Game Primer: Big 12 Championship

Saturday, December 7

Arlington, TX

11:00 AM

University of Oklahoma

Baylor

December 06, 2019 | Football

Gameday Central Trailer Friday Night at Winstar Classic Games Library

⁶Oklahoma

⁷Baylor

Saturday, Dec. 7 / 11 a.m. CT / AT&T Stadium

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OPENING KICK

• No. 6/6/6 Oklahoma (11-1, 8-1 Big 12) goes for its fifth consecutive Big 12 title and 13th overall when it meets No. 7/8/8 Baylor (11-1, 8-1 Big 12) Saturday at 11 a.m. CT in the Big 12 Championship at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The game will be televised by ABC with Sean McDonough, Todd Blackledge and Holly Rowe announcing.

• Oklahoma owns a 26-3 (.897) all-time record against Baylor. In the Big 12 era, the Sooners hold a 21-3 series advantage (.875). Saturday's game will mark the first in the series not played in Norman or Waco.

• Oklahoma (12) and Baylor (two) have combined for 14 Big 12 championships in the league's first 23 years. Texas (three) is the only program besides OU that has won more than two Big 12 titles.

• The contest will mark just the third Big 12 Championship game since 2010 (the league champion was determined by standings from 2011 to 2016). OU has more Big 12 Championship game wins (nine) than any other program has appearances. It has qualified for 11 of the league's 18 title games and owns a 9-1 record. Texas and Nebraska rank second with six Big 12 title game appearances, and the Longhorns rank second with three wins. Baylor's Big 12 Championship game appearance Saturday will be its first.

• Saturday's game will mark the first AP top-10 matchup between the Sooners and Bears. OU has made 602 all-time appearances in the AP's top 10, while Baylor has made 77.

• The Sooners are 57-34-2 (.624) in AP top-10 matchups, and 18-9 (.667) since the start of the 2000 season. They are 38-20 (.655) as the higher ranked team in such games.

• A Saturday win would mark OU's fifth straight league crown. The last time the Sooners won at least five consecutive conference championships was 1972-80 under head coaches Chuck Fairbanks (1972) and Barry Switzer.

• OU's current streak of four straight outright league championships is the longest among Power Five programs since Alabama won five in a row from 1971 to '75 (Clemson is also riding a four-game outright streak [ACC]).

• Oklahoma is the only program to win at least three straight Big 12 championships, and it has done so twice (2006-08 and 2015-18). Baylor (2013-14) is the only other program to win two Big 12 titles in a row.

• This season marked the first in the 24-year history of the Big 12, the Sooners led the conference in both total offense (526.9 ypg; next most was 462.8) AND total defense (330.6 ypg; next fewest was 357.6) in league play. The only other team to do it was co-national champion Nebraska in 1997.

• The Sooners are averaging a national-best 8.36 yards per offensive play, which is just below their own FBS single-season record of 8.60 yards per play set last season.

• Entering the Nov. 16 Baylor game, OU ranked 118th by averaging just 63.2 plays per game. Over the last three contests, it ranks sixth nationally by averaging 80.3 plays (95 at Baylor, 85 vs. TCU, 61 at Oklahoma State).

• OU has won at least 10 games 40 times in its history, most of any program. It has double-digit wins in each of the last five seasons, nine of the last 10 and in 17 of the last 20. Its 26 seasons of at least 11 victories are also the most nationally.

• Lincoln Riley owns the OU records for wins by a head coach in a debut season (12), first two seasons (24) and first three seasons (35).

• Going back to 2013, Oklahoma has won 36 of its last 45 games away from Norman (80.0%).

Lead, Big 12 Champs 18

KEY STORYLINES

• Saturday will mark the ninth time in Big 12 Championship game history that the contest is a rematch from the regular season. The teams that won the regular season meeting are 5-3 in the title game. OU is a perfect 4-0 in such scenarios, sweeping Kansas State in 2000 (41-31 in regular season and 27-24 in title game), Colorado in 2002 (27-11 and 29-7), Missouri in 2007 (41-31 and 38-17) and TCU in 2017 (38-20 and 41-17).

• Since Baylor won three of four meetings against Oklahoma — in 2011, '13 and '14 for its only series victories — the Sooners have won five straight against the Bears and have averaged 47.6 points in the process. OU scored 44 points in 2015, 45 in 2016, 49 in 2017, 66 last year and 34 this season. It has scored at least 30 points in 19 of the last 21 series games.

