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
Photo by: Ty Russell
Game Primer: OU vs. Kansas
November 06, 2020 | Football
19 Oklahoma
Kansas
Saturday, Nov. 7 / 2:30 p.m. CT / Lubbock, Texas
Opening Kick
• No. 19/19 Oklahoma (4-2, 3-2) plays its first home game since Sept. 26 when it hosts Kansas (0-6, 0-5) on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT inside Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. The game will be televised by ESPN with Anish Shroff, Tom Luginbill and Kris Budden announcing.
• Saturday's game will mark Military Appreciation Day at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.
• Oklahoma is 77-27-6 (.727) all-time vs. Kansas and has won 15 straight in the series. It is OU's longest active winning streak against an opponent. Eight of KU's wins came in the series' first eight meetings (1903-10) while 16 of its victories came before 1931. Since 1965, the Sooners are 42-6 (.875) vs. the Jayhawks.
• The 42-day span between OU's last home game (Sept. 26 vs. Kansas State) and Saturday's contest versus Kansas is tied for the longest between Sooners' home outings within a season in school history. The other 42-day spans were in 1917 (hosted Kingfisher College on Sept. 29 and Kansas on Nov. 10), the national championship season of 1956 (hosted Kansas State on Oct. 6 and Missouri on Nov. 17) and 1987 (hosted North Carolina on Sept. 12 and Colorado on Oct. 24). This marks the first season since 1984 that OU did not have an October home game.
• OU is 19-2 at home under fourth-year head coach Lincoln Riley. Its only such defeats were a 38-31 decision against Iowa State on Oct. 7, 2017, and a 38-35 outcome on Sept. 26 (38-35; snapped the Sooners' 17-game home winning streak).
• Oklahoma has won 21 straight November games (last loss on Nov. 8, 2014, vs. Baylor) and 24 of its last 25. Since the start of the 2000 season, it is 65-11 (.855) in the month. Riley is 12-0 in November as head coach.
• The Sooners have scored at least 34 points in each of their last 11 games against Kansas. It is tied for the longest such streak in school history against a single opponent (OU outscored Kingfisher College 947-0 during an 11-game stretch from 1908-19 and has a current 11-game streak vs. Texas Tech).
• OU has scored at least 28 points in a school-record 58 consecutive games. The next longest streak nationally since at least 1980 is 31 by UCF (2017-19). The next longest active streak is 19 games by Alabama.
• Oklahoma is 44-6 (.880) in regular season Big 12 play since the start of the 2015 season, which coincides with Riley's arrival at OU as offensive coordinator. Oklahoma State ranks second during that period (31-18; .633) while West Virginia ranks third (28-22; .560) and TCU and Texas fourth (27-23; .540).
• The Sooners have ranked in the top seven nationally in total offense each of Riley's five years calling plays and in the top three each of the last four seasons (7th in 2015 [530.2 ypg]; 2nd in 2016 [554.8]; 1st in 2017 [579.6]; 1st in 2018 [570.3]; and 3rd in 2019 [537.6]). Through six games this season, OU leads the Big 12 and ranks eighth nationally (among teams that have played more than twice) in total offense (510.8).
• This year's Oklahoma squad is looking to become the fifth in program history to win a conference title with two league losses. The four occasions it happened were in 1976 (5-2 in Big Eight; shared with Colorado and Oklahoma State) and 2002, 2007 and 2010 (6-2 in Big 12; won Big 12 Championship games). No OU team has ever won a conference title after a 0-2 league start and no Sooners squad has ever won a conference championship with three league losses.
STADIUM MASK REQUIREMENT
• All fans are required to wear a mask while on campus and in the stadium. Appropriate cloth or surgical-style masks that completely cover the nose and mouth are mandatory. Other face coverings, including clear face shields, gaiters/buffs, bandanas or masks with valves are not permitted. Mask Policy | Game Day Policies & Procedures
KEY STORYLINES
• Each of the last 15 meetings in the Oklahoma-Kansas series have been OU victories by at least 15 points. The Sooners have outscored the Jayhawks 648-206 in those contests (average of 43-14) and have outgained them 7,479 yards to 4,039 (average of 499-269). The last six games have seen OU win by a combined score of 303-80 (51-13 average). KU has been held to seven or fewer points in four of the last six meetings and five of the last eight.
• Oklahoma has won more Big 12 championships over the last 21 years (13) than it has lost home games. OU is 120-11 (.916) at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium since the start of the 1999 season, with all 131 of those games sellouts. It is the best home winning percentage among Power Five schools over the last 21 seasons (Ohio State is next at .893). OU has outscored its opponents by an average of 43-17 in those games. No school has won more than two Big 12 titles since the Sooners won their first in 2000.
