Game Primer: OU vs. TCU

Saturday, October 16

Norman

6:30 PM

University of Oklahoma

TCU

Tickets

Photo by: © Copyright Ty Russell 2021

October 15, 2021 | Football

Gameday Central Fan Video Homecoming Party at the Palace Digital Ticketing

^4/3 Oklahoma

TCU

Saturday, Oct. 16 / 6:30 p.m. CT / Owen Field

ABC / Radio / Live Stats / Game Notes

OPENING KICK

• No. 4/3 Oklahoma (6-0, 3-0 Big 12) will try for its eighth straight win over TCU (3-2, 1-1) and 15th consecutive victory overall when it hosts the Horned Frogs on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. CT at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. The Homecoming game will be televised by ABC with Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Holly Rowe announcing.

• OU's 14-game winning streak is tied for the seventh longest in program history and is the Sooners' longest since winning 14 straight over the 2016 and '17 seasons (last 10 games of 2016 and first four of '17). The 14-game streak is also the longest active one in the country, with only one other Power Five program (Iowa at 12) owning a streak longer than 10 games. OU's last loss came more than a full year ago (Oct. 3, 2020, at Iowa State).

• This is Oklahoma's second 6-0 start in the last 10 years (it won its first seven games of 2019).

• OU has registered winning streaks of at least six games in a school-record seven straight seasons. The previous program record for six-game winning streaks was six consecutive campaigns (1953-58) under Bud Wilkinson. A win vs. TCU would give OU winning streaks of at least seven games in each of the last seven seasons. Since 1980, only Boise State (11 straight seasons; 2002-12) and Alabama (10 straight seasons; 2011-20) have posted winning streaks of at least seven games in seven consecutive years.

• Oklahoma has won 21 of its last 22 games immediately following its regular season matchup vs. Texas. The lone loss during the stretch – to Kansas State in Norman in 2014 – was by one point (31-30).

• OU has won 14 Big 12 titles in the first 25 years of the league, with no other program winning more than three. All 14 of OU's Big 12 titles have come in the last 21 years, with no other program winning more than two during the span. TCU joined the Big 12 prior to 2012 season and has one Big 12 championship (shared the 2014 crown with Baylor).

• The Sooners beat TCU 41-17 in the 2017 Big 12 Championship game in Arlington, Texas. It was the first Big 12 title contest since 2010.

• OU has won as many Big 12 titles the last six seasons (six) as it has lost games against Big 12 opponents (55-6 record; includes four Big 12 Championship games).

• Come Saturday, Oklahoma will have been Big 12 champion for 2,150 consecutive days.

• OU is 149-31 (.828) in regular season Big 12 play since the start of the 2000 season. That's 27 more wins than the program with the next most victories during that period (Texas; 122-58) and 47 more than the program with the third most (Oklahoma State; 102-78).

KEY STORYLINES

• Oklahoma is 9-1 against TCU since the Horned Frogs joined the Big 12 Conference prior to the 2012 season. The Sooners' lone loss was a 37-33 decision in 2014 in Fort Worth. Each of the first five meetings after TCU joined the league were decided by seven or fewer points, but OU has won the last five - all since Lincoln Riley became head coach - by an average of 18 points.

• The Sooners have statistically dominated each of their last seven matchups against TCU, all wins. Over those seven contests, Oklahoma has outgained the Horned Frogs 3,609 yards to 2,475 (+162.0 ypg) and owns a 173-115 advantage in first downs (79-41 over the last three years). It has gained over 500 yards in five of the seven meetings and had 498 and 461 in the other two. OU has been particularly dominant in the run game, outgaining TCU 1,866 yards to 790 (+153.7 ypg). It has registered at least 200 rushing yards in six of the seven contests (TCU's high is 161) and has surpassed 300 yards on three occasions (366 in 2019, 323 in 2018 and 333 in 2015).

• OU has already tied the single-season school record with five wins by seven or fewer points (also in 2010 and 2019), and each of the last four victories have been between three and seven points. This marks the first time in program history the Sooners have won four consecutive games by seven or fewer points each.

