Game Primer: Baylor

November 14 | Waco, Texas

¹⁵ Oklahoma

⁶ Baylor

ABC // WatchESPN

Twitter // #BeatBaylor

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OPENING KICK

• Slotted 12th in this week's College Football Playoff rankings, Oklahoma (8-1, 5-1) goes for its fifth straight win when it travels to take on No. 6 Baylor (8-0, 5-0) on Saturday in Waco, Texas. Kickoff is slated for 7:14 p.m. CT. The game will be televised nationally by ABC with Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Heather Cox announcing.

• ESPN College GameDay will air from Waco on Saturday morning (8-11 CT), marking the 29th time the show will have been on hand for a game involving Oklahoma (only Florida [36 times], Alabama [35], Ohio State [33] and Florida State [31] have been featured more often than OU). The Sooners are 19-9 in such games (.679 winning percentage is second best among programs with at least 15 College GameDay appearances).

ESPN College GameDay will air from Waco on Saturday morning (8-11 CT), marking the 29th time the show will have been on hand for a game involving Oklahoma.

• Oklahoma owns a 21-3 (.875) all-time record against Baylor and is 10-2 vs. the Bears in Waco. In the Big 12 era, the Sooners hold a 16-3 series advantage (8-2 on the road).

• Bob Stoops is 13-3 vs. Baylor as OU's coach (the 13 wins are his most against any opponent). The average score in those contests has been 39-20.

• The Sooners are coming off a 52-16 home win over an Iowa State team that shut out Texas the previous week. It was Oklahoma's fourth straight game of more than 50 points. OU outgained the Cyclones by 310 yards. Baker Mayfield completed 74 percent of his passes and threw for 342 yards and three touchdowns while running for another score. The Sooners averaged 9.5 yards per play to ISU's 4.2.

• Baylor posted a 31-24 win at Kansas State last week behind 419 passing yards and three touchdowns by freshman quarterback Jarrett Stidham. It was the first career start for Stidham, who replaced starter and FBS leader in passing efficiency Seth Russell (out for the year with a neck injury).

• OU and Baylor have played five common opponents (Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Texas Tech and West Virginia). The Sooners have outscored those teams 276-74. Baylor has outscored them 267-131.

• OU is 52-27 (.658) against AP Top 25 teams in the 17-year Stoops era. The 52 wins rank as the second most in the country during the span (LSU has 57). OU's last top-5 foe was Alabama in the 2014 Sugar Bowl (won 45-31).

FIVE TOP STORYLINES

• Saturday's game will feature two of the nation's best offenses. Baylor ranks first in the country in scoring (57.4 ppg), total offense (665.6 ypg) and passing efficiency rating (198.90). In the same categories, Oklahoma ranks third (46.3 ppg), sixth (549.3) and second (185.18). The Sooners boast the Big 12's top defense, ranking 16th nationally in points allowed (18.1 ppg) and 23rd in yards allowed (327.2 ypg) to comfortably lead the league in both.

• Oklahoma won the first 20 games it played against Baylor, but the Bears have beaten OU three of the last four years. Over its first six games in Waco under Bob Stoops (all wins), OU gave up an average of 11.2 points per contest. Over the last two games there (both losses), the Sooners surrendered an average of 43.0 points.

• In the season's first five games, OU averaged 144.2 rushing yards on 3.6 yards per carry. Over the last four outings, the Sooners are averaging 295.2 rushing yards on 6.2 yards per attempt. Meanwhile, OU is allowing only 96.5 rushing yards (2.7 yards per carry) over the last four games.

• OU has racked up more than 600 yards of offense in each of the last three games (617, 710 and 684). It is only the third time in the program's storied history the Sooners have surpassed the 600-yard mark in three consecutive contests. The other two times it happened were in 1971 (OU finished No. 2 in AP poll under Chuck Fairbanks) and 1956 (won the national championship under Bud Wilkinson).

• Oklahoma has outscored its six Big 12 opponents by a combined 293-98 margin (average of 49-16). Over the last four games, OU has outscored K-State (55-0), Texas Tech (63-27), Kansas (62-7) and Iowa State (52-16) by a 232-50 count (58-13 average). It marks the first time OU has scored 50-plus points in four straight games since Sam Bradford's Heisman Trophy-winning season of 2008.

SCOUTING BAYLOR

• Baylor (8-0, 5-0 Big 12) enters the week ranked No. 6 in the College Football Playoff Poll. It is coming off a 31-24 road win over Kansas State in a Thursday night contest (Nov. 5). The Bears had their NCAA-record-tying streak of five straight games of at least 60 points snapped (the record was established by Oklahoma in 2008).

Shock Lindwood and Corey Coleman celebrate a touchdown.

• The Bears boast the country's top offense, leading the nation in scoring (57.4 ppg), yards per game (665.6) and passing efficiency (198.90). They also rank fourth in rushing offense (308.9 ypg) and seventh in passing offense (356.8 ypg).