• Among quarterbacks who have played in more than two games, Spencer Rattler ranks fifth nationally (first among freshmen) in passing efficiency rating (178.9) and completion percentage (69.6), fifth nationally in yards per pass attempt (10.0), seventh nationally (first among freshmen) in passing touchdowns (17), 11th nationally (first among freshmen) in passing offense (301.0 ypg) and 12th nationally (first among freshmen) in total offense (317.3 ypg). He has thrown at least two touchdown passes in all six contests, at least three in three games and four in the Missouri State and Kansas State outings.
• Freshman wide receiver Marvin Mims ranks second in the Big 12 and tied for eighth in the country with six receiving touchdowns (no other freshman nationally has more than four). He needs one more receiving score to tie the OU freshman record for a season (Mark Andrews in 2015 and CeeDee Lamb in 2017), and his six receiving TDs are more than any Sooner frosh through his first six games, breaking the previous record of four by Ryan Broyles (redshirt freshman in 2008) and Lamb (true freshman in 2017). Mims has 23 catches for a team-high 388 yards this season and ranks third nationally with his 17.1 yards per punt return (154 yards on nine returns). Mims is the Texas high school record holder for receiving yards in a career (5,485) and in a season (2,629 on 117 receptions and 32 touchdowns last year at Frisco's Lone Star High School).
• Oklahoma has won the time-of-possession battle in all six games this season and ranks third in the country (among teams that have played more than twice) with its 34:46 average. In Riley's first three seasons as head coach, OU had never ranked better than 23rd in the country in the statistic (31:50 in 2017). Since the Sooners began tracking time of possession in 1992, only one OU squad has recorded a figure above 33:00 minutes per game (33:11 in 2004).
• The Sooners have held three of their six opponents to 75 rushing yards or less, and limited Texas to 89 yards through regulation in a four-overtime contest. Oklahoma ranks ninth nationally among teams that have played more than two games by allowing just 99.2 rushing yards per outing. OU held Missouri State to 54 rushing yards (2.2 average), Kansas State to 56 (2.2 average) and TCU to 75 (3.0 average). Kansas ranks eighth in the Big 12 with its 116.0 rushing yards per game.
LAST YEAR VS. THE JAYHAWKS
• After falling behind (7-0) for the first time of the season, Oklahoma rebounded with 42 consecutive points in a 45-20 win at Kansas on Oct. 5 last year. The victory was OU's 22nd straight in a true road game, good for the second-longest streak nationally in the post-World War II era (behind OU's 25-game streak from 1953-58).
• Jalen Hurts completed 16 of 24 passes for 228 yards and two touchdowns while rushing 10 times for 56 yards and two scores.
• Highlighted by a 61-yard fourth-quarter touchdown run, Rhamondre Stevenson paced the Sooners with 109 yards on only five rushes (21.8 average). He added an 11-yard catch and made a solo tackle on kickoff coverage. Trey Sermon added 71 rushing yards and a score on 11 carries and caught two passes for 20 yards and a TD.
• Thirteen Sooners caught at least one pass and none of them registered more than two receptions. CeeDee Lamb notched the other touchdown grab (a 10-yarder with 0:31 left in the second quarter) to extend his streak of making at least one TD grab to seven games.
• The OU defense registered three sacks and seven tackles for loss. Safety Delarrin Turner-Yell led the group with seven tackles, all solo, while adding a TFL.
"SPEED D" ON THE MOVE
• Hired in January 2019, Oklahoma defensive coordinator and safeties coach Alex Grinch, who was a 2019 Broyles Award semifinalist, has presided over a significant turnaround on the defensive side of the ball.
• So far this season, Oklahoma ranks in the top 20 nationally (among teams that have played more than two games) in a bevy of categories. It is sixth in opponent third down conversion percentage (31.1), ninth in rushing defense (99.2 ypg), 12th in opponent first downs per game (17.2), 18th in sacks per game (2.8) and 20th in total defense (353.5 ypg) and tackles for loss per game (7.7).
• The Sooners made huge strides in Grinch's first season last year, ranking 17th nationally in opponent third-down conversion percentage (32.2; in 2018 [before Grinch's arrival] they ranked 119th at 46.4), 17th in tackles for loss per game (7.4; in 2018 ranked 79th at 5.6), 32nd in rushing defense (134.1 ypg; in 2018 ranked 59th at 159.8), 34th in sacks per game (2.6; in 2018 ranked 49th at 2.1), 38th in total defense (356.4 ypg; in 2018 ranked 114th at 453.8), 58th in passing defense (222.4 ypg; in 2018 ranked 130th at 294.0) and 64th in scoring defense (27.3 ppg; in 2018 ranked 101st at 33.3).
• In 20 games under Grinch, the Sooners have allowed opponents to score on their opening drive of a game just four times (Oklahoma State and LSU touchdowns last season; Iowa State field goal and Texas Tech TD this year). Fifteen of the opponent opening drives have lasted five plays or less.