• Saturday's game will feature two of the Big 12's top rushers in TCU's Zach Evans and OU's Kennedy Brooks. Among players with at least 10 rushes per game, Evans leads the league with his 7.9 yards per carry (586 yards on 74 rushes) while Brooks ranks third at 6.8 yards per carry (535 yards on 79 rushes). Both have six rushing touchdowns on the year.

• Oklahoma's defense has held five of six opponents this season to 100 or fewer rushing yards (87.5 average). Over OU's last 19 contests, only two running back have rushed for 100 yards in a game against the Sooners (Iowa State's Breece Hall had 139 yards in the third game of last season while Texas' Bijan Robinson had 137 on Saturday). OU ranks 17th nationally by permitting just 3.0 yards per carry this season while TCU ranks 116th by allowing 5.2 per rush.

• The Sooners have committed only six turnovers through six games and rank 23rd nationally with their 10 takeaways (rank 17th nationally with their +4 turnover margin. Oklahoma has only fumbled three times this season (lost just one) while its opponents have fumbled 15 times and lost seven. OU has also registered three interceptions.

• Oklahoma's defense has spent a lot of time in the opponent backfield this season. OU ranks 14th nationally with its 3.2 sacks per game and is 10th in the country with 7.7 tackles for loss per contest. Defensive linemen Perrion Winfrey and Isaiah Thomas are tied for second in the Big 12 with their 4.5 sacks while outside linebacker Nik Bonitto is tied for sixth with 4.0. TCU is permitting just 1.2 sacks per outing.

Marvin Mims

LAST YEAR VS. TCU

• Oklahoma scored a touchdown on its opening possession and never looked back in a 33-14 win at TCU on Oct. 24, 2020. The Sooners led 17-0 and 30-7 in beating the Horned Frogs for the seventh straight time.

• Freshman wide receiver Marvin Mims caught four passes for a then-career-high 132 yards (an OU season high) and scored on receptions of 50 and 61 yards. The 61-yarder wound up as the Sooners' longest play from scrimmage on the year. He finished with a team-season-high 193 all-purpose yards and was named Big 12 Co-Offensive Player of the Week and Newcomer of the Week. Sophomore Theo Wease had three catches for a then-career-high 87 yards, including a 44-yarder.

• Former OU running back T.J. Pledger logged his second straight 100-yard rushing performance with a 122-yard, one-touchdown effort. He averaged 5.5 yards per carry and scored on a 12-yard burst on the game's opening possession.

• Redshirt freshman quarterback Spencer Rattler completed 13 of 22 passes for 332 yards and two touchdowns. He averaged a stout 25.5 yards per completion and 15.1 yards per attempt en route to a 215.9 passing efficiency rating. Rattler had five completions of at least 33 yards.

• OU registered three sacks and nine tackles for loss. Former defensive back Brendan Radley-Hiles finished with a team-high nine tackles while linebacker DaShaun White had five. The Sooners logged nine tackles for loss (36 yards).

• Redshirt sophomore kicker Gabe Brkic tied a career high and equaled a school record by making four field goals (40, 22, 32 and 30 yards). His only miss was a 54-yarder that hit the crossbar.

• Neither team committed a turnover.

HOME IS WHERE THE "W" IS

• Oklahoma has won three more Big 12 championships over the last 23 years (14) than it has lost home games. OU is 127-11 (.920) at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium since the start of the 1999 season. It is the best home winning percentage among Power Five schools over the last 23 seasons (Ohio State is next at .890). OU has outscored its opponents by an average of 43-17 in those games.

• Saturday will mark OU's 138th straight sellout of an originally scheduled home game, dating back to the start of the 1999 season (Bob Stoops' first as head coach). Only Nebraska (FBS-record 379) has a longer current streak nationally.

DEFENSE PLAYS BIG HAND IN 14-GAME WINNING STREAK

• Oklahoma's defense has figured prominently in the program's 14-game winning streak that started on Oct. 10, 2020, against Texas. Here are some notes pertaining to the stretch:

• OU has held 13 of its last 14 opponents below a 50% third-down conversion rate (Kansas State converted 53% of its tries two games ago; the next highest during the 14-game stretch was 43% by Nebraska this season while the third highest was 36% by Texas Tech last year). Nine of the Sooners' last 11 opponents have failed to convert more than 33% of third downs. OU ranks sixth nationally during the time period with its 31.1 opponent third-down conversion rate. In fact, OU ranks fourth nationally in the category since the start of the 2019 season (defensive coordinator Alex Grinch's first year in Norman) with its 31.1% figure.