• On the other side of the ball, Baylor ranks second in the Big 12 total defense (388.4), second in passing defense (223.8) and fifth in rushing defense (164.6). It leads the league in turnover margin (+1.4/game).

• Freshman quarterback Jarrett Stidham made his first career start last game in place of junior Seth Russell, the NCAA leader in passing efficiency (189.7) who was injured against Iowa State on Oct. 24 and will miss the rest of the season. Stidham, who has played in all eight games, completed 23 of 33 pass attempts for 419 yards and three touchdowns at K-State. He has completed 77.0 percent of his passes on the year and has thrown nine TDs without an interception.

• Junior wide receiver Corey Coleman leads the country with his 20 touchdown catches (next highest is 14) and 147.3 receiving yards per game. He has caught multiple TD passes in seven of eight contests this season.

• Junior running back Shock Linwood leads the Big 12 and ranks 12th nationally with his 130.8 rushing yards per game and third with his 7.8 rushing yards per carry. He has run for nine TDs on the year and has caught another.

• Senior linebacker Grant Campbell leads the team and ranks sixth in the Big 12 with his 8.0 tackles per game.

LAST YEAR VS. THE BEARS

• Baylor's first ever win in Norman last year was a big one (48-14) and came at the expense of OU starting quarterback Trevor Knight, who was knocked out of the game in the fourth quarter (and missed the next three contests) with a neck injury.

• Knight threw for 146 yards on 12-for-27 passing with two touchdowns and one interception. His passing total pushed him over the 3,000-yard mark for his career. He added 65 yards on the ground on 13 carries.

• Alex Ross led OU on the ground with 72 yards on just six carries. Knight was the Sooners' second-leading rusher.

• Michiah Quick led the Sooners in receiving with 94 yards on six catches, both career highs, including a career-long 54-yard grab and an eight-yard touchdown. Durron Neal chipped in four catches, 41 yards and a TD of his own.

• Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty logged 387 yards on 32-for-42 passing with one touchdown. Corey Coleman led the Bears in receiving with then-career highs of 15 catches for 224 yards (one TD) while Antwan Goodley added nine grabs for 92 yards. Shock Linwood paced Baylor on the ground, totaling 87 yards and two TDs on 23 carries.

• OU star wide receiver Sterling Shepard missed the game after getting injured the previous week at Iowa State.

SOONERS HAVE FOUND THEIR GROOVE

• Since losing 21-14 to Texas on Oct. 10 in Dallas, the Sooners have absolutely dominated the opposition. Oklahoma has outscored its last four foes by 182 points (an average of 45.5) and has outgained them by an average of 363.5 yards.

• Over the last four games, OU has scored 30 offensive touchdowns and punted only six times. The Sooners went 31 consecutive possessions without a punt (punted on first possession vs. Texas Tech, did not punt at Kansas, punted on fourth possession vs. Iowa State).

• OU has accumulated 35 plays of at least 20 yards over the last four outings. Opponents have gained 20 or more yards just nine times on 297 plays (3 percent) during those contests, with a long of 31 yards. OU's defense has surrendered only two pass plays of 30 more yards (34 and 31) over the last six games.

Baker Mayfield has completed 75.9 percent of his passes over the last four games.

• OU quarterback Baker Mayfield has completed 75.9 percent of his passes over the last four games (average of 304.8 yards; has exited three of the four early) with 14 touchdowns and just one interception.

• Running backs Samaje Perine (110.5) and Joe Mixon (89.8) are averaging a combined 201.8 rushing yards and have totaled 11 rushing TDs over the last four games. Perine is averaging 7.6 yards a carry during the stretch while Mixon is averaging 8.0.

DEFENSE SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED

• Out of 127 FBS teams, OU now ranks second in sacks per game (3.8), eighth in pass efficiency defense (100.75), 16th in scoring defense (18.1 ppg), 16th in passing defense (178.6 ypg), 16th in red zone defense (75.0 opponent scoring percentage), 17th in interceptions per game (1.3), 17th in defensive pass completion percentage (.523) and 23rd in total defense (327.2 ypg).

• Oklahoma has held three of its nine opponents to less than 100 passing yards each, four to 125 or fewer passing yards and six to less than 200 passing yards.

• The Sooners' 12 interceptions this year (in four fewer games) are the same number they had all of last season.

• Over the season's first three games, OU was -4 in turnover margin. Over the last six contests (all in Big 12 play), it is +7.

• OU has eight interceptions and 19 sacks over the last four games in blowout wins.

• Prior to the last two games, senior defensive end Charles Tapper had 3.0 sacks (all last year) over a 20-game span going back to the start of last season. The last two weeks he has 5.0 sacks (3.0 at Kansas, 2.0 vs. Iowa State). He also forced two fumbles at KU.

