Game Primer: OU vs. Iowa State

Saturday, October 29

Ames, Iowa

11 AM CT

University of Oklahoma

Iowa State

October 27, 2022 | Football

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Oklahoma

Iowa State

Saturday, Oct. 29 / 11 a.m. CT / Ames, Iowa

FS1 / Radio / Live Stats / Game Notes

OPENING KICK

• Oklahoma (4-3, 1-3 Big 12) will go for its 23rd win in 25 tries against Iowa State (3-4, 0-4) when it faces the Cyclones on Saturday at 11 a.m. CT at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa. The game will be televised by FS1 with Noah Eagle and Mark Helfrich announcing.

• Oklahoma owns a 78-7-2 all-time record against Iowa State and is 17-2 in the series in the Big 12 era. The Sooners' .908 series winning percentage against ISU is the best by one Power Five program against another (minimum of 50 games played).

• OU is 49-3-1 (.934) in its last 53 games against Iowa State.

• The Sooners are 37-3-1 (.915) vs. the Cyclones in Ames and have won 24 of the last 25 meetings there (lone loss since start of 1961 season was in 2020).

• Thirteen of OU's last 16 wins in the series have been by at least 10 points.

• Iowa State only has seven wins in 87 all-time meetings against Oklahoma, but two of the victories have come over the last five seasons. In 2017, the Cyclones beat No. 3 OU 38-31 in Norman, and on Oct. 3, 2020, they posted a 37-30 home win over the No. 18 Sooners. ISU was unranked in both contests. OU has won the last two matchups.

• Going back to the start of the 2010 season, Oklahoma has only played six regular season games when unranked in the AP poll, and it won five of the six (42-30 at Texas Tech in 2014, 52-46 at No. 21 TCU in 2016, 53-45 in four overtimes vs. No. 22 Texas in 2020, 33-14 at TCU in 2020 and 52-42 vs. No. 19 Kansas this season). The only loss was two games ago to Texas. The Sooners have won six of their last seven regular season games when unranked (also beat No. 11 Oklahoma State 27-0 in 2009 in Norman).

• Saturday's game will mark the first since 1999 that Oklahoma is not ranked in the AP poll when facing Iowa State, breaking a streak of 17 matchups. OU won that 1999 contest 31-10 in Ames under first-year head coach Bob Stoops.

• Oklahoma beat Iowa State in the 2020 Big 12 Championship, 27-21, in Arlington, Texas.

• Even with its 1-3 conference start, Oklahoma is 55-11 (.833) in regular season Big 12 play since the beginning of the 2015 season. Oklahoma State ranks second during that period (45-22; .672), TCU third (37-30; .552), Texas fourth (35-32; .522), West Virginia fifth (34-32; .515) and Iowa State and Kansas State fifth (33-34; .493).

• OU is 154-36 (.810) 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; 126-65) and 43 more than the program with the third most (Oklahoma State; 111-80).

Dillon Gabriel vs Kansas State lead

KEY STORYLINES

• Iowa State's only three wins against Oklahoma since 1961 came in 1990 (33-31 in Norman), 2017 (38-31 in Norman) and 2020 (37-30 in Ames). OU had won 24 straight games in Ames prior to the 2020 matchup, and hadn't lost there since a 10-6 defeat on Nov. 5, 1960 (three days before John F. Kennedy won the presidential election). ISU's seven overall series wins have come by 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 7 and 13 points. Its 13-point win came in the first meeting in 1928 in Ames.

• Over the 13 seasons (1999-2011) that first-year Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables served as a Sooners assistant coach, OU posted a 7-0 record against Iowa State (he was co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach from 1999-2003 and associate head coach, defensive coordinator and linebackers coach from 2004-11). The Sooners held the Cyclones to 36 total points in those seven contests (average of 5.1). ISU's point totals were 0, 3, 3, 6, 7, 7 and 10.