• Saturday's game will feature the Big 12's top scoring offense in Oklahoma (44.3 ppg; No. 5 nationally) versus the league's top scoring defense in Baylor (18.4 ppg; No. 13 nationally). OU also ranks first in the country in total offense (564.3 ypg) while Baylor ranks third in the Big 12 and 39th nationally in total defense (352.8 ypg). The Sooners' defense has also been stout, as it leads the Big 12 in yards allowed per game (336.1; 26th nationally) and in passing yards allowed per game (195.9; 22nd nationally).

• Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts was the star of last year's SEC Championship vs. Georgia, rallying Alabama to a 35-28 win after it trailed 28-21 when he replaced injured starter Tua Tagovailoa with 11:15 left in the fourth quarter. Hurts took the Crimson Tide 69 yards on his first drive that culminated with a 10-yard game-tying touchdown pass to Jerry Jeudy with 5:19 left. On Alabama's next possession, Hurts capped a 52-yard drive with a 15-yard rushing TD with 1:04 remaining for the game's final points. He completed 7 of 9 passes for 82 yards and had five carries for 28 yards on his two drives.

• OU played without junior receiver and Biletnikoff Award finalist CeeDee Lamb three weeks ago in Waco due to a medical issue. Lamb has finished with at least 135 receiving yards five times this season (135, 144, 167, 171 and 185), including in four of his last seven games. He has scored seven touchdowns over his last six contests. On the season, Lamb ranks third nationally in TD receptions (14; the OU single-season record is 17), 10th in yards per catch (20.7) and 19th in receiving yards per game (94.1). Making his TD and yards-per-game numbers even more impressive is the fact that he ranks 94th nationally with just 4.5 catches per game.

• Redshirt sophomore Kennedy Brooks is averaging 133.5 rushing yards during OU's four-game winning streak. On the season, he ranks first in the Big 12 and third nationally with his 7.2 yards per carry.

• Lou Groza Award semifinalist Gabe Brkic is one of two placekickers nationally (Air Force's Jake Koehnke is 12 for 12) who have made all of their field goal attempts this season and is the only one who has made all of his field goal AND extra point tries. The redshirt freshman, who didn't take over OU's placekicking duties until the season's fourth game (vs. Texas Tech), is 14 for 14 on field goals and 45 for 45 on PATs. His streak of 14 made field goals is the longest in school history at the start of a career, the longest ever by an OU freshman and tied for the longest in a single season regardless of class (Scott Blanton made 14 straight in 1992). No OU kicker has ever made all of his field goal and extra-point attempts for an entire season (Michael Keeling was a combined 42 of 43 [97.7%] in 1979).

• Since trailing Baylor 31-10 at halftime on Nov. 16, Oklahoma has held the Bears, TCU and Oklahoma State to a combined 608 yards (60.8 per quarter) while gaining 1,329 yards itself over the last two and-a-half games. During that same span, the Sooners have held a 204-112 advantage in plays, a 74-35 advantage in first downs and a 97:54- 52:06 advantage in time of possession.

• Lincoln Riley is looking to become just the fourth FBS head coach since at least 1996 to win three conference titles in his first three years as a head coach. Marshall's Bob Pruett [1997-99], Miami's Larry Coker [2001-03] and Oregon's Chip Kelly [2009-11] accomplished the feat.

• In a stat that speaks to their success on both sides of the ball, the Sooners have run just 54 more plays than their opponents this season (4.5 more per game) but have outgained them by a staggering 2,739 yards, or 1.56 miles. OU leads the nation in total offense (564.3 ypg) despite ranking 85th in plays per game (just 67.5).

EARLIER THIS YEAR VS. BAYLOR

• No. 10/10/8 Oklahoma trailed No. 13/12/10 Baylor 28-3 midway through the second quarter and 31-10 at halftime before pulling off a stunning 34-31 win Nov. 16 in Waco. It was the largest comeback victory in OU history and resulted in the Bears' only loss of the season.

• According to ESPN Stats & Info, OU's 21-point halftime deficit (31-10) was the largest overcome to defeat an FBS team that entered the game 9-0 or better since NCAA classification began in 1937. Also, the Sooners became the first team to ever beat a CFP-ranked team when trailing by 25 or more points. Teams had been a combined 0-162 (the CFP began in 2014).

• In the second half, OU ran 58 plays to Baylor's 16, outgained the Bears by 299 yards (368-69), had 18 more first downs (22-4) and held a 24:20-5:40 advantage in time of possession.