• The Sooners have totaled 50 sacks over their last 14 games to rank first nationally since Oct. 10, 2020 (a total of 318 lost yards). In the same time frame, OU has registered 107 tackles for loss for an average of 7.6 per game and a total of 460 lost yards.

• Oklahoma has registered at least one takeaway in 12 straight games and in 13 of the last 14. OU is plus-13 in turnover margin (27 takeaways to 14 turnovers) during the 14-game winning streak and is plus-8 over its last nine contests.

• OU has 18 interceptions over its last 14 games to rank sixth nationally since Oct. 10, 2020.

Lead, Defense, Western Carolina

NOTING THE OFFENSE

• Oklahoma ranks eighth nationally with its 41.2 points per contest and second in the Big 12 with its 471.5 yards per game.

• OU's 2.0 punts per game are third fewest in the country. Only Coastal Carolina (1.7) and Western Kentucky (1.8) have punted fewer times per game. The Sooners did not punt against Tulane or Kansas State.

• Among teams with at least 20 red zone trips this season, Oklahoma ranks second nationally with its 97.1% score rate (33 scores on 34 trips). Twenty-four of its 33 red zone scores (72.7%) have been touchdowns.

• Over its first three games vs. FBS teams this season (Tulane, Nebraska, West Virginia), OU averaged 122.3 rushing yards per game and 3.7 yards per carry. Over the last two games at Kansas State and vs. Texas, the Sooners averaged 235.0 rushing yards per contest and 6.4 per carry.

• Redshirt sophomore quarterback Spencer Rattler enters Saturday's game ranked first in the Big 12 in completions (130) and completion percentage (74.3; ranks third nationally), and ranks second in total offense (242.8 ypg) and passing offense (228.5 ypg) and third in passing touchdowns (10) despite not playing in the second half against Western Carolina or Texas. He tied an OU record for TD passes in a half with five vs. Western Carolina and has thrown at least one TD pass in 16 of his 17 career starts (OU is 15-2 in his starts).

• Rattler has completed 45 of his last 56 pass attempts (80%).

• Quarterback Caleb Williams has completed 61% of his passes (22 of 36) for 314 yards and two touchdowns. He has been highly effective with his feet, running for 149 yards and two scores on only nine carries (16.6 yards per rush).

• Receiver Marvin Mims ranks fourth on the squad in receptions (19) but leads the team with 400 receiving yards (next most is 219). Mims ranks second in the Big 12 and 11th nationally with his 21.1 yards per catch.

• Receiver Mario Williams leads the team with 23 catches and is followed closely by Michael Woods II (22) and Jadon Haselwood (21). Each of the three players have caught two touchdown passes this season, as have Mims and tight end/H-back Jeremiah Hall.

• Haselwood, who missed all but three games last season due to injury, has made his first six career starts this year. He was the consensus No. 1 national receiver in the 2019 recruiting class, while Williams was ESPN's No. 1 receiver in the 2021 class.

• At least nine Sooners have caught a pass in each of their six games.

• Redshirt junior Kennedy Brooks and junior Eric Gray have shared the vast majority of the rushing workload this season. Brooks leads the team in carries (79), rushing yards (535), rushing yards per game (89.2) and rushing touchdowns (six). Gray, a transfer from Tennessee, started OU's first five games and has rushed 55 times for 282 yards (5.1 per carry; 47.0 yards per game) and has 10 catches for 104 yards and a touchdown. Walk-ons Jaden Knowles and Todd Hudson earned carries against Western Carolina and each scored two TDs.

• Redshirt sophomore running back Marcus Major sat out each of OU's first five games this season but was deemed eligible by the NCAA the day before the Sooners' game against Texas. He did not play against the Longhorns.

OU FOOT NOTES

• Redshirt junior kicker Gabe Brkic has made a nation-leading 15 field goals on 17 attempts this season (.882) and is 4 for 5 on tries from over 50 yards. Brkic ranked third nationally last season by averaging 2.0 field goal makes per game and this year ranks first by averaging 2.5.

