationally, but he had more attempts than anyone ahead of him on that list.
Way has 44 punts of 50+ yards in his career. Jeff Ferguson (1998-01), set that OU record with 52Way is No. 7 among active NCAA punters with a career average of 44.39. It should be noted that Way has maintained that average on more kicks than any of the three players ahead of him. He has 147. This season, Way has played a central role in field position with 10 of his 13 punts downed inside the opponents' 20 yard line. The opponents' average field position this season after one of Way's punts has been the 18.5 yard line. FOOT FACTS
With Jimmy Stevens nursing a muscle pull, Michael Hunnicutt handled the kicking duties in the win over Missouri. He made his lone field goal try (26 yards) and all five PATs. Hunnicutt made a 27-yard FG against Tulsa.Stevens has made 16 of his last 17 field goals, all over his last five games played. At Oklahoma, Stevens ranks No. 6 all-time with 42 field goals made and No. 2 with 180 points after touchdown. He's No. 6 in kick scoring at 306.Patrick O'Hara has settled into the kickoff role for the Sooners. He has 18 thus far with three touchbacks. He averages 67.3 yards per kickoff and opponents are averaging 19.9 yards per return.
Friday, July 10
Wednesday, July 08
Thursday, June 25
Monday, June 22
