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University of Oklahoma Athletics
Game Primer: OU vs. OSU
November 08, 2018 | Football
6 Oklahoma
Saturday, Nov. 10 / 2:30 p.m. CT / Owen Field
OPENING KICK
• Oklahoma (8-1, 5-1 Big 12) looks for its 14th home Big 12 win in the last 15 such contests when it hosts Oklahoma State (5-4, 2-4) Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT. The game will be televised nationally by ABC with Steve Levy, Brian Griese
• The game will mark OU's 113th all-time meeting against OSU, tying the 113 games against Texas for the Sooners' most versus any program.
• Oklahoma's 87 wins against Oklahoma State are its most against one opponent (next most is 76) and the second most in FBS history against one program (Nebraska has 91 wins vs. Kansas).
• Oklahoma has won 30 of its last 32 games (.938) against Big 12 opponents dating back to the 2015 season. Its only two losses during that span came at the hands of Iowa State on Oct. 7 last year (38-31 in Norman) and Texas this season (48-45 in Dallas). Eighteen of those 30 victories have been by at least 15 points, and nine by at least 30 points.
• OU has won 14 straight November games (last loss on Nov. 8, 2014). Since the start of the 2000 season, the Sooners are 58-11 (.841) in the month.
• For just the second time in the last 10 seasons, OU has scored at least 50 points in three straight games. It reached the 50-point mark in four straight contests in 2015.
• The Sooners have won more Big 12 championships over the last 19 years (11) than they have lost home games. OU is 111-10 (.917) at Gaylord Family — Oklahoma Memorial Stadium since the start of the 1999 season, with all 121 of those games sellouts. This week's game marks the Sooners' 122nd straight home sellout.
• Oklahoma is coming off a 51-46 win at Texas Tech,
• Oklahoma State dropped a heart-breaking 35-31 contest at Baylor on Saturday after leading 31-21 with less than 6 minutes remaining. The Bears scored two touchdowns in the final 5:43, including the game-winner with 7 seconds left. The Cowboys outgained Baylor 523 yards to
FOR THE FANS
• Approximately two hours before each home game, head coach Lincoln Riley and the Sooners will disembark the team buses immediately west of the intersection of Lindsey Street and Jenkins Avenue for the "Walk of Champions." A pep rally, conducted by OU Spirit, will be held 15 minutes prior to the team's arrival. This week's pep rally will take place at approximately noon with the team arriving at approximately 12:15 p.m. Fans are encouraged to cheer on the team upon arrival and watch as Coach Riley and the squad
• Sooner Fan Fest will be held in the Rhyne Hall parking lot directly east of McCasland Field House, opening at 10:30 a.m. and concluding at 2 p.m. Fans will have the opportunity to meet Boomer and Sooner, and have their photos taken with the Bedlam trophy, Sooner Schooner, the mascots and members of the OU spirit squads. Other elements at Fan Fest this week include a GoVision jumbotron showing other games across the country, a photo booth, an inflatable football toss and
• The Nissan Heisman House will also visit Sooner Fan Fest this weekend. 2003 Heisman Trophy winner Jason White (11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.) and 1978 winner Billy Sims (12:30-2) will participate in "chalk talk" interviews with ESPN's Ryen Russillo, as well as autograph sessions. Fans will also have the opportunity to register for Heisman House credentials, take a 360-degree picture with the Heisman Trophy, capture a GIF in a Nissan Rogue SL with a Heisman winner and win Heisman-themed prizes by participating in interactive games.
KEY STORYLINES
• Oklahoma has dominated the Bedlam Series, owning an 87-18-7 (.808) all-time record against Oklahoma State and is 41-9-2 (.808) in the series in Norman. OU has won 13 of the last 15 meetings and is 11-2 against OSU with Mike Gundy as the Cowboys' head coach.
• During its three-game winning streak against OSU, the Sooners are averaging 52.7 points. They have scored at least 33 points against the Cowboys in each of the last six meetings, averaging 46.2 points during the stretch.
• Oklahoma senior kicker Austin Seibert needs just four points to tie the school career scoring record of 450 points, held by kicker Michael Hunnicutt (2011-14). Seibert needs just five points to tie the Big 12 career scoring record of 451 points, shared by Baylor's Aaron Jones (2010-13) and TCU's Jaden Oberkrom (2012-15).