• The longest field goal made this season nationally is 56 yards and Brkic has two of the four makes from that distance. He is one off the national lead with his eight makes from 50-plus yards since the start of the 2020 season (LSU's Cade York has nine) while no other player has made more than five 50-yarders. Brkic's nine career makes from 50 or farther are the most in OU history (next highest total is four). He also sits atop the Sooners' career chart with 18 makes from at least 40 yards.

• Brkic, who was a 2020 first-team All-Big 12 selection (coaches and AP) and a Lou Groza Award semifinalist, is 52 for 60 (.867) on career field goal attempts and has made all 125 of his PAT tries. The OU career record for field goal percentage is .833 (75 for 90) by Michael Hunnicutt (2011-14).

• During Lincoln Riley's five-year head coaching career, Oklahoma ranks first in the Big 12 and fourth nationally with its 85.0% success rate on field goal attempts (91 for 107). Kansas State is the next best Big 12 school in the category during the span, ranking 15th at 80.2%.

• During the same period, the Sooners rank third nationally in PAT conversion percentage among teams with at least 150 attempts, converting 328 of 329 tries (99.7%). Only Georgia (243 for 243) and Virginia Tech (187 of 187) have a higher success rate.

• Redshirt senior punter Michael Turk transferred to OU from Arizona State in August and earned the starting job. The 2019 and '20 first-team All-Pac-12 selection averaged 46.2 yards per punt over the last two seasons and totaled 28 boots that went at least 50 yards. He has only punted 11 times this year (1.8 per game) and is averaging 49.6 yards per punt (has five punts over 50 yards, including an 85-yarder vs. Texas which tied as the third longest in OU history).

OU'S BIG 12 DOMINATION

• Oklahoma's win over Iowa State in the 2020 Big 12 Championship resulted in the Sooners' sixth straight Big 12 title and 14th since 2000 (no other program has won more than two during the span). For perspective, the two Power Five programs with the next most conference titles this millennium are Ohio State (11 in Big Ten) and Oregon (eight in Pac-10/Pac-12).

• The Sooners' 14 Big 12 titles are 11 more than the program with the next most. Texas has won three Big 12 championships and is followed by Baylor, Kansas State and Nebraska (two each), and Colorado, Oklahoma State, TCU and Texas A&M (one each). Colorado and Nebraska left the Big 12 after the 2010 season and Texas A&M departed after the 2011 campaign.

• Since 2010, OU has won eight Big 12 titles and is followed by Baylor (two) and Kansas State, Oklahoma State and TCU (one each).

• Oklahoma is the only program to win at least three straight Big 12 titles, and it has done so twice (2006-08 and 2015-20). Baylor (2013-14) is the only other program to win two Big 12 championships in a row.

• At 11-1, the Sooners are the only program with a winning record in Big 12 Championship games. Texas has the next best mark at 3-3.

• Since Lincoln Riley came to Norman as offensive coordinator in 2015, OU has posted a 50-6 (.893) record in regular season Big 12 play. The next best mark during the period is 36-20 (.643) by Oklahoma State.

• Oklahoma and Clemson are each riding streaks of six outright conference championships. The last current Power Five program to win at least six straight outright league titles was OU when it claimed 12 Big Six/Seven crowns in a row under legendary Bud Wilkinson (1948-59).

• Every OU freshman class from 1999-2019 has won at least one Big 12 championship and all but the 2011 freshman class have won at least two. The 2015, 2016 and 2017 freshman classes each won four Big 12 titles.

• OU leads the nation with its 50 all-time conference championships and is followed by Nebraska (46), Michigan (42), Ohio State (39) and USC (37).

YEAR THREE OF "SPEED D"

• Hired in January 2019, coordinator and safeties coach Alex Grinch, who was a 2019 Broyles Award semifinalist, has overseen major improvement on the defensive side of the ball in his three seasons in Norman.

• OU ranked third nationally last season in interceptions (16), fourth in opponent third-down conversion percentage (27.9), sixth in sacks per game (3.6), ninth in rushing defense (105.1 ypg) and passing defense efficiency rating (112.9), 16th in tackles for loss per game (7.5) and 29th in total defense (350.6 ypg) and scoring defense (21.7 ppg).