• Iowa State won its three non-conference games but has lost its four Big 12 contests, each by seven or fewer points. Those defeats have totaled 14 points (3.5 average) and have come by seven points vs. then-No. 17 Baylor (31-24), three points at Kansas (14-11), one point vs. then-No. 20 Kansas State (10-9) and three points at then-No. 22 Texas (24-21).

• The Sooners have won 29 of their last 34 true road games and have scored at least 30 points in 37 of their last 39 such contests. The program with the next most 30-point performances in its last 39 true road games is Ohio State (30; see chart on page 3).

• Saturday's game will feature the Big 12's third- and fourth-ranked players in total offensive yards per game. Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel is averaging 296.8 yards per contest while Iowa State quarterback Hunter Dekkers is averaging 268.1. Gabriel has completed 65% of his passes (one interception) for 13 touchdowns and 269.7 yards per game. Dekkers has completed 68% of his throws (seven interceptions) for 13 TDs and 263.3 yards per outing. Gabriel has rushed for three touchdowns and Dekkers has rushed for two.

• Oklahoma and Iowa State are a study in contrasts in both offense and defense this season. OU ranks 23rd nationally out of 131 teams in total offense (471.9 ypg) while ISU ranks 88th (369.6 ypg). Conversely, the Cyclones rank 10th in the country in total defense (289.7 ypg) while the Sooners rank 116th (447.1 ypg). The rushing game could be key on Saturday. The Sooners rank 14th with their 222.6 rushing yards per game but ISU ranks 15th by only allowing 105.3 ground yards per contest. On the other hand, the Cylones rank 118th by averaging 101.7 rushing yards per game, but OU gives up 207.4 rushing ypg to rank 121st.

• Oklahoma is tied for 10th in the country with its 7.4 tackles for loss per game and is tied for 14th with its 30.6 TFL yardage per contest. However, the Sooners have dropped considerably in the two categories over the last four games. Since Big 12 play started, OU is averaging 5.0 TFLs and 11.8 TFL yards per game after averaging 10.7 and 55.7 through the season's first three contests.

• The Sooners rank 125th out of 131 FBS teams this season in average time of possession (26:19) and have held a time-of-possession advantage in just one of their seven games (30:19-29:41 vs. Kansas). Iowa State ranks 29th with an average TOP of 31:53.

LAST YEAR VS. IOWA STATE

• Quarterback Caleb Williams ran for a 74-yard touchdown and threw for an 11-yard score, defensive lineman Jalen Redmond returned a fumble 42 yards for a TD and Oklahoma's defense held an Iowa State team that entered the game averaging 434.7 yards per contest to 361 (4.1 per play) in a 28-21 senior day win in Norman on Nov. 20, 2021.

• Redmond's scoop-and-score, which was one of three Oklahoma takeaways on the day and gave it a 14-7 lead with nine seconds left in the first half, marked the Sooners' only defensive touchdown of the season and their first defensive TD since 2018. The redshirt sophomore, who was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week, also registered 1.5 tackles for loss (one sack) and a career-high four quarterback hurries, Oklahoma's most since 2017.

• One of Redmond's hurries led to OU's first interception of the day, by safety Delarrin Turner-Yell in the third quarter. The other came on the Sooners' final defensive play as safety Pat Fields intercepted ISU QB Brock Purdy on the OU 3-yard line with 15 seconds remaining.

• Through three quarters, the Sooners held the Cyclones to 159 yards on 56 plays (2.8 yards per play).

• OU limited ISU to a season-low 51 rushing yards on 35 carries (1.5 average), thanks in part to a season-high seven sacks for 61 yards. It also tied a season high with 11 tackles for loss.

• Defensive lineman Isaiah Thomas logged a game-high 2.0 sacks while outside linebacker Nik Bonitto had 2.5 tackles for loss (1.0 sack). Turner-Yell finished with a career-high 11 tackles and defensive back Key Lawrence added seven stops, a sack for 18 yards and two forced fumbles en route to Big 12 Newcomer of the Week honors.

