Completed Event: Football versus Illinois State on August 30, 2025 , Win , 35, to, 3
Final
Football
35
vs Illinois State
3
University of Oklahoma Athletics
Saturday, September 14
Pasadena, CA
7:00 PM
University of Oklahoma
at
UCLA
Game Primer: OU at UCLA
September 13, 2019 | Football
5 Oklahoma
UCLA
Saturday, Sept. 14 / 7 p.m. CT / Rose Bowl
OPENING KICK
• No. 5/4 Oklahoma plays its first game away from home this season when it faces UCLA on Saturday at 6 p.m. CT at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. The contest will be televised nationally by FOX with Joe Davis, Brock Huard and Bruce Feldman announcing.
• Oklahoma's 20-game true road game winning streak is the longest in the nation (next longest is 10 by UCF). The Sooners haven't lost a true road contest in almost five years years (Oct. 4, 2014). If OU beats UCLA it would tie as the second-longest such streak nationally in the post-World War II era. The Sooners won 25 consecutive true road games from 1953-58 under Bud Wilkinson, and Alabama won 21 in a row from 1970-75. OU's current 20-game streak is tied with Miami, Fla. (1984-88) and Ohio State (2012-16)
• Saturday's game will mark the sixth meeting between Oklahoma and UCLA, with the Sooners leading the series 4-1 (1-1 in Pasadena). It's the second game of a two-year home-and-home series, with OU winning 49-21 last year in Norman (Sept. 8).
• The Sooners are 26-4-1 overall and 8-3 in true road games as the No. 5 team in the AP poll. Against unranked opponents, OU is 16-1 (6-0 on the road) as the AP's No. 5 squad.
• OU has won 32 consecutive non-conference games against unranked opponents. The last such loss came to UCLA in 2005 (41-24 in Pasadena).
• Oklahoma is coming off a 70-14 home win over South Dakota on Saturday, racking up 733 yards while surrendering 339. A school-record 10 Sooners scored a touchdown and OU produced its most points since 2007 (79 vs. North Texas). It also recorded its first three defensive takeaways of the season, one of them a Brendan Radley-Hiles interception he returned 30 yards for a TD. He was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week.
• UCLA dropped a 23-14 home decision to San Diego State on Saturday, a game in which the Aztecs held the Bruins to 261 yards and 3.9 yards per play. UCLA fumbled four times on the day (lost two) and SDSU held a 38:16 to 21:44 advantage in time of possession. Bruins quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson completed 24 of 35 pass attempts for 199 yards and a touchdown.
KEY STORYLINES
• OU quarterback Jalen Hurts is the only player in the country with more than 500 passing yards (591) and more than 200 rushing yards (223). He leads the nation with his 252.3 passing efficiency rating (next highest is 219.1 by LSU's Joe Burrow) and paces all quarterbacks (ranks 18th overall) in rushing yards (next most is 177 by Baylor's Gerry Bohanon). Hurts owns the nation's second- and third-best passing efficiency ratings this season (253.6 vs. South Dakota and 251.3 vs. Houston).
• OU is one of just three teams since the start of the 1996 campaign to average at least 7.9 yards per rush in each of its first two games of a season (minimum of 35 attempts per game). It averaged 9.6 yards per carry vs. Houston and 7.9 vs. South Dakota.
• In their history, the Sooners have rushed for 300-plus yards and passed for 300-plus in a game 13 times. Amazingly, seven of those 13 occasions have come in the last 16 games (since the start of last season), and OU has accomplished the feat six times in the last nine contests (including each of the first two games this season). Only two other programs (UCF 3 and Cincinnati 2) have registered more than one such performance since the start of the 2016 season.
• The Sooners led the nation last year in both yards per yards per pass attempt (11.3) and yards per rush (6.6). So far this season, OU ranks first nationally with its 14.0 yards per pass attempt (next highest average is 11.5) and ranks second with its 8.7 yards per rush (South Carolina averages 9.0).