• Grinch's unit was particularly stingy down the stretch in 2020. After Nov. 1 (five games), OU led the nation in interceptions per game (2.2) and ranked second in sacks per game (4.0) and passing defense efficiency rating (94.5), fourth in opponent third-down conversion percentage (25.0), sixth in scoring defense (15.4 ppg), eighth in passing yards per attempt (5.4), ninth in opponent passing completion percentage (51.4), 14th in rushing yards per game (112.2) and 18th in rushing yards per carry (3.4).

• Oklahoma's 1.45 interceptions per game last season were its second most in the last 17 years (1.53 in 2015). The team's 16 interceptions were its most in a season since registering 20 in 2015 (13 games) and were three more than it registered over the 2018 (six) and 2019 (seven) seasons combined. And from the second quarter of the Dec. 5 game vs. Baylor through the first quarter of the Dec. 30 Cotton Bowl vs. Florida, the Sooners registered eight interceptions over an eight-quarter stretch (two vs. Baylor, three vs. Iowa State and three vs. Florida).

• OU has allowed opponents to score on their opening drive of a game just eight times in its 31 contests under Grinch. Nineteen of the 31 opponent opening drives have lasted five plays or less.

• In its 31 games under Grinch, Oklahoma has allowed only three opponent wide receivers to register at least 100 receiving yards in a game.

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 fifth year as head coach.

• Since the start of the 2015 campaign, OU ranks first nationally in scoring (44.2 ppg; next most is 42.0), total offense (541.2; next most is 501.8), yards per play (7.6), TDs from scrimmage (467), pass efficiency rating (183.6; next best is 173.7) and completion percentage (69.3). It ranks third in passing offense (318.5) and ninth in rushing offense (222.7). No other program during the span ranks in the top 15 in passing and rushing offense.

• In 85 games since the start of the 2015 season, OU has registered at least 500 yards of total offense 56 times (next most is 47), including in 46 of the last 68 outings, topped the 600-yard mark on 28 occasions and gone over 700 yards seven times. Similarly, OU has scored at least 30 points in 73 of 85 games since Riley's arrival, at least 40 points 53 times, at least 50 points 31 times and at least 60 points 11 times.

QBU

• Oklahoma's top two signal callers, redshirt sophomore Spencer Rattler (2019) and freshman Caleb Williams (2021), were each regarded as the consensus No. 1 quarterbacks in their recruiting classes and were named Elite 11 MVPs.

• A consensus 2021 preseason All-American and the Big 12 Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, Rattler was OU's fourth starting quarterback in four seasons (Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray won the 2017 and '18 Heisman Trophy while Jalen Hurts was 2019 runner-up). Rattler was named national freshman of the year by CBS Sports last season after completing 67.5% of his passes for 3,031 yards (275.5 per game) and 28 touchdowns vs. seven interceptions. He also rushed for 160 yards and six TDs. His 92.5 passing grade by PFF ranked third nationally behind BYU's Zach Wilson and Heisman finalist Mac Jones of Alabama.

• Over OU's last seven games last year (all wins), Rattler threw 15 TD passes and only two interceptions.

• Rattler led the nation's freshmen in passing touchdowns, passing offense and total offense (290.1 ypg). Among all players who played at least six games, he ranked eighth in passing TDs, ninth in yards per pass attempt (9.6), 10th in pass efficiency rating (172.6), 14th in completion percentage, 15th in passing offense and 16th in yards per completion (14.2).

• Williams, a 2021 OU mid-year enrollee, was ranked as the nation's No. 1 overall player in the 2021 recruiting class by SI All-American, No. 5 by Rivals, No. 7 by 247Sports and No. 16 by ESPN.

• Williams' high school team did not play a 2020 fall season due to the pandemic, but he was a two-time All-Washington Catholic Athletic Conference selection and the 2019 MVP as a junior. That year he threw for 1,770 yards and 19 touchdowns as a junior while rushing for 838 yards and 18 scores.