• OU has held its last three opponents to an average of 101.3 yards below their season averages entering their games against the Sooners. TCU was averaging 413 yards per game but managed just 275 against OU (-138). Kansas State was averaging 356 yards but gained just 245 in Norman (-111). And Texas Tech entered Saturday's game averaging 528 yards per contest but finished with 473 on the night (-55).
• In Big 12 play, Oklahoma leads the conference with its 596.5 yards of offense per game, which is 125.5 more yards per outing than the team with the second-best average (Texas Tech; 471.0) and 145.7 more yards than Oklahoma State averages. Saturday's game will feature the Big 12's leaders in total offense per conference game, as OU's Kyler Murray averages 403.3 yards per contest and OSU's Taylor Cornelius averages 302.0.
• Oklahoma ranks 125th out of 130 FBS teams with just 63.4 offensive plays per game, but it ranks second nationally with its 563.2 yards per contest. That's because the Sooners lead the nation with a staggering 8.9 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 8.2 yards per play, and Memphis third at 7.7. OU also leads the nation by gaining at least 10 yards on 32.2 percent of its plays (184 of 571). Alabama ranks second at 29.5 percent.
• 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 12th nationally with its 246.8 rushing yards per game (Oklahoma State ranks second in the league at 200.1). More impressively, OU ranks second nationally with its 6.7 yards per rush, which is almost two full yards more than the next highest teams in the league (OSU and West Virginia average 4.8). Sophomore running back Trey Sermon (80.2), redshirt freshman running back Kennedy Brooks (67.9) and redshirt junior quarterback Kyler Murray (62.8), rank fifth, sixth and seventh in the league in rushing yards per game.
300/300 FIRSTS
• Oklahoma has rushed for at least 300 yards and passed for at least 300 yards in a game three times already this year, a single-season school record (vs. Florida Atlantic in the season opener and each of the last two weeks against Kansas State and Texas Tech). The feat has only been accomplished nine times in school history (
MODEL OF EFFICIENCY
• Forty-six of Oklahoma's 57 touchdown drives this season (81 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 0.76 points per offensive play this season. Going back to 1996, the highest end-of-season figure was 0.69 by national champion Florida State in 2013. OU's number in the first half of games this season is 0.80.
• With Kyler Murray leading the offense, the scoring rate has been even higher. The Sooners have averaged 0.78 points per offensive
• Oklahoma opponents have run 657 plays this season to the Sooners' 571. That's an average of 9.6 more per game. Despite that, OU has outgained its foes by 1,549 yards on the year (8.9 yards per play to 5.4).
• Oklahoma State has run 112 more plays than OU on the season (684-572), but the Sooners have gained 593 more yards (5,069-4,476).
KYLER FOR HEISMAN
• Through nine games, quarterback Kyler Murray leads the nation in passing efficiency rating (216.6; the NCAA single-season record of 198.9 was set by Baker Mayfield last year) and yards per pass attempt (12.3), and ranks second in yards per completion (17.5) and points responsible for per game (25.3), third in passing touchdowns per game (3.4) and total offense per game (362.6 yards), and fifth in completion percentage (.706). He is the only player in the country averaging at least 250.0 passing yards (298.8) and at least 50.0 rushing yards (63.8) per game.
• Murray has thrown at least two touchdown passes in every game this year, and his current streak of three TD passes in eight straight games is a school and a Big 12 record. He has 20 TD passes over the last five games.
• In Big 12 play, Murray owns healthy statistical leads in total offense at 403.3 yards per game (next most is 302.0 by Oklahoma State's Taylor Cornelius), passing yards at 336.3 per contest (next most is 309.5 by West Virginia's Will Grier) and passing efficiency rating with his 222.9 mark (next best is 170.5 by Grier).
• Only eight 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 four occasions this year.
OU'S 1-2 LINEBACKING PUNCH
• No duo in the Big 12 averages more tackles per game than Oklahoma sophomore Kenneth Murray and redshirt senior Curtis Bolton. Both linebackers, Murray ranks second in the Big 12 (eighth nationally) with his 11.4 tackles per outing, while Bolton ranks third (20th nationally) with 10.2. Over the last six games, Murray has an astounding 84 tackles (14.0 average) while Bolton has 70 (11.7).
