Game Primer: OU vs. Kansas

Saturday, October 23

Lawrence, KS

11:00 AM

University of Oklahoma

Kansas

October 22, 2021 | Football

Gameday Central ESPN OU Radio En Español Live Stats

^3/2 Oklahoma

Kansas

Saturday, Oct. 23 / 11 a.m. CT / Lawrence, Kan.

ESPN / Radio / Live Stats / Game Notes

OPENING KICK

• No. 3/2 Oklahoma (7-0, 4-0 Big 12) will try for its 17th straight win over Kansas (1-5, 0-4) and 16th consecutive victory overall when it faces the Jayhawks on Saturday at 11 a.m. CT at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Kan. The game will be televised by ESPN with Mark Jones, Robert Griffin III and Quint Kessenich announcing.

• The Sooners' 15-game winning streak is the seventh longest in program history and their longest since winning 20 straight over the 2000 and '01 seasons. It is also the longest active streak in the country, with only one other Power Five program (Georgia at 11) owning a streak longer than eight games. OU's last loss came on Oct. 3, 2020, at Iowa State.

• Oklahoma is off to just its second 7-0 start in the last 17 years (it also won its first seven games in 2019). A win against Kansas would give the Sooners their first 8-0 start since 2004, under head coach Bob Stoops.

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

• Oklahoma is 78-27-6 (.730) all-time vs. Kansas and has won 16 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 43-6 (.878) vs. the Jayhawks.

• The Sooners have scored at least 34 points in each of their last 12 games against Kansas. It is the longest such streak in school history against a single opponent (next longest is 11 straight games against Kingfisher College from 1908-19 and vs. Texas Tech [current]).

• Dating back to the start of the 2012 season, Oklahoma is 45-8 (.849) in regular season games away from home. OU has scored at least 30 points in 46 of those 53 contests.

• OU has won as many Big 12 titles the last six seasons (six) as it has lost games against Big 12 opponents (56-6 record; includes four Big 12 Championship games).

• Come Saturday, Oklahoma will have been Big 12 champion for 2,157 consecutive days.

• OU is 150-31 (.829) in regular season Big 12 play since the start of the 2000 season. That's 28 more wins than the program with the next most victories during that period (Texas; 122-59) and 47 more than the program with the third most (Oklahoma State; 103-78).

KEY STORYLINES

• Each of the last 16 meetings in the Oklahoma-Kansas series have been OU victories by at least 15 points. The Sooners have outscored the Jayhawks 710-215 in those contests (average of 44-13) and have outgained them 8,019 yards to 4,285 (average of 501-268). OU has won the last seven meetings by a combined score of 365-89 (52-13 average). KU has scored single-digit points in five of the last seven matchups and six of the last nine.

• Since taking over quarterback responsibilities with 6:41 left in the second quarter vs. Texas two games ago, freshman Caleb Williams has completed 34 of 48 pass attempts for 507 yards and six touchdowns without an interception (200.8 pass efficiency rating). He has also rushed 13 times for 154 yards (11.8 average) and TDs of 66 and 41 yards in the two contests.

• Oklahoma's rushing attack has been extremely effective the last two contests. After averaging 175.2 rushing yards per game and 4.6 yards per carry over its first five games, OU is averaging 284.5 yards per contest and 7.5 yards per carry over the last two outings. Redshirt junior Kennedy Brooks averaged 63.6 yards per game and 5.9 yards per rush over the first five games but over the last two is averaging 185.0 and 8.2 with three touchdowns. Brooks ran for over 1,000 yards each of his first two seasons and with 688 rushing yards so far this year (98.3 per game; 6.9 per carry) he is well on his way to that mark again. The only Sooners to ever record three 1,000-yard rushing seasons were De'Mond Parker (1996-98), Adrian Peterson (2004-06) and Samaje Perine (2014-16).

• The Sooners averaged 38.4 points per game, 433.4 yards per game and 6.3 yards per play over the season's first five contests. Over the last two outings they have posted respective averages of 53.5, 593.5 and 8.5. The 53.5 points and 593.5 yards per game the last two weeks are the second-highest totals nationally during the stretch (Cincinnati averaged 54.0 points and Western Kentucky averaged 594.0 yards the last two weeks).

• Over OU's last 20 contests, only two running backs 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 two games ago). OU ranks 23rd nationally by permitting just 3.2 yards per carry this season while Kansas ranks 84th by gaining 3.9 yards per rush.

• Among teams with at least 25 red zone trips this season, Oklahoma ranks first nationally with its 97.6% score rate (40 scores on 41 trips). Thirty of its 40 red zone scores (75.0%) have been touchdowns. The 40 red zone scores are most in the country (next most is 32), as are the 30 red zone TDs.

