University of Oklahoma Athletics

Game Primer: OU at West Virginia

Game Primer: OU at West Virginia

November 22, 2018 | Football

By: Athletics Communications

6 Oklahoma
OklahomaWest Virginia
13 West Virginia
Friday, Nov. 23 / 7 p.m. CT / Milan Puskar Stadium

OPENING KICK

• No. 6/6/6 Oklahoma (10-1, 7-1 Big 12) aims to secure a spot in the Big 12 Championship Game when it plays at No. 13/12/12 West Virginia (8-2, 6-2) on Friday at 7 p.m. CT. The game will be televised nationally by ESPN with Sean McDonough, Todd Blackledge and Holly Rowe announcing.

• Oklahoma's 19-game true road game winning streak is the longest in the nation (next longest is eight by Northwestern and UCF). The Sooners haven't lost a true road contest in more than four years (Oct. 4, 2014).

• OU is the only program West Virginia has not defeated since joining the Big 12 prior to the 2012 season. The Sooners are 6-0 against the Mountaineers during that span and have scored at least 44 points in five of those contests (average score of 45-29). Their victory margin has increased or held steady with each game (50-49 in 2012, 16-7 in 2013, 45-33 in 2014, 44-24 in 2015, 56-28 in 2016 and 59-31 last year).

• The Sooners have won 32 of their last 34 games (.941) against Big 12 opponents dating back to the 2015 season. Nineteen of those 32 victories have been by at least 15 points, and nine by at least 30 points.

• OU has won 16 straight November games (last loss on Nov. 8, 2014). Since the start of the 2000 season, it is 60-11 (.845) in the month.

• Oklahoma has scored at least 45 points in seven consecutive games for just the second time in school history (also in 2008).

• OU is the nation's only team this year with at least 30 rushing touchdowns (36) and at least 30 passing TDs (35). It ranks first nationally in yards per rush (6.9) and second in yards per pass attempt (11.4). No team since 1994 has finished in the top two in yards per rush and yards per pass attempt in a season.

• Oklahoma is coming off a 55-40 home win over Kansas in which quarterback Kyler Murray threw for 272 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 99 yards and a career-high three scores. Running back Kennedy Brooks rushed for a career-high 171 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries.

• West Virginia dropped a 45-41 contest at Oklahoma State on Saturday in a game it led 31-14 and didn't trail until the final minute. Quarterback Will Grier was 27 for 48 passing for 364 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a 6-yard score. Running back Kennedy McKoy rushed 21 times for 148 yards (7.0 average) and a pair of TDs. WVU came up short despite registering four takeaways and only committing one turnover.

Calcaterra

KEY STORYLINES

• An Oklahoma win over West Virginia would clinch a 10th Big 12 Championship Game berth for OU. The Sooners can also advance to the title game with a loss to WVU if Kansas beats Texas. The Sooners are 8-1 in the Big 12 Championship Game, which did not occur from 2011-16. Nebraska ranks second with six Big 12 title game appearances, and Texas ranks third with five.

• Oklahoma's 19-game true road winning streak is the longest active streak in the country and second longest in school history (OU won 24 in a row from 1953 to 1958). Northwestern and UCF (eight) hold the second-longest current streak, and Clemson is next at seven. The Sooners' last true road loss came more than four full years ago and occurred at TCU (37-33 on Oct. 4, 2014). OU has also won a record 17 straight Big 12 road games, breaking the previous league mark of 13 consecutive league road wins by Texas from 2003 to 2006. Since head coach Lincoln Riley joined the staff as offensive coordinator prior to the 2015 season, the Sooners are 17-0 in true road games (15-0 in Big 12 road contests).

• Oklahoma is 8-2 all-time against West Virginia, 3-0 in Morgantown and has won six straight in the series overall. The three meetings in Morgantown have produced 261 points, with OU outscoring the Mountaineers 153-108 (average score of 51-36). The Sooners have scored at least 45 points in all three of those contests.