• The Sooners' first two takeaways since the fourth game of the season (Sept. 28 vs. Texas Tech) came during their second-half rally. Safety Patrick Fields recovered a fumble forced by cornerback Parnell Motley on Baylor's first play of the third quarter, and linebacker Nik Bonitto sealed the victory with an interception at the OU 38-yard line with 29 seconds left.

• Jalen Hurts accounted for 411 yards of offense, including a school-record 305 in the second half, to earn Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week honors. He was 30 for 42 through the air (both season highs) for 297 yards and a career-high-tying four touchdowns. The senior also ran a season-high 27 times for 114 yards.

• Biletnikoff Award finalist CeeDee Lamb missed the game due to a medical reason, but several pass catchers filled the void. Freshman tight end Austin Stogner made his first two touchdown catches (5-yarder in second quarter and 3-yarder in third quarter) while frosh receiver Theo Wease registered his second TD grab early in the fourth quarter (19-yarder) to make the score 31-24 Baylor. Sophomore H-back Brayden Willis notched his first career TD reception with 5:25 to go to tie the game at 31. Senior receiver Lee Morris finished with a career-high seven catches for 86 yards. All five of his third-quarter receptions went for first downs and totaled 63 yards.

• Redshirt freshman kicker Gabe Brkic was 2 for 2 on field goals, hitting a 39-yarder to put OU up 3-0 in the first quarter and the game-winning 31-yarder with 1:45 to go.

• Running back Kennedy Brooks rushed 18 times for 93 yards and caught a career-high four passes for 22 yards.

• Linebacker Kenneth Murray, who celebrated his 21st birthday the day of the game, led OU with eight tackles, which included 2.0 for loss. All four of sophomore defensive lineman Ronnie Perkins' tackles went for a loss, and he finished with a career-high 3.0 sacks (for 14 yards). It marked the most sacks by a Sooner since 2015 when Charles Tapper had 3.0 at Kansas.

• All four of OU's touchdown drives took at least 12 plays. In the team's first nine games this season, only one total drive lasted 12 or more plays.

DEFENSE ON THE RISE

• Hired in January, coordinator and safeties coach Alex Grinch, who is a 2019 Broyles Award semifinalist, has overseen major improvement on the defensive side of the ball through 12 games this season.

• Oklahoma ranks 13th nationally in opponent third-down conversion percentage (31.1; last year ranked 119th at 46.4), 21st in tackles for loss per game (7.2; last year ranked 57th at 5.6), 22nd in passing defense (195.9 ypg; last year ranked 130th at 294.0), 26th in total defense (336.1 ypg; last year ranked 114th at 453.8); 44th in sacks per game (2.4; last year ranked 49th at 2.1), 48th in rushing defense (141.3 ypg; last year ranked 59th at 159.8) and 52nd in scoring defense (24.7 ppg; last year ranked 101st at 33.3).

• In Big 12 play, OU led the league in total defense (330.6 ypg) and passing defense (190.4 ypg), and ranked second in rushing defense (140.1 ypg), pass defense efficiency (125.7 rating) and third- and fourth-down conversion percentage (33.3 each).

• OU forced a punt on its opponent's first possession in the first 11 games.

• Oklahoma has allowed more than 6.0 yards per play once in its 12 games this season (6.9 by Iowa State). In the 41 games from 2016-18, OU allowed at least 6.0 yards per play 20 times.

• Seven of OU's top 10 tacklers this season are freshmen or sophomores. Four sophomore defenders (S Pat Fields, DL Ronnie Perkins, S Delarrin Turner-Yell and LB DaShaun White) have started every game, and another (DB Brendan Radley-Hiles) has started 11. Two redshirt freshmen (LB Nik Bonitto [six] and DL Jalen Redmond) and two true freshmen (CB Jaden Davis and OLB David Ugwoegbu) have each started at least one.

Parnell Motley

"AIR RAID" A MISNOMER

• Fans and media have often referred to Oklahoma's offense under Lincoln Riley as the "Air Raid." The label is not exactly accurate, however, as the Sooners have rushed more than they've thrown in each of the five years since Riley arrived in Norman, and that's counting plays in which the quarterback was sacked as pass plays (officially they are recorded as rushes). OU's rushing play percentage was 52.6 in 2015, 57.7 in 2016, 53.1 in 2017 and 54.7 in 2018. Through 12 games this season, 57.9% of the Sooners' plays have been rushes.