• In 2019 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).
SNAKE IN THE GRASS
• Redshirt freshman Spencer Rattler, the consensus No. 1 quarterback in the 2019 recruiting class, threw for a state-record 11,083 yards (116 passing touchdowns) and ran for over 1,000 yards (14 TDs) in his career at Pinnacle High School in Phoenix, Ariz. The 2018 Elite 11 MVP was the No. 9 overall national recruit by 247Sports, No. 13 by Rivals and No. 29 by ESPN.
• Rattler is OU's fourth starting QB in four seasons. Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray won the Heisman Trophy in 2017 and 2018, respectively, while Jalen Hurts was the 2019 Heisman runner-up.
• Rattler appeared in three Oklahoma games last season, completing 7 of 11 passes for 81 yards and a touchdown without an interception. He also ran three times for 23 yards.
• Among quarterbacks who have played more than two games this season, Rattler ranks fifth nationally in completion percentage (69.6), passing efficiency rating (178.9) and yards per pass attempt (10.0), seventh in passing touchdowns (17), 11th in passing offense (301.0 ypg) and 12th in total offense (317.3 ypg).
• Rattler's 17 touchdown passes match the number that Heisman Trophy runner-up Hurts had through six games last season and that Mayfield had through six games in his Heisman-winning year of 2017.
• Rattler has thrown for at least two touchdown passes in all six games this season, has thrown for at least three in three contests and for four in each of the Missouri State and Kansas State outings.
• In his starting debut in the season opener against Missouri State, Rattler completed 14 of 17 passes for 290 yards and four touchdowns (no interceptions) in only one half of work. He followed with 30-for-41 effort for 387 yards and four more TDs (three interceptions) against Kansas State, and a 25-for-36 performance for 300 yards and two TDs (one interception) at Iowa State. Versus Texas, he was 23 for 35 for 209 yards and three scores (one interception), at TCU threw for 332 yards and two TDs and at Texas Tech he finished with 288 passing yards and two TDs in just over one half of work (no interceptions in last two games).
• In the first half of play, Rattler has completed 71.9% of his passes (77 of 107) for 1,194 yards and 12 TDs.
RUNNING BACKS MAKING AN IMPACT
• Oklahoma, which has produced a Big 12-high six individual 1,000-yard-rushing seasons by running backs over the past five years (the next most in the league during that span is three) and has led the Big 12 in rushing offense in all three of Lincoln Riley's campaigns as head coach, is dividing its carries in 2020 among a largely inexperienced group.
• OU returned just 20.4% of its rushing yards and only 18.4% of its rushing touchdowns from last season.
• Junior T.J. Pledger, who carried 10 times for 65 yards and a score last season, missed this year's opener against Missouri State but has started all five games since and leads OU with 357 rushing yards (85.2 per contest) and four rushing TDs. He turned in back-to-back 100-yard performances vs. Texas (career-high 131, two TDs) and at TCU (122, TD) before gaining 16 yards on six carries (one TD) at Texas Tech.
• Senior Rhamondre Stevenson was OU's leading returning rusher entering the year but didn't make his season debut until last game at Texas Tech (13 carries for 87 yards and and a career-high three touchdowns to earn Co-Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors). He ran 64 times for 515 yards and six TDs in his first season last year after transferring from junior college, and his 8.0 yards per rush led the nation among players with at least 50 carries.
• Freshman Seth McGowan was a consensus four-star recruit who was rated as the nation's No. 13 running back by Rivals and No. 16 by 247Sports and ESPN after rushing for more than 3,700 yards and 45 touchdowns at Mesquite Poteet High School in Texas. He led OU in rushing in its first three games this season (61 and a TD vs. Missouri State, 73 and a TD vs. Kansas State and 47 at Iowa State [tied with Pledger]) before missing the Texas outing. He returned to run 11 times for 41 yards at TCU (also had a 43-yard reception) and 10 times for 58 yards and a score at Texas Tech.
• Redshirt freshman Marcus Major ran 10 times for 28 yards in his three contests in 2019. He rushed 11 times for 31 yards against Missouri State this season and had 12 carries for 43 yards and a TD vs. Texas three games ago. They're the only two games this season he's registered a carry.
IMPRESSIVE FOOT NOTES
• During Lincoln Riley's three-plus-year head coaching career, Oklahoma ranks fourth nationally with its 84.4% success rate on field goal attempts (65 for 77). The Sooners trail only Florida (92.2%), Indiana (87.3) and Wake Forest (87.2) since the start of the 2017 season. Kansas State is the next best Big 12 school in the category during the span, ranking 22nd at 79.7%.
• During the same period, the Sooners rank third nationally in PAT conversion percentage among teams with at least 150 attempts, converting 275 of 276 tries (99.6%). Only Georgia (191 for 191) and Virginia Tech (160 of 160) have a higher success rate.