• Friday's game will feature two players who are frontrunners to be invited to New York next month as Heisman Trophy finalists. OU's Kyler Murray ranks second nationally in passing efficiency rating (205.8), yards per pass attempt (11.9), yards per completion (16.9) and points responsible for per game (24.0). West Virginia's Will Grier ranks third in passing efficiency rating (174.2) and yards per pass attempt (9.55), 16th in yards per completion (14.0) and sixth in points responsible for per game (21.2).

• Oklahoma has rushed for at least 300 yards and passed for at least 300 in a game a school-record four times already this year (the previous record was two times in 2012), including in three of the last four contests. Entering this season, the feat had only been accomplished six times in school history. This is the first time OU has ever gone for 300/300 in three consecutive games.

• Despite losing preseason All-Big 12 running back Rodney Anderson for the season due to an injury against UCLA in the second game of the year, Oklahoma leads the Big 12 and ranks ninth nationally with its 260.7 rushing yards per game (Oklahoma State ranks second in the league at 200.5). More impressively, the Sooners rank first nationally with their 6.9 yards per rush, which is two full yards more than the next highest team in the league (OSU averages 4.9). Only one time (7.1 in 1971) has an OU team averaged more than 6.9 yards per rush for an entire season. Redshirt freshman running back Kennedy Brooks (90.1), sophomore running back Trey Sermon (77.4), and redshirt junior quarterback Kyler Murray (67.2), rank fourth, sixth and seventh in the league in rushing yards per game, and have combined for 31 rushing touchdowns.

LAST YEAR VS. THE MOUNTAINEERS

• In his final career home game, Baker Mayfield came off the bench and completed 14 of 17 passes for 281 yards and three TDs without an interception to help the Sooners to a 59-31 win over West Virginia on Nov. 25, 2017, in the regular season finale for both teams. Mayfield played less than three quarters.

• Running back Rodney Anderson logged all 13 of his carries in the first half and finished with 118 rushing yards and a career-high four rushing touchdowns. He became just the third FBS player since 2012 and the second player in OU history (DeMarco Murray) to register four touchdowns in a half in multiple games in a season.

 • WVU entered the game having surrendered more than 36 points once on the season, but the Sooners led 45-10 at halftime (their most points by halftime since 2008). They scored touchdowns on seven of their eight possessions through three quarters, and got a career-long, first-half-ending 51-yard field goal from Austin Seibert one play after a fumble recovery on the other possession. 

• OU, which punted just once in the game, set a school record with its 12.0 yards per play. Its 646 yards were its third most of the year. The Sooners held the Mountaineers to 387 yards (5.5 per play).

• Sophomore quarterback Kyler Murray played OU's opening drive and ran for 66 yards on the first play from scrimmage. Returning late in the third quarter, he finished the day 2-for-2 passing for 52 yards, and connected with Myles Tease on a 46-yarder for Tease's first career touchdown. Mark Andrews, Grant Calcaterra and CeeDee Lamb also registered TD grabs.

ROAD WARRIORS

• By the time Friday arrives, the Sooners' last true road loss will have occurred 1,511 days ago. The last time OU lost a true road game was Oct. 4, 2014, when No. 4 OU dropped a 37-33 decision at No. 25 TCU. Eleven AP Top 25 teams lost that week, including four of the top six.

• Since 1980, OU's 19-game road winning streak is the third longest nationally, with only Miami (Fla.) (1984-88) and Ohio State (2012-16) holding longer streaks at 20 victories.

• During the 19-game streak, the Sooners have outscored opponents 924-536 (49-28 average) and have outgained them 11,005 yards to 7,833 (579-412 average). OU has scored at least 31 points in all 19 games and at least 41 points in 15 of them. Seven of the wins have come against top-25 teams.

• The Sooners have outgained their opponent in 18 of the 19 road wins. West Virginia in 2016 is the only home team to outgain OU during the stretch (579-485), but was still doubled up on the scoreboard (56-28).

• Thirteen of the 19 victories have been by double digits, seven by at least 25 points and five by at least 35.