• Even though OU failed to record a sack vs. TCU on Saturday, three Sooners rank in the top five in the Big 12 in sacks this season. Defensive linemen Perrion Winfrey and Isaiah Thomas are tied for third in the league with their 4.5 sacks while outside linebacker Nik Bonitto is tied for fifth with 4.0. Kansas is permitting just 1.3 sacks per outing.

Caleb Williams & Kennedy Brooks

LAST YEAR VS. KANSAS

• No. 19/19 Oklahoma outgained Kansas by 294 yards (540-246) and tied a school record with nine sacks in a 62-9 home victory over Kansas on Nov. 7, 2020. KU's scores came on the last play of the first half (field goal) and final play of the game (touchdown).

• OU rushed for 200 yards for the third time in four games (200 yards on 31 carries for a season-high 6.5 average) and ran for six touchdowns for the second straight contest (the last time it rushed for six TDs in consecutive games was in 1987). Senior running back Rhamondre Stevenson led the way with 104 yards and two touchdowns (13 and 29 yards) while adding a team-high four receptions for 60 yards.

• In two-and-a-half quarters of work, redshirt freshman quarterback Spencer Rattler completed 15 of 27 passes for 212 yards and a touchdown (20-yarder to Austin Stogner), and he ran for a two-yard score.

• Marvin Mims logged OU's other TD reception, a 14-yarder from Tanner Mordecai on the first play of the fourth quarter. Mordecai completed 7 of 8 throws for 128 yards.

• Redshirt sophomore outside linebacker Nik Bonitto recorded a career-high 3.0 sacks for a loss of 21 yards and registered two of OU's six QB hurries. Ronnie Perkins, Isaiah Thomas and Marcus Stripling each recorded 1.5 sacks, and OU's 73 yards on sacks were its second most ever.

• The Sooners recorded two interceptions for a second straight game and both came in the first quarter (Tre Brown on KU's first possession and Brendan Radley-Hiles on its third possession).

• OU held KU to 3 of 19 on third-down conversion attempts.

• Kicker Gabe Brkic made both of his field goal tries (40 and 50 yards).

ROAD WARRIORS

• Oklahoma has won 27 of its last 29 true road games, with the only losses during that stretch coming in 2019 at Kansas State (48-41) and last season at Iowa State (37-30).

• The 2019 defeat at K-State snapped OU's 22-game true road winning streak (it hadn't lost since Oct 4, 2014, at TCU), which was the second longest such streak nationally since at least the end of World War II.

• During the 22-game streak, OU outscored opponents 1,076-626 (49-28 average) and outgained them by 3,621 yards (583-419 average).

• The Sooners have outgained their opponent in 25 of their last 29 true road games.

• OU has scored at least 30 points in each of its last 34 true road games and at least 41 points in 22 of those 34.

DEFENSE PLAYS BIG HAND IN 15-GAME WINNING STREAK

• Oklahoma's defense has figured prominently in the program's 15-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 15 opponents below a 50% third-down conversion rate (Kansas State converted 53% of its tries Oct. 2 while TCU was 7 for 14 Saturday; the next highest during the 15-game stretch was 43% by Nebraska this season while the fourth highest was 36% by Texas Tech last year). Nine of the Sooners' last 12 opponents have failed to convert more than 33% of third downs. OU ranks seventh nationally during the time period with its 32.3 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 31.7% figure.

• The Sooners have totaled 50 sacks over their last 15 games to rank third nationally since Oct. 10, 2020. In the same time frame, OU has registered 110 tackles for loss for an average of 7.3 per game and a total of 465 lost yards.

• OU has registered at least one takeaway in 13 straight games and in 14 of the last 15. It is plus-13 in turnover margin (28 takeaways to 15 turnovers) during the 15-game winning streak and is plus-8 over its last 10 contests.

• The Sooners have 18 interceptions over their last 15 games to rank eighth nationally since Oct. 10, 2020.

Caleb Kelly

NOTING THE OFFENSE

• Oklahoma ranks seventh nationally with its 42.7 points per game and 14th with its 479.1 yards per game.

• OU's 2.1 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.

• The Sooners have committed only seven turnovers through seven games and one of those was by the defense (fumble on a fumble return vs. TCU).

• Freshman quarterback Caleb Williams has completed 67.8% of his passes (40 of 59) for 609 yards and six touchdowns without an interception (188.1 efficiency rating would lead Big 12 if he had enough attempts to qualify). He has also been highly effective with his feet, running for 215 yards and three scores on only 18 carries (11.9 yards per rush). He has three of OU's five longest rushes of the season (66 yards for a TD vs. Texas is team's longest, 59 vs. Western Carolina is third longest and 41 vs. TCU is fifth longest).

• Despite not playing the last game and a half, redshirt sophomore quarterback Spencer Rattler ranks first in the Big 12 in completions (130). He also leads the league in completion percentage (74.3; ranks second nationally), and ranks second in passing offense (228.5 ypg), third in total offense (242.8 ypg) and fourth in passing touchdowns (10). He also did not play in the second half against Western Carolina. 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%).