• Williams has seen action in four games this season. He is 22 for 36 through the air for 314 yards and two TDs (no interceptions) and has rushed nine times for 149 yards (includes runs of 59 and 66 yards) and two scores.

Caleb Williams

"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 six 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, 57.3 in 2019 and 50.6 last year.

• Since Riley joined the OU program as offensive coordinator before the 2015 season, the Sooners rank first nationally in passing efficiency rating (183.6; next best is 173.7), second in yards per pass attempt (10.4) and third in passing yards per game (318.5). But during the same span, OU also paces the nation with eight individual 1,000-yard rushing seasons (Samaje Perine in 2015, Perine and Joe Mixon in 2016, Rodney Anderson in 2017, Kennedy Brooks and Kyler Murray in 2018 and Brooks and Jalen Hurts in 2019).

• OU also leads the country with 12 individual running back seasons of 6.0 or more yards per carry (min. 50 carries per season) during Riley's time in Norman.

RILEY'S FAST START

• The FBS'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. At 24-4, 36-6 and 45-8, he also holds the OU record for most wins by a head coach in his first two, three and four seasons (Barry Switzer held the records of 21 and 32, and Bob Stoops held the record of 43). He needs five more wins to set the outright record for most victories in the first five years of an OU coaching career (Stoops holds that standard with 55 [1999-03]).

• Riley is the only person to ever win an outright FBS conference title in each of his first four seasons as a collegiate head coach.

• No one in the previous 125 years won more games in their first three seasons as a college head coach than Riley did from 2017-19. Penn's George Woodruff (1892-94) was the last to win more than 36 games in his first three seasons.

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 (679) than any other program (next most is 638 by Alabama).

• Oklahoma is the highest-scoring program in college football history with 37,103 points (in 1,305 games).

• OU leads all FBS programs with 50 all-time conference championships. The rest of the top five includes Nebraska (46), Michigan (42), Ohio State (39) and USC (37). The Sooners' 14 league titles since 2000 are the most among Power Five programs (Ohio State ranks second with 11).

• No program has more all-time 10-win seasons than Oklahoma, which is tied with Alabama with 40 (OU has a nation-leading 17 10-win campaigns 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 (241) and points scored (11,548).

EXTRA POINTS

• Oklahoma has 47 players on its team who hail from the state of Texas (most of any state).

• OU is 45-10-1 all-time as the No. 4-ranked team in the AP poll and 23-2 at home as the AP's No. 4 team. This will be only the second meeting against TCU while the Sooners are ranked fourth. The previous meeting was in 2014 (a 37-33 TCU win in Fort Worth). OU has won 12 straight home games while ranked fourth (its last such loss was in 2001 to Oklahoma State).

• The Sooners are tied for third nationally this season with their 10 forced fumbles and are tied for sixth with their seven fumble recoveries. They had three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries all of last season.

• Redshirt senior linebacker Bryan Mead played in his 56th career game three weeks ago against West Virginia to break the previous school record of 55 games that was held by former quarterback and holder Connor McGinnis. Mead has now played in 58 contests.

• Redshirt senior defensive lineman Isaiah Thomas has recorded at least half a tackle for loss in 16 of the last 17 games (14-game streak was snapped vs. West Virginia three games ago). Since the start of the 2020 season, Thomas has OU highs of 18.5 tackles for loss and 13.0 sacks. He has 6.5 TFLs this season (4.5 sacks) and is tied for 12th nationally with his two forced fumbles.

• The Sooners have outscored their opponents by a combined 74-16 margin in the second quarter this season.

• OU is scheduled to play nine games to start the season before its bye week. That's the program's longest stretch at the beginning of a season without a bye since 1995 when it played 10 games before a week off.

• OU head coach Lincoln Riley turned 38 on Sept. 5. He was the youngest FBS head coach (33) at the time of his hiring in 2017 and is the seventh-youngest today.

• Co-offensive coordinator and inside receivers coach Cale Gundy is OU's all-time leader in victories (272) as a player (31) and/or coach (239). Barry Switzer ranks second with 215, all as an assistant or head coach.

• Oklahoma has won its last five games against AP Top 25 opponents. It went 4-0 against AP-ranked opponents last season, marking the first time since 2002 it won every game vs. AP Top 25 foes.