Brown

MODEL OF EFFICIENCY

• Oklahoma ranks 108th out of 130 FBS teams with just 65.5 offensive plays per game, but it ranks first nationally with its 576.1 yards per contest. That's because the Sooners lead the nation with a staggering 8.8 yards per play, a figure that would shatter the FBS single-season record of 8.6 by Hawaii in 2006. The OU single-season record of 8.3 yards per play was set last year, and the program's second-best figure is 7.6 in 1971. Alabama ranks second this year with its 8.0 yards per play, and Georgia third at 7.4. OU also leads the nation by gaining at least 10 yards on 32.4 percent of its plays (233 of 720). Alabama ranks second at 29.2 percent.

• Fifty-four of Oklahoma's 70 offensive touchdown drives (77 percent) have taken less than three minutes of game clock. That excludes the overtime TD drive vs. Army that took two plays.

• The Sooners are averaging 0.73 points per offensive play this season. Going back to 1996, the highest end-of-season figure was 0.69 by Florida State in 2013. OU's number in the first half of games this season is 0.78.

• OU has averaged 3.87 points per offensive possession this season, putting points on the scoreboard on 60 percent of its possessions, and scoring touchdowns 52 percent of the time.

• With Kyler Murray leading the offense, the scoring rate has been even higher. The Sooners have averaged 0.76 points per offensive play and 4.10 points per possession.

• Oklahoma opponents have run 807 plays this season to the Sooners' 720. That's an average of 7.9 more per game. Despite that, OU has outgained its foes by 1,653 yards on the year (8.8 yards per play to 5.8).

• West Virginia has run just 14 fewer plays than OU on the season (720-706), but the Sooners have gained 1,317 more yards (6,337-5,020). The Mountaineers are averaging 7.1 yards per play.

KYLER KNOWS FOOTBALL

• Redshirt junior quarterback Kyler Murray ranks second nationally in passing efficiency rating (205.8; the NCAA single-season record of 198.9 was set by Baker Mayfield last year), yards per pass attempt (11.9), yards per completion (16.9) and points responsible for per game (24.0; first among Power Five players), and ranks third in total offense per game (368.1 yards; didn't play in second half vs. Florida Atlantic or final 23:20 vs. Kansas State; OU only ran 40 plays vs. Army), fifth in passing touchdowns per game (3.1) and sixth in completion percentage (.703). He is the only player in the country averaging at least 300.0 passing yards (300.9) and at least 50.0 rushing yards (67.2).

• No player in FBS history has ever averaged at least 300.0 passing yards and 60.0 rushing yards per game for an entire season. Murray is averaging 300.9 and 67.2.

• Murray has thrown at least two touchdown passes in all but one game this year, and has thrown at least three TD passes in eight of 11 contests. He had his school- and Big 12-record streak of eight games with at least three TD passes snapped in a win against Oklahoma State two weeks ago.

• In Big 12 play, Murray leads the league in total offense at 400.8 yards per game (next most is 344.0 by OSU's Taylor Cornelius), passing yards at 328.8 per contest (next most is 320.5 by WVU's Will Grier), passing efficiency rating with his 207.1 mark (next best is 174.5 by ISU's Brock Purdy), and in total TDs with 33 (next most is 27 by Cornelius).

• A 5-10, 195-pounder from Allen, Texas, Murray is looking to become OU's fourth Heisman Trophy finalist in the last three years (Baker Mayfield in 2016 and '17 and Dede Westbrook in 2016), and its second straight winner (Mayfield). He has accounted for 44 touchdowns (34 passing, 10 rushing) against seven turnovers (6.3-to-1 ratio). He leads all Big 12 QBs with 739 rushing yards (7.1 per carry) and 10 rushing TDs.

• Only nine times since the start of the Big 12 Conference in 1996 has a Sooner thrown for at least 300 yards and rushed for at least 65 in a game, and Murray has done it on five occasions this year. He passed for 306 yards and ran for 69 against UCLA, threw for a then-career-high 348 and rushed for 77 at Iowa State, and went for 304 and 92 against Texas, 360 and 100 at Texas Tech, and 349 and 66 against Oklahoma State.