• Under the direction of first-year defensive coordinator Alex Grinch, OU has forced three turnovers, two turnovers on downs and 11 punts through two games, while registering 16 tackles for loss and five sacks. Houston (5 for 13) and South Dakota (1 for 11) combined to convert 6 of 24 (25%) third-down attempts (conversely, the Sooners are 12 for 18 on the year for 67%).
• Oklahoma has consistently featured several Californians on its roster, and this season is no different. Eight Sooners on the 2019 roster hail from the Golden State, and five of those have seen action this season. Junior tight end Grant Calcaterra (Rancho Santa Margarita) and sophomore defensive back Brendan Radley-Hiles (Inglewood) have started each of the first two games this season, while redshirt senior defensive tackle Dillon Faamatau (Norwalk), redshirt junior defensive back Jordan Parker (Pittsburg) and freshman safety Jeremiah Criddell have also seen action. Senior linebacker Caleb Kelley (Fresno) and sophomore running back T.J. Pledger (Pacoima) have yet to play due to injury, and freshman linebacker Jonathan Perkins (San Bernardino) has not seen action, either.
TRUE ROAD WARRIORS
• By the time Saturday arrives, the Sooners' last true road loss will have occurred 1,806 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 1975, OU's 20-game road winning streak is tied with Miami (Fla.) (1984-88) and Ohio State (2012-16) for the longest nationally.
• During the 20-game streak, the Sooners have outscored opponents 983-592 (49-30 average) and have outgained them 11,673 yards to 8,537 (584-427 average). OU has scored at least 31 points in all 20 games and at least 41 points in 16 of them. Eight of the wins have come against top-25 teams.
• The Sooners have outgained their opponent in 18 of the 20 road wins. West Virginia (in 2016 and 2018) is the only home team to outgain OU during the stretch.
• Thirteen of the 20 victories have been by double digits, seven by at least 25 points and five by at least 35.
BIG PLAY SOONERS
• Despite ranking 104th out of 130 FBS teams last season in offensive plays per game (just 66.3), Oklahoma led the country in plays of at least 20 yards (111) and at least 30 yards (59), and ranked second in plays of at least 40 yards (34; Clemson had 35 in one more game).
• So far this season, the Sooners have picked up where they left off in 2018. They lead all teams in plays of at least 10 yards, (52), 20 yards (23), 30 yards (16; next most is 11) and 40 yards (nine), despite 89 teams running more plays than their 130.
• Oklahoma led the nation with its 8.3 yards per play in 2017 (the previous single-season school record was 7.6 in 1971) and then set an FBS record with its 8.6 yards per play last season. OU now owns the No. 1 and No. 3 spots on the FBS all-time single-season list. Through two games this season, the Sooners pace the country by averaging 10.9 yards per play. Among teams that have played two games, they are followed by Washington State (9.6), Arizona (8.7) and Georgia and Penn State (8.1 each).
SCOUTING UCLA
• UCLA is 0-2 this season with losses at Cincinnati (24-14) and at home against San Diego State (23-14).
• The Bruins average 239.5 yards of offense per game (62.0 rushing, 177.5 passing) and have converted 38 percent of their third downs (11 of 29). Opponents have averaged 395.0 total yards per game (127.5 rushing, 267.5 passing), converted 45 percent of their third downs and hold a 38:22 to 21:38 advantage in time of possession. UCLA is minus-four in turnovers, having thrown two interceptions and lost four fumbles.
• Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson has passed for 355 yards and three touchdowns, completing 32 of 61 throws (52.5%) with two interceptions. Running back Joshua Kelly tallied 53 rushing yards and a touchdown against San Diego State in his first action of the season while Demetric Felton has recorded a team-high 99 rushing yards on 33 carries in two games. Felton is also the Bruins' leading receiver with 127 yards and a touchdown on nine catches, including a 75-yard reception at Cincinnati.
• Linebacker Khrys Barnes leads UCLA with 16 tackles, which include 3.0 tackles for loss and a sack, and has a pass breakup and a QB hurry. Defensive lineman Osa Odighizuwa has collected 11 stops, including a team-high 3.5 tackles for loss and a sack. Defensive back Jay Shaw has the team's lone interception, which he returned 66 yards against Cincinnati.