CONTROL FREAKS

• The Sooners ran 95 plays at Baylor on Nov. 16 and 85 plays vs. TCU on Nov. 23. Prior to the Baylor contest, Oklahoma had not run 80 or more plays in a game since the 2018 Rose Bowl (double overtime) vs. Georgia (81 plays), and had not done so in a regulation game since 2017 vs. Texas Tech (81). The last time OU ran at least 180 plays over two games was in 2015 (87 plays at Baylor and 95 plays vs. TCU).

• Two of OU's three highest total possession times since 2015 have come in the last three weeks (41:11 at Baylor and 39:31 vs. TCU). The other was in 2016 at West Virginia (39:54).

• OU's average possession time of 38:15 the last three weeks is the second highest nationally (38:16 by Coastal Carolina). The Sooners have run the ball 160 times in their 241 plays the last three games (66.4% of the time).

RILEY'S FAST START

• The Football Bowl Subdivision's youngest head coach (33) at the time of his hiring, Lincoln Riley was named Oklahoma's 22nd head man on June 7, 2017, and quickly set school records for wins by a first-year head coach (12) and victories in his first two seasons (24) and first three seasons (35). No one at any school in the last 125 years (since Penn's George Woodruff in 1892-93) won more games in his first two seasons as a college head coach. In addition to his 35-5 record, Riley has won two Big 12 titles, participated in two College Football Playoffs and produced seven first-team All-Americans, two Heisman Trophy winners and two No. 1 overall NFL Draft picks as OU's head coach. He turned 36 on Sept. 5 and is the FBS's fifth-youngest head coach.

HURTS THRIVING IN OU STARTING ROLE

• A graduate transfer from Alabama who arrived at Oklahoma in January, Jalen Hurts follows in the footsteps of OU Heisman Trophy winners Baker Mayfield (2017) and Kyler Murray (2018). Owner of a 37-3 career record as a starter, he is a finalist for the Maxwell Award, Davey O'Brien Quarterback of the Year Award and Manning Award.

• A first-team All-Big 12 selection, Hurts has completed 205 of 285 passes (71.9%) for 3,347 yards (278.9 per game) and 31 touchdowns with six interceptions. He has also rushed 196 times for a team-high 1,217 yards (101.4 per game) and 18 TDs. Hurts leads the nation in yards per pass attempt (11.7; FBS record is 11.6), yards per completion (16.3) and points responsible for per game (25.2), and is third in total offense (380.3 yards per game) and passing efficiency rating (202.3; FBS record is 199.4), fourth in completion percentage, seventh in rushing TDs and ninth in passing TDs.

• Hurts is one of just five players nationally since at least 1996 to record at least 30 passing TDs and at least 15 rushing TDs in a season (Florida's Tim Tebow, Auburn's Cam Newton, Oregon's Marcus Mariota and Louisville's Lamar Jackson).

• Hurts became only the third FBS player to register at least 3,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards by the 11th game of a season. The feat was also accomplished by Louisville's Lamar Jackson in 2016 and '17 and Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel in 2012 (Jackson [2016] and Manziel won the Heisman Trophy).

• Hurts already ranks second in OU single-season history in quarterback rushing yards. He needs 72 rushing yards to tie Jack Mildren's record of 1,289 in 1971. Hurts also needs two rushing TDs to tie Mildren's single-season record of 20 by a QB (also in 1971).

• Hurts has already posted five passing efficiency ratings over 245.0 this season. Since at least 1996, the most efficiency ratings over 245.0 recorded by an FBS player in a season (min. 15 attempts) had been three (Mayfield in 2017).

• Hurts is the only player nationally this season with five games of two-plus rushing TDs and two-plus passing TDs (Louisiana-Monroe's Caleb Evans [three] is the only other player with more than two).

NO LITTLE LAMB

• Consensus first-team midseason All-American and Biletnikoff Award Finalist CeeDee Lamb is continuing his rapid ascent on OU's charts this season. The junior wide receiver from Richmond, Texas, who was a unanimous first-team All-Big 12 pick and was a Maxwell Award semifinalist, ranks second in career receiving touchdowns (32), fourth in receiving yards (3,000) and eighth in receptions (161) despite playing in just his third season.

• In 11 games this year (he missed the Nov. 16 contest at Baylor due to medical reasons), Lamb has posted team highs of 50 catches, 1,035 receiving yards and 14 receiving touchdowns. He ranks third nationally in receiving TDs, 10th in yards per reception (20.7) and 19th in receiving yards per game (94.1).

• Lamb caught at least one touchdown pass in each of OU's first six games this season, running his streak going back to last year to eight contests. He has caught at least one TD pass in nine of his 11 games this year and has 11 TD receptions over his last eight outings. He was named Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week and Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week after his career-high 10 catches for 171 yards and three touchdowns vs. Texas on Oct. 12.