• Kennedy Brooks carried 17 times for 115 yards (6.8 average). He became the 11th Sooner with 3,000 career rushing yards. Eric Gray ran four times for 12 yards, including a 7-yard TD with 5:06 left to give OU a 28-14 lead.

• Michael Turk averaged 54.8 yards on his six punts. Five of his punts went at least 48 yards, four went at least 56 yards and three went over 60 (long of 63), as he was named Co-Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week.

Jalen Redmond

TWO YEARS AGO IN AMES

• Oklahoma suffered consecutive regular season losses for the first time since 1999 in a 37-30 defeat at Iowa State on Oct. 3, 2020. OU led 17-6, fell behind 23-20 and went back up 30-23 in the fourth quarter before the Cyclones scored the contest's final 14 points.

• The loss snapped OU's 24-game winning streak in Ames (it hadn't lost there since Nov. 3, 1960) and resulted in the program's first 0-2 conference start since 1998 when it began with a 0-4 Big 12 mark. The Sooners rebounded to win the 2020 Big 12 title, avenging the loss in Ames with a 27-21 win over Iowa State in the Big 12 Championship.

• Quarterback Spencer Rattler was 25 for 36 for 300 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, and scored the first rushing TD of his career on a five-yard plunge in the first quarter. His touchdown throws went to tight end/H-back Jeremiah Hall on plays of four and three yards. The second one put the Sooners up 30-23 with 8:17 remaining in the fourth quarter and came just four plays after Isaiah Thomas registered a strip sack on ISU quarterback Brock Purdy that OU's Josh Ellison recovered.

• Sophomore tight end/H-back Austin Stogner caught a career-high-tying five passes for the second straight week for a team-high 74 yards while redshirt junior receiver Charleston Rambo had four receptions for 61 yards. Hall's career-high five catches totaled 37 yards.

• Linebackers DaShaun White and Brian Asamoah led the team with seven tackles each. White had 2.0 of the team's four tackles for loss.

• Redshirt sophomore kicker Gabe Brkic missed a kick for the first time of his career, a 54-yard field goal attempt at the end of the first half. He converted attempts of 18, 33 and 51 yards, and moved to 20 for 21 in his career. His 51-yarder in the fourth quarter tied the game at 23 with 12:48 to go and was OU's longest since 2017.

• Redshirt sophomore receiver Drake Stoops his first career start.

• Iowa State running back Breece Hall rushed 28 times for 139 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner with 4:06 left in the fourth quarter, while quarterback Brock Purdy completed 12 of 24 passes for 254 yards and a touchdown and ran for a score. Receiver Xavier Hutchinson caught three passes for 83 yards (long of 65).

ROAD WARRIORS

• Oklahoma has won 29 of its last 34 true road games, with the only losses during that stretch coming in 2019 at Kansas State (48-41), 2020 at Iowa State (37-30), 2021 at Baylor (27-14) and Oklahoma State (37-33), and this season at TCU (55-24).

• 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 27 of their last 34 true road games.

• OU has scored at least 30 points in 37 of its last 39 true road games (school-record 35-game streak was stopped last season at Baylor).

NOTING THE OFFENSE

• Despite ranking 52nd nationally in total plays and 125th in average time of possession, Oklahoma is tied for 11th with its 3.0 plays per game of at least 30 yards.

• OU has scored on 22 of its 26 red zone opportunities this season (18 touchdowns and four field goals).

• Quarterback Dillon Gabriel has completed 114 of 175 passes (65.1%) this season for 1,618 yards, 13 touchdowns and just one interception. He has also rushed for 163 net yards and three touchdowns, including a 61-yard score at Nebraska. Gabriel ranks 13th nationally in passing efficiency rating (166.2) and yards per completion (14.2; leads Big 12), 10th in yards per pass attempt (9.3), 28th in passing yards per game (269.7) and 42nd in passing TDs despite exiting OU's game at TCU in the second quarter and missing the game against Texas due to injury.