• Murray has 103 tackles on the year, which is 25 more than his total last season (78) when he started all 14 games, earned freshman All-America honors from the Football Writers Association of America and USA Today, and was co-Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year.
• Amazingly, Bolton's 92 tackles are 76 more than he had in his career (16) entering the year.
HERE'S THE KICKER
• Senior kicker/punter Austin Seibert ranks second in OU career scoring with 446 points and needs just four points to tie kicker Michael Hunnicutt (2011-14) for the school record of 450. He is in fourth place in all-time Big 12 scoring and needs four points to tie Hunnicutt for third place. Seibert needs five points to tie the Big 12 career scoring record of 451, held by Baylor's Aaron Jones (2010-13) and TCU's Jaden Oberkrom (2012-15).
• In Saturday's win at Texas Tech, Seibert was 7 for 7 on PATs, extending his streak of makes to 151 dating back to 2016. Three games ago, he broke the school record of 134 straight conversions held by Uwe von Schamann (1976-78).
• With his 446 points, Seibert ranks eighth in FBS history among kickers. He needs five points to move into the top five. The record is 494 points by Arizona State's Zane Gonzalez (2013-16).
• Seibert set NCAA career records last Saturday for extra points made (281) and attempted (285).
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
• Since the start of the 2015 season, OU ranks first nationally in points per game (45.1), total offense (556.9), touchdowns from scrimmage (281; next most is 257), passing efficiency rating (191.1; next best is 159.3), completion percentage (69.5), and yards per pass attempt (10.7), and is sixth in passing offense (327.6) and 14th in rushing offense (229.3).
SOONERS HAVE DOMINATED BIG 12 ERA
• OU's performance in the Big 12 Conference this millennium has been nothing short of dominant. The Sooners have won 11 Big 12 titles in the last 17 seasons, with no other program during that span winning more than two.
• OU is 129-28 (.822) in regular season Big 12 play since the start of the 2000 season. That's 22 more wins than the program with the next most victories during that period (Texas; 107-50) and 41 more than the program with the third most (Oklahoma State; 88-69).
EXTRA POINTS
• Barry Switzer holds the OU record for most wins in his first two seasons as head coach (21 in 1973-74). Lincoln Riley, who turned 35 on Sept. 5, needs one more win to tie the mark. He is 20-3 as the Sooners' head coach.
• In the first two games after Ruffin McNeill took over defensive coordinator duties and Bob Diaco was named outside linebackers coach, Oklahoma held TCU to 275 yards and Kansas State to 245. The last time the Sooners held consecutive conference opponents to 275 yards or less was in 2011 (259 vs. Texas; 252 at Kansas).
• In Big 12 play, the Sooners rank second in rushing defense (116.2 yards per game) and second in yards per
• In the last two games, OU gained 703 yards against Kansas State and 683 against Texas Tech. It is the just the third time in school history the Sooners have registered at least 683 yards in consecutive outings (also in 1971 and 2015).
• Since the start of the 2017 season, Marquise Brown leads the nation with his 12 catches of at least 50 yards. The junior's 12 grabs have gone for 87, 84, 77, 77, 75, 66, 65, 58, 56, 52, 50 and 50 yards. Nine of those 12 receptions have resulted in a TD.
• Sophomore receiver CeeDee Lamb has at least one touchdown catch in seven of the last eight games.
• Redshirt junior receiver Lee Morris has 18 career catches and 10 have gone for touchdowns. The 56-percent touchdown rate ranks second in school history among players with at least 15 receptions (tight end Victor Hicks scored nine TDs on 16 receptions [56.3 percent] from 1975-78). Eight of Morris's 16 receptions this year, including five of the last nine, have resulted in a score.
• 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.
• Kennedy Brooks, who has 475 yards on 42 rushes this year, is averaging 11.3 yards per
• Sixty-one of his 71 kickoffs this season have resulted in touchbacks (his 85.9-percent rate is sixth best in the country).
• OU has scored at least 50 points 20 times since the start of the 2015 season, most in the nation.
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