• Receiver Marvin Mims ranks fourth on the squad in receptions (21) but leads the team with 456 receiving yards (next most is 294). Mims ranks fifth nationally and first in the Big 12 with his 21.7 yards per catch.

• Receiver Jadon Haselwood paces the Sooners with 27 catches (for 238 yards; 8.8 average) and five receiving touchdowns. He had one career receiving TD entering the season.

• Receivers Michael Woods II (25) and Mario Williams (24) rank second and third in receptions and both have two touchdown catches, as does Mims. Tight end/H-back Jeremiah Hall ranks second with three TD grabs.

• Haselwood, who missed all but three games last season due to injury, has made his first seven 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. Woods and Mims have also started all seven contests this season.

• At least nine Sooners have caught a pass in each of OU's seven 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 (99), rushing yards (688), rushing yards per game (98.3) and rushing touchdowns (seven). His 370 rushing yards over the last two weeks ranks as the second most nationally. Gray, a transfer from Tennessee, started OU's first five games and has rushed 61 times for 293 yards (4.8 per carry; 41.9 yards per game; one TD) 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 Oct. 9 game against Texas. He made his season debut Saturday vs. TCU but did not register a carry or reception.

OU FOOT NOTES

• Redshirt junior kicker Gabe Brkic ranks second nationally this season with 16 field goals (on 19 attempts; .842) and is 4 for 5 on tries from over 50 yards. Brkic ranked third in the country last season by averaging 2.0 field goal makes per game and this year ranks second by averaging 2.3.

• 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 53 for 62 (.855) on career field goal attempts and has made all 132 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 fifth nationally with its 84.4% success rate on field goal attempts (92 for 109). Kansas State is the next best Big 12 school in the category during the span, ranking 19th at 79.3%.

• During the same period, the Sooners rank second nationally in PAT conversion percentage among teams with at least 150 attempts, converting 328 of 329 tries (99.7%). Only Virginia Tech (188 of 188) has 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 14 times this year (2.0 per game) and is averaging 51.8 yards per punt (has eight punts over 50 yards, including an 85-yarder vs. Texas which tied as the third longest in OU history). He also holds the best and third-best single-game punting averages in school history (min. three punts; 59.7 last game vs. TCU and 58.0 vs. Texas two games ago).

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 51-6 (.895) record in regular season Big 12 play. The next best mark during the period is 37-20 (.649) 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 titles. It 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 32 contests under Grinch. Twenty of the 32 opponent opening drives have lasted five plays or less.

• In its 32 games under Grinch, Oklahoma has allowed only four 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 (44.3 ppg; next most is 42.1), total offense (541.0; next most is 501.8), yards per play (7.6), TDs from scrimmage (474), pass efficiency rating (184.1; next best is 174.2) and completion percentage (69.3). It ranks third in passing offense (318.2) and ninth in rushing offense (222.8). No other program during the span ranks in the top 15 in passing and rushing offense.

• In 86 games since the start of the 2015 season, OU has registered at least 500 yards of total offense 57 times (next most is 47), including in 47 of the last 69 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 74 of 86 games since Riley's arrival, at least 40 points 54 times, at least 50 points 32 times and at least 60 points 11 times.

"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.

Jadon Haselwood

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 four 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 (680) than any other program (next most is 639 by Alabama).

• Oklahoma is the highest-scoring program in college football history with 37,155 points (in 1,306 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 (242; next most is 237 by Ohio State) and points scored (11,600; next most is 10,530 by Oregon).

EXTRA POINTS

• OU has already tied the single-season school record with five wins by seven or fewer points (also in 2010 and 2019). In fact, for the first time in program history, the Sooners won four consecutive games by seven or fewer points each (beat Nebraska by seven, West Virginia by three, Kansas State by six and Texas by seven). They also beat Tulane 40-35 in the opener.

• OU is 71-14-2 all-time as the No. 3-ranked team in the AP poll (29-5 on the road). The Sooners are 8-0 against Kansas while ranked third (4-0 in Lawrence).

• The Sooners are tied for third nationally this season with their 11 forced fumbles and their eight 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 Sept. 25 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 59 contests.

• Redshirt senior defensive lineman Isaiah Thomas has recorded at least half a tackle for loss in 16 of the last 18 games (14-game streak was snapped Sept. 25 vs. West Virginia). 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 (4.5 sacks) and two forced fumbles this year.

• The Sooners have outscored their opponents by a combined 84-23 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 (273) as a player (31) and/or coach (242). Barry Switzer ranks second with 215, all as an assistant or head coach.

• The Sooners are tied with Clemson for the second-longest current streak of New Year's Six bowl appearances (six). They trail Ohio State (seven) and are followed by Georgia (four), Florida (three), Oregon (two) and six programs with one.