• Gabriel's 167 pass attempts before his first interception (last game vs. Kansas) were the most by a player to start an OU career, more than doubling the previous record of 80 set by Jalen Hurts in 2019. The total also represented the third most consecutive passes attempted without an INT in school history (Baker Mayfield had a streak of 200 and Jason White had 194).

• Through seven games this season, junior wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. ranks seventh in the Big 12 with his 16.9 yards per catch and third in receiving yards (542).

• Mims has 15 career receptions of at least 40 yards (registered a 42-yard catch in the season opener against UTEP, a 58-yard TD reception against Kent State and a 50-yard TD against Kansas State). CeeDee Lamb (2017-19) holds the school record with 21 receptions of 40 or more yards. Mims also has nine career receptions of 50 or more yards, and eight of those have gone for touchdowns.

• Senior running back Eric Gray leads an OU rushing attack that averages 222.6 yards per game, 5.0 yards per carry and 2.4 touchdowns per game. Gray leads the nation with his 7.2 yards per carry and ranks fourth in the Big 12 (20th nationally) with his 99.3 rushing yards per game and paces the team with his five rushing TDs. He ran for 102 yards against UTEP, 71 versus Kent State, 113 at Nebraska, 114 against Kansas State, 60 at TCU, 59 against Texas and 176 yards against Kansas. Freshman Jovantae Barnes ranks second on the team with his 316 rushing yards (45.1 per game) and averages 4.4 yards per carry. He turned in a 100-yard, two-touchdown game at TCU. Barnes and redshirt junior Marcus Major are tied for second on the team with four rushing TDs. Major, who also has a receiving score, is averaging 35.0 rushing yards per game and 4.6 yards per rush.

• Gray and Mims rank fourth and eighth in the Big 12 in all-purpose yards per game with their 114.3 and 94.7 respective averages.

• Fifth-year senior tight end Brayden Willis is coming off a career-high 102-yard receiving performance against Kansas that included a 26-yard touchdown catch. It was his first career 100-yard receiving game (previous high was 81 at TCU on Oct. 1). His five receptions tied a career high (also had five vs. Kansas State on Sept. 24). Willis has shown his versatility this season by handling the football in a variety of ways. He leads the team with five touchdown receptions and ranks second with 20 catches and 312 receiving yards. He has also thrown a touchdown pass and rushed eight times for 18 yards.

• Oklahoma has scored touchdowns on 31 offensive possessions this season, and only 12 of those TD drives have taken longer than two minutes of game clock (61% of TD drives have taken less than 2:00). Five of those TD drives that lasted longer than 2:00 came in the game against Kansas. Only five of the others took more than three minutes (85% of TD drives have taken less than 3:00) and one has taken more than 4:01 of clock time (5:10 vs. TCU). OU's 31 touchdown drives this season have averaged 6.9 plays, 66.3 yards and 1:57 of game clock.

NOTING THE DEFENSE

• Oklahoma is tied for 16th nationally with its 52 tackles for loss and ranks 19th with its 214 TFL yardage. OU is tied for 10th nationally by averaging 7.4 TFLs per game.

• Sophomore linebacker Danny Stutsman and senior linebacker David Ugwoegbu are tied for second in the Big 12 with their 62 total tackles.

• Forty-three of Ugwoegbu's 62 tackles (69%) have come over the last four games. His career-high 15 tackles against Kansas State were the most by a Sooner since the 2018 season, and he followed that output with 10 stops at TCU, 10 against Texas and eight against Kansas. He has made at least six tackles in every game this season. Ugwoegbu has also notched 4.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, one QB hurry and was credited with the tackle on OU's safety against Kent State.