• Lamb is tied for third among active FBS players (and No. 1 among non-seniors) in career receiving TDs (32). The non-senior with the next-highest total is Alabama junior Jerry Jeudy (25). Lamb ranks seventh among active FBS players with 3,000 career receiving yards, and again is No. 1 among non-seniors.

K9 MORE THAN JUST BARK

• Junior linebacker Kenneth Murray, who ranked second in the Big 12 and 13th nationally last season with his 155 total tackles (most by a Sooner since Curtis Lofton had 157 in 2007), was a first-team All-Big 12 selection and a semifinalist for the Butkus, Bednarik and Lott IMPACT Trophy awards, as well as an ESPN midseason All-American. He has registered team highs of 85 tackles and 13.0 tackles for loss, including 3.0 sacks, three pass breakups and four QB hurries. He was named the Lott IMPACT Player of the Week after wins over Houston (Sept. 1) and at Baylor (Nov. 16).

• Nicknamed "K9" (he wears No. 9), Murray registered nine games of double-digit tackles last season as a second-team All-Big 12 performer, including three contests of at least 15 stops (28 vs. Army [most by an FBS player since at least 2000], 17 vs. Baylor and 15 vs. Alabama in CFP Semifinal at the Orange Bowl).

• Murray, who has started all 39 games since the start of 2017, has 33.0 career tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks.

Lead, K9

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 still calls plays as head coach.

• Since the start of the 2015 season, OU ranks first nationally in points per game (45.1; next most is 41.8), total offense (560.2; next most is 516.4), touchdowns from scrimmage (375; next most is 357), pass efficiency rating (190.7; next best is 167.6) and yards per pass attempt (10.8; tied), second in completion percentage (69.4), third in passing offense (323.9) and eighth in rushing offense (236.3).

• In 66 games since the start of the 2015 season, OU has registered at least 500 yards of total offense 49 times, including in 39 of the last 49 outings, topped the 600-yard mark on 24 occasions and gone over 700 yards seven times. Similarly, OU has scored at least 30 points in 59 of 66 games since Riley's arrival, at least 40 points 44 times, at least 50 points 25 times and at least 60 points eight times.

EXTRA POINTS

• Oklahoma leads the Big 12 in total offense (564.3 ypg) and total defense (336.1 ypg). In the first 23 years of the league, OU has never been atop both categories at the end of a season.

• The Sooners are 39-4 overall and 3-1 in neutral site games as the No. 6 team in the AP poll. Against ranked opponents, OU is 10-3 (2-0 at neutral sites) as the AP's No. 6 squad.

• OU has been ranked in the AP's top 10 in 51 of the last 53 polls. The only times it wasn't during that stretch was following its 2017 loss to Iowa State (fell from third to 12th) and following its 2018 loss to Texas (seventh to 11th).

• The Sooners have won 51 straight games when leading after the third quarter. The last such loss came on Dec. 6, 2014, when they led Oklahoma State 28-14 entering the fourth quarter but lost 38-35 in overtime.

• Each of redshirt senior receiver Lee Morris' last 27 receptions (all 18 this season, final nine last season) have resulted in a first down. The last time he caught a pass that didn't go for a first down was Oct. 27, 2018, vs. Kansas State. Also, 38 of Morris' 41 career catches have gone for a first down or TD (or both).

• In Big 12 play, three Sooners finished in the top six in points per game, including the top two. Quarterback Jalen Hurts is first at 10.0, kicker Gabe Brkic is second at 9.7 and receiver CeeDee Lamb is sixth at 8.5.

• Oklahoma has outscored its opponents 141-42 in the first quarter this season.

• In 66 games since Lincoln Riley arrived in Norman in 2015, OU has punted more than its opponent just six times. On five of those six occasions it was just one more punt.

• Seventeen true freshmen and 12 redshirt freshmen have played for Oklahoma this season.

• Since the start of his sophomore season at Alabama, Hurts has posted a 6.2-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio (56 TDs to 9 INTs).

• The Sooners have won as many Big 12 titles the last five seasons (four so far) as they have lost games against Big 12 opponents (43-4 record; includes two Big 12 Championship games).

• Oklahoma is 41-4 (.911) in regular season Big 12 play since the start of the 2015 season, which coincides with Riley's arrival at OU. Oklahoma State ranks second during that period (28-17; .622), TCU and West Virginia third (25-20; .556) and Texas fifth (24-21; .533).

Lead, Morris