• With 23.0 career sacks (7.5 this season), senior outside linebacker Eric Striker is OU's all-time leader in the category among linebackers and ranks sixth overall in school history. He is tied for second in the Big 12 in sacks this year (0.83 per game) and tied for third in tackles for loss (1.4 per game). Striker has 11.0 tackles for loss over the last four games.

• Sophomore cornerback Jordan Thomas and junior counterpart Zack Sanchez rank fourth in the Big 12 with three interceptions each. Sanchez, who was injured on the first play three games ago against Texas Tech and hasn't played since, has 11 career interceptions and is tied for the OU career lead with three pick-sixes. He is expected to play at Baylor.

MAYFIELD'S GOT THE NUMBERS

mayfield

Mayfield has thrown for at least one touchdown in all nine games and has passed for at least three scores in seven contests.

• Junior quarterback Baker Mayfield is off to a stellar start in his first year of competition with the Sooners. The former walk-on ranks second among FBS players in pass efficiency rating (186.8), second in passing yards per attempt (10.23), fifth in points responsible for per game (22.0), sixth in passing TDs per game (3.11), ninth in total offense per game (337.4) and 13th in passing yards per game (312.4). The Maxwell and O'Brien Awards semifinalist has 28 TD passes and just four interceptions.

• Mayfield has thrown for at least one touchdown in all nine games and has passed for at least three scores in seven contests.

• Mayfield has already tied the school single-season record for most touchdown passes of at least 70 yards with four. He threw two last week (75 and 74).

• Mayfield set the OU record for passing yards in a season opener with 388 (in only three quarters of play) in a 41-3 win over Akron. At No. 23 Tennessee the next game he rallied the Sooners from a 17-0 deficit with touchdowns on their last four possessions in a 31-24 double-overtime win. Against Tulsa the following week, Mayfield set the OU single-game record for total offense (572 yards; the most by an FBS player this year) and tied the school record by accounting for six touchdowns (four passing). His 487 passing yards in the game stand as the fourth most in OU history, and his 226.6 pass efficiency rating was the highest by a Sooner with more than 30 attempts in a game. Four games ago at Kansas State, Mayfield tied the school record for TD passes in a half with five in the first 30 minutes as OU took a 35-0 lead to the locker room. And two weeks ago at Kansas, he threw for 332 yards in the first half, the second most in a half in school history.

EXTRA POINTS

• This year's Sooners have posted the No. 1, No. 3 and No. 5 yardage totals of the 17-year Bob Stoops era (773 vs. Tulsa, 710 at Kansas and 684 vs. Iowa State).

• OU's offense ranks second nationally in passing efficiency rating (185.18), third in scoring offense (46.3 ppg), sixth in total offense (549.3 yards per game), 11th in passing offense (338.0 yards per game) and 14th in yards per completion (14.4).

• Five of OU's seven touchdown drives in last week's 52-16 win over Iowa State took less than a minute, and all seven TDs were scored by a different player.

• Oklahoma is 18-14 under Stoops against teams ranked in the AP top 10 and 10-10 versus teams ranked in the AP top five.

OU's offense ranks second nationally in passing efficiency rating, third in scoring offense, sixth in total offense, 11th in passing offense and 14th in yards per completion.

• OU's losses the last two years to Baylor represent the only active losing streak of more than one game for Stoops against another program.

• Receiver Mark Andrews has six TD receptions, tied with Ryan Broyles (2008) for OU's single-season freshman record.

• Receiver Sterling Shepard has not played the last seven quarters against Baylor. He missed last year's game in Norman due to injury and was knocked out of the game in the first quarter in Waco two years ago.

• True freshman Austin Seibert is the only kicker in the country to have made at least 12 field goals and 53 extra points this year. He leads Big 12 kickers and ranks second among all league players with his 9.9 points per game. Also OU's punter, the Ray Guy Award semifinalist ranks second in the Big 12 with his 43.5-yard punting average.

• The Dominique Alexander/Jordan Evans/Frank Shannon inside linebacker trio has combined for 586 career tackles. Alexander ranks fourth in the Big 12 this season with his 8.3 tackles per game while Evans ranks seventh with 7.7 per outing.

• The Sooners have won eight Big 12 titles in Stoops' first 16 seasons, with no other program during that span winning more than two.

OPENING KICK

FIVE TOP STORYLINES

SCOUTING BAYLOR

LAST YEAR VS. THE BEARS

SOONERS HAVE FOUND THEIR GROOVE

DEFENSE SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED

MAYFIELD'S GOT THE NUMBERS

EXTRA POINTS

Players Mentioned

Dominique Alexander

Mark Andrews

Jordan Evans

Trevor Knight

Baker Mayfield

Joe Mixon

Durron Neal

Samaje Perine

Michiah Quick

Alex Ross

Zack Sanchez

Zack Sanchez

Austin Seibert

Frank Shannon

Sterling Shepard

Eric Striker

Eric Striker

Charles Tapper

Jordan Thomas

Jordan Thomas

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