• Stutsman also leads the team with 8.0 TFLs and has notched 1.5 sacks and three pass breakups. He established then-career highs in tackles in each of the first two games, logging nine stops against UTEP and 12 (4.0 TFLs) against Kent State before making 10 stops against Kansas State and a career-high 13 tackles against Texas. He has recorded at least seven stops in six of seven games and double-digit tackles three times. Prior to his performance vs. Kent State, the last Sooner to register four TFLs in a game was Ronnie Perkins at Baylor in 2019.

• Sophomore safety Billy Bowman set career highs in tackles each of the first two weeks (nine vs. UTEP and 11 vs. Kent State) and has registered at least nine tackles in three of his five games this season. Against Kent State, he forced and recovered a fumble on the same play. He entered the TCU game ranked fourth in the league with 33 stops, but has missed nearly three full games with an injury (he left the TCU game in the first quarter and did not return).

• Fifth-year senior and cheetah linebacker DaShaun White ranks fourth on the team with 35 total tackles and second in QB hurries, but is tied with Bowman for the team lead with four pass breakups. He has recorded 1.5 TFLs and one sack, and notched his first career interception in the game against Kansas.

• Junior defensive end Reggie Grimes leads the Sooners with 6.0 tackles for loss (total 36 lost yards) and 4.0 sacks (totaling 31 lost yards). Six of his 13 tackles this season have been for lost yardage.

• The Sooners have registered an interception in five of their seven games this season (in each of the first three and in the last two) and have six interceptions overall. Their streak of eight consecutive contests with an interception was snapped against Kansas State. Freshman DB Gentry Williams picked off a pass in the end zone in the fourth quarter of the season opener against UTEP, redshirt senior DB Justin Harrington notched his first career interception in the fourth quarter against Kent State and junior DB Key Lawrence hauled in his first career interception in the end zone at Nebraska. Senior DB C.J. Coldon notched his first interception at OU (had two at Wyoming) against Texas and picked off a pass against Kansas.

SPECIAL TEAMS HAVE BEEN SPECIAL

• In his first season as OU's placekicker, redshirt sophomore Zach Schmit is 6 for 7 on field goal attempts and has made all 31 of his PAT tries. He is 3 for 3 on field goal attempts beyond 40 yards (long of 44). His lone miss came at Nebraska (a 39-yarder).

• Sixth-year punter Michael Turk leads the Big 12 and ranks 12th nationally with his 45.2 yards per punt. He has 11 punts of at least 50 yards, including a pair of 60-yarders. In 2021, his first year at OU, Turk set a single-season school record by averaging 51.2 yards per punt, smashing the previous record of 47.8 yards by Jack Jacobs in 1940.

• OU ranks 11th nationally with its 15.9 yards per punt return. Marvin Mims Jr. would lead the nation with his 19.7 yards per return (118 yards on six returns) if he met the statistical minimum of 1.2 punt returns per game. The Sooners have already almost doubled their total punt return yards from last year (12 returns for 69 yards in 2021; eight returns for 127 yards this season).

FRESH FACES

• Thirty-six players (32 of them first-year Sooners) have made their first appearance in an OU uniform this season. The 32 newcomers who have seen the field this year are redshirt seniors Jeffery Johnson (DL), C.J. Coldon (DB), Kyle Ergenbright (OL), Jonah Laulu (DL) and Daniel Parker (TE), senior Trey Morrison (DB), redshirt juniors Davis Beville (QB), Dillon Gabriel (QB) and McKade Mettauer (OL), redshirt sophomores LV Bunkley-Shelton (WR), Tyler Guyton (OL) and J.J. Hester (WR), sophomores General Booty (QB) and Tawee Walker (RB) and freshmen Nic Anderson (WR), Jovantae Barnes (RB), Dallas Dudley (WR), Nick Evers (QB), Gavin Freeman (WR), Jayden Gibson (WR), Gracen Halton (DL), Kaden Helms (TE), Jaren Kanak (LB), Jason Llewellyn (TE), Jayden Rowe (DB), Gavin Sawchuk (RB), Robert Spears-Jennings (DB), Peter Schuh (DB), Jacob Sexton (OL), Jake Taylor (OL), R Mason Thomas (DL) and Gentry Williams (DB).