• UCLA is 3-11 in its second season under head coach Chip Kelly. Prior to leading the Bruins, Kelly served as the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers (2016) and the Philadelphia Eagles (2013-15). Kelly compiled a 46-7 collegiate head coaching record in four years at Oregon (2009-12), guiding the Ducks to four BCS bowl appearances, including the 2011 BCS National Championship (2010 season), Rose Bowls in the 2009 and 2011 campaigns and the Fiesta Bowl to cap the 2012 season.
SERIES WITH THE BRUINS
• Oklahoma owns a 4-1 series lead against UCLA and is 1-1 in Pasadena. The Sooners have outscored the Bruins 204-103 in the series.
• In the 1986 season opener in Norman, Barry Switzer's defending national champs handed Terry Donahue and the No. 4 Bruins a 38-3 loss thanks to stellar defense. The No. 1 Sooners intercepted quarterback Matt Stevens (now UCLA's game day radio analyst) a school-record-tying five times and permitted just 34 rushing yards on 24 carries. Behind QB Jamelle Holieway, OU's wishbone attack racked up 470 rushing yards. It was UCLA's worst season-opening loss in 56 years.
• No. 23 Oklahoma also notched a 34-14 win at No. 19 UCLA in 1990 under head coach Gary Gibbs thanks to a suffocating defensive effort. The Sooners held the Bruins to just 203 yards, or 3.6 per play, while registering four interceptions and five sacks. On the ground alone, it limited UCLA to 28 yards on 27 rushes. The season-opening game marked the first in the career of OU quarterback Cale Gundy, a freshman who saw action in a reserve role. Gundy, who is OU's co-offensive coordinator and inside receivers coach, is in his 21st season on the Sooners' coaching staff. He finished his playing career as OU's all-time leading passer.
• In 2003 in Norman, Bob Stoops' top-ranked Sooners only gained 354 yards offensively, but that's because they only ran 60 plays. They used an NCAA-record three punt return TDs by Antonio Perkins to register a 59-24 victory over the unranked Bruins, led by first-year head coach Karl Dorrell. Perkins, who scored on returns of 65, 74 and 84 yards, is still the outright FBS single-game record holder for punt return TDs and punt return yards (277).
• UCLA's lone win in the series came in 2005, a 41-24 outcome in Pasadena. The unranked Bruins turned three OU fumbles into 17 points, and held Adrian Peterson to 58 yards on 23 carries as the No. 21 Sooners fell to 1-2.
• Last year in Norman, OU led 21-7 at halftime and 42-7 in the fourth quarter before settling for a 49-21 win (recap below).
LAST YEAR VS. UCLA
• No. 6 Oklahoma registered its 31st consecutive victory over an unranked non-conference opponent by defeating UCLA 49-21 in Norman last year on Sept. 8.
• Quarterback Kyler Murray accounted for five touchdowns on the day, earning him Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week, Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week and Davey O'Brien Quarterback of the Week honors. Murray was 19-for-33 through the air for 306 yards and three TDs (one interception), and rushed 10 times for 69 yards and a pair of scores. It marked the first time since OU's 2014 game at Iowa State (Trevor Knight with 146) that a quarterback led the Sooners in rushing yards.
• Receiver CeeDee Lamb finished with seven catches for 146 yards and a 35-yard score. He also returned two punts for 63 yards, including a career-long 66 yarder. Marquise Brown hauled in four passes for 88 yards, one of them a 58-yard catch-and-run for a TD.
• OU's defense was disruptive, registering six sacks and 12 tackles for loss. Defensive end/linebacker Mark Jackson Jr. recorded a career-high 10 tackles and a tackle for loss and linebacker Kenneth Murray had nine tackles, a career-high 2.5 TFLs and a sack.