HERE'S THE KICKER

• Senior kicker/punter Austin Seibert, who ranks 11th nationally (sixth among kickers) with his 9.5 points per game this season, became OU's and the Big 12's all-time leading scorer two weeks ago against Oklahoma State. Seibert has 465 career points, breaking the previous school record of 450 by kicker Michael Hunnicutt (2011-14) and the previous Big 12 record of 451 by Baylor kicker Aaron Jones (2010-13) and TCU kicker Jaden Oberkrom (2012-15).

• Seibert ranks fourth in FBS history among kickers with his 465 points. He needs one point to tie for the No. 3 position, and 15 for the No. 2 spot. The record is 494 points by Arizona State's Zane Gonzalez (2013-16).

• In Saturday's win over Kansas, Seibert saw his school-record streak of extra-point makes snapped at 162. The streak dated back to 2016. He broke the school record of 134 straight conversions, held by Uwe von Schamann (1976-78), on Oct. 20 at TCU.

• Seibert holds the NCAA career records for extra points made and attempted (he is now 294 for 299).

• For the third straight season, Seibert is handling OU's placekicking, punting and kickoff duties. He is one of just three players nationally this season to lead his team in each (San Jose State's Bryce Crawford and Rice's Jack Fox).

• Seibert also ranks second at OU in career field goals made (57) and PAT percentage (.983; 294-299), fourth in career field goal percentage (.781; 57-73) and fifth in career punting average (41.7).

Seibert

ISN'T THAT SPECIAL

• Special teams have been a major positive for the Sooners through 11 games. Among teams with at least 2.0 kickoff returns per game this season, OU ranks 11th nationally with its 24.2 average. That's thanks largely to sophomore cornerback Tre Brown, who ranks 22nd in the country with his 25.2-yard average. He has compiled 503 yards on 20 returns, including an 86-yarder in the first quarter vs. UCLA that set up the tying touchdown after OU fell behind 7-0.

• OU ranks ninth nationally with its 16.8 yards per punt return. Sophomore receiver CeeDee Lamb ranks fifth in the country by averaging 15.0 yards on his 14 returns. He's registered runbacks of 66 yards against UCLA, 65 yards against Oklahoma State and 34 yards versus Kansas. Junior receiver Lee Morris has one return for 28 yards.

• Last year, OU ranked 98th nationally in kick return average (19.3 yards) and 97th in punt return average (5.6).

• Opponents have only returned six punts this season and they have gone for a combined 21 yards (sixth fewest in nation). OU has also registered its first two blocked punts since 2013, and and its first two blocked punt TDs since 2002. Against Florida Atlantic in the season opener, Lee Morris blocked a punt that Curtis Bolton recovered in the end zone. And against Kansas last week, Brayden Willis blocked a punt that Bolton returned nine yards for a score.

• Seventy-two of Austin Seibert's 86 kickoffs this season have resulted in touchbacks (his 83.7-percent rate is fifth best in the country). He had a streak of 32 touchbacks snapped at TCU on Oct. 20 following a 15-yard post-TD celebration penalty that was enforced on the kickoff (he still kicked the ball to the 1-yard line).

RILEY'S FAST START

• The Football Bowl Subdivision's youngest head coach (33) at the time of his hiring, Lincoln Riley became just the fifth mentor in FBS history with no previous head-coaching experience at a four-year college to win at least 12 games in his debut season. The previous record for wins by a first-year OU head coach was 10 by Chuck Fairbanks in 1967 and Barry Switzer in 1973. Riley, who is 22-3 at OU, also holds the Sooners' record for most wins in the first two seasons as head coach (Switzer, who went 21-0-1 in 1973 and '74, held the previous mark). Riley turned 35 on Sept. 5 and was the second-youngest FBS head coach entering this season.