FIRST-TIME STARTERS

• Thirteen players have made their first OU starts this season. Against UTEP, they were were redshirt senior transfer Jeffery Johnson (DL; started 44 games at Tulane), redshirt senior Jordan Kelley (DL), redshirt junior transfers Dillon Gabriel (QB; started 25 games at UCF) and McKade Mettauer (OL; started 28 games at Cal), redshirt sophomore transfer Tyler Guyton (OL; started one game at TCU as an H-back) and sophomores Ethan Downs (DE) and Danny Stutsman (LB). Versus Kent State they were redshirt junior Isaiah Coe (DL) and sophomore Jalil Farooq (WR), at Nebraska, sophomore Damond Harmon (DB) made his first career start and against Kansas State, Wanya Morris (OL; started 19 games at Tennessee) made his first start as a Sooner. Davis Beville (QB) made his first career start and Trey Morrison (DB; started 41 games at North Carolina) started against Texas.

Lead, Gray KU

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).

• OU's 14 Big 12 titles are 11 more than the program with the next most. Baylor and Texas have each won three Big 12 championships and are followed by 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 (three) and Kansas State, Oklahoma State and TCU (one each).

• Since 2000, OU has won more Big 12 championships (14) than it has lost home games (12).

• 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 (3-3) and Baylor (1-1) have the next best marks.

• Since the start of the 2015 season, OU has posted a 54-10 (.844) record in regular season Big 12 play. The next best mark during the stretch is 43-21 (.672) by Oklahoma State.

• Every OU freshman class from 1999-2020 has won at least one Big 12 championship and all but the 2011 and 2020 freshman classes have won at least two. The 2015, 2016 and 2017 freshman classes each won four Big 12 titles.

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 (688) than any other program (next most is 653 by Alabama).

• Oklahoma has finished in the top 5 of the AP poll a nation-leading 33 times.

• OU leads all FBS programs with 50 all-time conference championships. The rest of the top five includes Nebraska (46), Michigan (43), 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 41 (OU has a nation-leading 18 10-win campaigns since 2000). In addition, OU's 27 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 the country with its 12,046 points scored, which is 560 more than second-place Boise State (11,486) and 982 more than third-place Oregon (11,064).

• OU's 80 consensus All-Americans since 1950 are the most nationally (Alabama ranks second with 74 and Ohio State third with 72). Since 2000, the Sooners have produced 30 consensus All-Americans, second only to Alabama.

• OU is the only program that has produced at least four NFL Draft picks each of the last 15 years.

EXTRA POINTS

• Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel saw his 14-game streak of throwing multiple touchdown passes snapped at TCU on Oct. 1. Gabriel left the game due to injury with 9:39 left in the second quarter and did not return. The streak went back to his sophomore season (2020) at UCF.

• Forty-seven of OU's 115 players (41%) are new to the program this season, while 60 players (52%) had never played in a game for the Sooners prior to the opener vs. UTEP. Of the 47 new players, 23 are on offense, 21 are on defense and three are special-teamers (one kicker, one punter and one long snapper).

• Since 2000, OU is the only Power 5 program in the country that has not had a losing record in any season.

• Since the start of the 2012 season, OU is 84-5 when scoring at least 35 points and 73-3 when scoring at least 40.

• OU has won 80 straight games when holding opponents to 23 or fewer points. The last time OU held an opponent to 23 or fewer points and lost was in 2009 (fell 10-3 at Nebraska on Nov. 7).

• The Sooners are tied for third with their four College Football Playoff appearances (2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019). They are the only Big 12 program to qualify for the CFP.

• Oklahoma is tied for the national lead with five No. 1 overall NFL Draft picks. OU has produced three No. 1 overall picks in the last 13 years alone. No other school has produced more than one during that period.