• Redshirt sophomore kicker Gabe Brkic is 27 for 31 (.871) on career field goal attempts and has made all 78 of his PAT attempts. The OU career record for field goal percentage is .833 (75 for 90) by Michael Hunnicutt (2011-14).
"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, 54.7 in 2018 and 57.3 last season. This season the Sooners have displayed great balance, running 50.3 percent of the time.
RILEY ALREADY AT 40 WINS
• Lincoln Riley is tied with Bob Stoops as the third-fastest OU head coach to 40 wins (48 games). Only College Football Hall of Famers Switzer (45 games) and Bud Wilkinson (47) reached 40 victories faster.
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 in his fourth year head coach.
• Since the start of the 2015 campaign, OU ranks first nationally in scoring (44.6 ppg; next most is 41.3), total offense (551.3; next most is 508.4), yards per play (7.7; next most is 7.0), pass efficiency rating (187.7; next best is 171.0), yards per pass attempt (10.7) and touchdowns from scrimmage (414), second in completion percentage (69.3), third in passing offense (324.3) and 10th in rushing offense (227.0).
• In 74 games since the start of the 2015 season, OU has registered at least 500 yards of total offense 52 times (the next most nationally is 43), including in 42 of the last 57 outings, topped the 600-yard mark on 25 occasions and gone over 700 yards seven times. Similarly, OU has scored at least 30 points in 66 of 74 games since Riley's arrival, at least 40 points 47 times, at least 50 points 27 times and at least 60 points nine times.
OKLAHOMA'S BIG 12 FIVE-PEAT
• OU's 2019 Big 12 championship marked the program's fifth straight league crown. The last time it won at least five consecutive conference titles was 1972-80 under head coaches Chuck Fairbanks (1972) and Barry Switzer.
• OU is the only program to win at least 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.
• OU's and Clemson's current streaks of five straight outright league championships are the longest among Power Five programs since Alabama won five in a row from 1971 to '75. The last current Power Five program to win six straight outright conference titles is Oklahoma (12 in a row from 1948 to '59).
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 (668) than any other program (next most is 626 by Alabama).
• Oklahoma is the highest-scoring program in college football history with 36,644 points (in 1,294 games).
• OU leads all FBS programs with 49 all-time conference championships. The rest of the top five includes Nebraska (46), Michigan (42), Ohio State (38) and USC (37). The Sooners' 13 league titles since 2000 are the most among Power Five programs (Ohio State ranks second with 10).
• No program has more all-time 10-win seasons than Oklahoma, which has 40 (including a nation-leading 17 since 2000). In addition, OU's 26 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 (230) and points scored (11,041).
EXTRA POINTS
• Since (and including) its Oct. 10 game vs. Texas, Oklahoma leads the nation with its 49.3 points per game.
• The Sooners have surrendered just 85 total yards (on 31 plays) in the third quarter over the last three games against Texas, TCU and Texas Tech. The Longhorns (-9), Horned Frogs (-2) and Red Raiders (8) combined for -3 rushing yards on 16 carries in the third quarter.
• Sophomore wide receiver Theo Wease has 16 catches for 244 yards over the last three games. Over his first 15 career outings he had 15 receptions for 229 yards.
• The last time OU started a season 1-2 was 2016. That team was victorious in its final nine games to finish 10-2, won Big 12 and Sugar Bowl titles and earned a final No. 5 AP ranking. It was Bob Stoops' final year as head coach.
• Oklahoma has absolutely dominated the first quarter this season, outscoring Missouri State (31-0), Kansas State (7-0), Iowa State (10-3), Texas (10-0), TCU (10-0) and Texas Tech (21-7) by a combined 89-10 margin. The Sooners have limited the six opponents to 355 total yards (average of 59.2) in the opening 15 minutes.
• Every Oklahoma freshman class from 1999-2018 has won at least two Big 12 championships. Baylor's 2011, 2012 and 2013 freshman classes are the only other ones that have won two Big 12 titles (BU won league crowns in 2013 and '14).
• In 74 games since Lincoln Riley arrived in Norman in 2015, OU has punted more than its opponent just nine times.
• OU is the only program that has produced at least four NFL Draft picks each of the last 13 years.
Players Mentioned
K/P
/ Football
QB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
RB
/ Football
RB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
RB
/ Football
QB
/ Football
RB
/ Football
RB
/ Football
S
/ Football
WR
/ FootballBrent Venables Media Availability - 9/16/25
Tuesday, September 16
Ben Arbuckle Media Availability - 9/16/25
Tuesday, September 16
Sooner Football With Brent Venables - 9/14/25
Sunday, September 14
FB Highlights: OU 42, Temple 3
Saturday, September 13