OFFENSE HAS ROLLED UNDER RILEY

• Oklahoma owns the nation's most productive offense since the start of the 2015 season, which was Lincoln Riley's first year as OU's offensive coordinator. Riley called plays as the program's offensive coordinator and continues to as head coach.

• Since the start of the 2015 season, OU ranks first nationally in points per game (45.4), total offense (559.9), touchdowns from scrimmage (287; next most is 259), passing efficiency rating (190.0; next best is 159.2), completion percentage (69.4), and yards per pass attempt (10.7), and is fifth in passing offense (326.9) and 11th in rushing offense (233.0).

• In 51 games since the start of the 2015 season, OU has registered at least 500 yards of total offense 38 times, including in 28 of the last 35 outings, topped the 600-yard mark on 19 occasions and gone over 700 yards six times. Similarly, OU has scored at least 30 points in 45 of 51 games since Riley's arrival, at least 40 points 35 times, at least 50 points 21 times and at least 60 points seven times.

• The Sooners have registered at least 700 yards of offense 12 times in their history, and six of those occasions have come since the start of the 2015 season: 854 at Texas Tech in 2016; 785 at Oklahoma State in 2017; 773 vs. Tulsa in 2015; 710 at Kansas in 2015; 702 vs. Kansas State in 2018; 702 vs. Oklahoma State in 2018.

GOING FOR BIG 12 FOUR-PEAT

• If Oklahoma wins the 2018 Big 12 title, it will mark the program's fourth straight league crown. The last time the Sooners won four consecutive conference championships was 1984-87 under head coach Barry Switzer.

• OU is the only program to win three straight Big 12 titles, and it has done so twice (also from 2006-08). Baylor (2013-14) is the only other program to win two Big 12 championships in a row.

• The last Power Five program to win four straight outright league titles was Florida from 1993 through 1996.

Team

EXTRA POINTS

• Oklahoma ranks fourth nationally by converting 51.0 percent of its third-down plays.

• Kennedy Brooks, who has 811 yards on 82 rushes this year, is averaging 9.9 yards per carry. He would lead the nation in yards per rush if he averaged the NCAA minimum of 10.0 carries per game (he averages 9.1). The OU single-season yards-per-carry record among players with at least 400 rushing yards is 9.5 by Leon "Mule Train" Heath in 1949. The Big 12 single-season record among players averaging at least 5.0 carries per team game is 8.9 yards per rush by West Virginia's Tavon Austin in 2012.

• OU committed just 13 turnovers in its 14 games last year (six interceptions and seven fumbles lost). That marked the second-lowest total in school history (11 in 2008). The Sooners have 10 total turnovers in 11 games this season. Their 23 turnovers since the start of the 2017 campaign are seventh fewest nationally.

• Redshirt junior receiver Lee Morris has 21 career catches and 10 have gone for touchdowns. The 47.6-percent touchdown rate ranks first in school history among players with at least 20 receptions. Eight of Morris's 19 receptions this year have resulted in a score.

• Austin Seibert is 11 for 11 on field goals in Big 12 play.

• Kyler Murray has won four Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors, tying OU's single-season record set by Baker Mayfield last year.

• OU has scored at least 50 points 21 times since the start of the 2015 season, most in the nation.

• Oklahoma has scored at least 30 points in 33 of its last 35 games (29 and 28 in the other two). It has won 32 of those 35 contests. OU's 32-3 record since Oct. 1, 2016, is the nation's third best (Alabama is 33-2 and Clemson 33-3).

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Players Mentioned

Rodney Anderson

RB
/ Football

Mark Andrews

TE
/ Football

Curtis Bolton

LB
/ Football

Kennedy Brooks

RB
/ Football

Tre Brown

CB
/ Football

CeeDee Lamb

WR
/ Football

Baker Mayfield

QB
/ Football

Lee Morris

WR
/ Football

Kyler Murray

QB
/ Football

Austin Seibert

K/P
/ Football

Trey Sermon

RB
/ Football

Myles Tease

WR
/ Football

Brayden Willis

FB
/ Football

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