• The Sooners' special teams were also extremely effective. In addition to Lamb's 63-yard punt return, OU got an 85-yard first-quarter kickoff return from sophomore Tre Brown. It was the program's longest non-scoring play/return in the 95-year history of Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Brown's other kick return was a 36-yarder.
• OU outgained UCLA 485 yards to 383 and converted 7 of 12 third downs (58 percent) to the Bruins' 5 of 15 (33 percent).
RILEY'S FAST START
• The Football Bowl Subdivision's youngest head coach (33) at the time of his hiring, Lincoln Riley was named the 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). 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 24-4 record in his first two years, Riley 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 in his two years as OU's head coach. He turned 36 on Sept. 5.
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 (45.8; next most is 41.6), total offense (564.7; next most is 527.7), touchdowns from scrimmage (324; next most is 297), pass efficiency rating (191.5; next best is 161.6), completion percentage (69.5; tied) and yards per pass attempt (10.8), and is fourth in passing offense (330.0) and 10th in rushing offense (234.7).
• In 56 games since the start of the 2015 season, OU has registered at least 500 yards of total offense 42 times, including in 32 of the last 40 outings, topped the 600-yard mark on 22 occasions and gone over 700 yards seven times. Similarly, OU has scored at least 30 points in 50 of 56 games since Riley's arrival, at least 40 points 38 times, at least 50 points 23 times and at least 60 points eight times.
• The Sooners have registered at least 700 yards of offense 13 times in their history, and seven 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, 733 vs. South Dakota in 2019, 710 at Kansas in 2015, 702 vs. Kansas State in 2018 and 702 vs. Oklahoma State in 2018.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL'S BEST
• During the modern era of college football (since the end of World War II), the Sooners are the nation's No. 1 team with more wins (651) than any other program (next most is 611 by Alabama).
• OU is the highest-scoring program in college football history with 35,912 points (in 1,276 games).
• No program has more all-time 10-win seasons than Oklahoma, which has 39. In addition, OU's 25 seasons with at least 11 wins are the most in college football history.
• Since former head coach Bob Stoops arrived in Norman in 1999, OU leads all Power Five conference programs in wins (216) and points scored (10,309).
• Only Alabama (118) and Ohio State (105) have been ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll more weeks than Oklahoma (101). OU's 414 weeks in the AP's top five are most of any school (Alabama next with 400 and Ohio State third with 374). The AP Poll was introduced in 1936.
• Only Ohio State (625) has more all-time top-10 AP poll appearances than OU (590).
• Only Alabama (10) and Notre Dame (8) have earned more all-time AP national championships than Oklahoma (7).
EXTRA POINTS
• First-year OU cornerbacks coach Roy Manning spent the 2018 season as UCLA's outside linebackers coach and special teams coordinator.
• OU holds a 66-32-3 (.668) all-time record against current members of the Pac-12 Conference. The bulk of the matchups occurred against former conference foe Colorado, against which the Sooners are 40-17-2 (.695) all-time.
• Since the start of his sophomore season at Alabama, OU quarterback Jalen Hurts has posted a 10.3-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio (31 TDs to three INTs).
• OU ranked fourth nationally last year by converting 51.7 percent of its third-down plays and is 12 for 18 this season (66.7%). The Sooners ranked 11th last year by converting 66.8% (9 of 14) of its fourth-down plays and is 1 for 1 in 2019.
• The Sooners have been ranked in the AP's top 10 in 40 of the last 41 polls. The only time it wasn't during that stretch was following its 2017 loss to Iowa State (fell from third to 12th).
• OU is the only program to win at least three straight Big 12 titles, and has done so twice (2006-08 and 2015-18). Its 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]).
• The Sooners have won more Big 12 titles the last four seasons (four) than they have lost games against Big 12 opponents (35-3 record).
• OU has scored at least 50 points 23 times since the start of the 2015 season, most in the nation.
• Oklahoma has scored at least 30 points in 38 of its last 40 games (29 and 28 in the other two). It has won 36 of those 40 contests.
• OU is the only program that has produced at least four NFL Draft picks each of the last 12 years.
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