Game Primer: OU vs. Texas Tech

Oklahoma

Texas Tech

Saturday, Nov. 26 / 6:30 p.m. CT / Lubbock, Texas

OPENING KICK

• Oklahoma (6-5, 3-5 Big 12) will try for its 11th straight win against Texas Tech (6-5, 4-4) when it travels to Lubbock, Texas, for a 6:30 p.m. CT matchup at Jones AT&T Stadium on Saturday. The game will be televised by FS1 with Eric Collins and Devin Gardner announcing.

• Oklahoma owns a 23-6 record against Texas Tech (9-4 in Lubbock) and has won each of the last 10 games in the series. OU is averaging 51.9 points, 593.8 yards and 264.1 rushing yards per contest during the 10-game winning streak.

• The Sooners have scored at least 38 points in each of their last 12 games against the Red Raiders. It is the longest streak of 38 points or more against a single opponent in school history (scored 38 points in 11 straight games vs. Kingfisher College from 1908-19).

• OU has gained over 500 yards of offense in each of its last nine games against Texas Tech (total of 5,558). It is the Sooners' longest such streak against an opponent since at least 1996 and second longest nationally.

• A victory over Texas Tech would guarantee a winning season for the Sooners. OU is the only Power Five program that hasn't had a losing record since the start of the 1999 season.

• OU and Texas Tech both won their sixth games of the season on Saturday, making them eligible for a bowl. The Sooners own the nation's second-longest current bowl streak at 23 years (Georgia owns a 25-year streak), while last year's 34-7 Liberty Bowl win over Mississippi State marked the Red Raiders' first bowl appearance in four seasons.

• Even with its 3-5 conference record, OU is 57-13 (.814) in regular season Big 12 play since the beginning of the 2015 season. Oklahoma State ranks second during that period (46-25; .648), TCU third (41-30; .577), Texas fourth (37-33; .528), Kansas State fifth (36-35; .507) and West Virginia sixth (35-35; .500).

• OU is 156-38 (.804) 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; 128-66) and 44 more than the program with the third most (Oklahoma State; 112-83).

Defense vs. WVU lead

KEY STORYLINES

• Oklahoma is averaging 56.9 points and 645.0 yards over its last seven games against Texas Tech. OU has registered at least 541 yards in all seven contests (617 in 2015, followed by 854, 617, 683, 644, 559 and 541) and is averaging a staggering 8.8 yards per play during the stretch. OU's 4,515 total yards in those contests, which since at least 1996 are the most by an FBS program vs. another over a seven-game span, equates to 2.6 miles.

• Oklahoma owns a 23-6 (.793) all-time record against Texas Tech but has had more modest success against the Red Raiders in Lubbock, where it is 9-4 (.692). In the Big 12 era, the Sooners hold a 20-6 advantage (8-4 in Lubbock). OU has won its last five games at Jones AT&T Stadium (41-20 in 2012, 42-30 in 2014, 66-59 in 2016, 51-46 in 2018 and 62-28 in 2020). The Sooners are 9-0 in Lubbock when scoring at least 30 points and are 0-4 there when scoring less than 30.

• The last time the Sooners met Texas Tech when OU was unranked in the AP poll was in 2014 in Lubbock, a 42-30 Sooners win under head coach Bob Stoops. Freshman Samaje Perine ran for 213 yards and three touchdowns (one of them a 64-yarder) and backup quarterback Cody Thomas accounted for two more scores as the Sooners came back from a 21-7 deficit early in the third quarter. OU, which outrushed Texas Tech 384-93, outscored the Patrick Mahomes-led Red Raiders 35-3 in the second half until a TTU touchdown on the game's final play.

• Over the 13 seasons (1999-2011) that first-year Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables served as a Sooners assistant coach, OU posted an 8-5 record against Texas Tech (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 Red Raiders to 25 points or fewer in nine of those 13 contests and to 14 or fewer five times.

• Oklahoma has won 25 of its last 29 November games, with 12 of those wins coming against AP Top 25 teams. The four losses, however, have come in its last six November games (27-14 at Baylor and 37-33 at Oklahoma State last season, and 38-35 vs. Baylor and 23-20 at West Virginia this month). Prior to last year's Baylor contest, OU's last November loss was in 2014.

• The Sooners lead the Big 12 and rank 13th in the country (seventh among Power Five teams) with their 217.2 rushing yards per game. OU senior Eric Gray, who has seven 100-yard rushing games this season, including in four of the last five outings, ranks second in the Big 12 and 14th nationally with his 109.4 rushing yards per contest. He paces the Big 12 and ranks 13th nationally by averaging 6.5 yards per carry. Texas Tech ranks seventh in the Big 12 by allowing 162.4 rushing yards per game and 4.2 yards per carry. It held Iowa State to 128 rushing yards on 43 carries on Saturday (3.0 average) after allowing over 231 rushing yards in each of its previous three contests against Baylor, TCU and Kansas.

• Gray ranks 18th in OU single-season history with his 1,203 rushing yards. He reached 1,100 rushing yards in 10 games, the fastest by a Sooner since 2004 when Heisman Trophy runner-up Adrian Peterson did it in eight outings. The last Sooner to reach 1,200 rushing yards in 11 games or fewer was Samaje Perine in 2014 (also 11 games). Gray needs 50 yards to move into the top 15 and 141 yards to move into the top 10.

• Oklahoma ranks third in the country (first among Power Five teams) with its 8.5 tackles for loss per game and fifth with its 32.7 TFL yardage per contest. It has registered 25 TFLs over the last two games (12.5 average) for a loss of 98 yards. Texas Tech ranks 22nd nationally by averaging 6.8 tackles for loss (26.9 yards per outing).

• The Sooners rank 129th out of 131 FBS teams this season in average time of possession (25:54) and have held a TOP advantage in just one of their 11 games (30:19-29:41 vs. Kansas). Texas Tech ranks 85th with an average TOP of 29:00. The Red Raiders have possessed the ball longer than their opponent in six of 11 contests.

LAST YEAR VS. TEXAS TECH

• Caleb Williams completed 23 of 30 passes for 402 yards and threw for an Oklahoma-freshman-record-tying six touchdowns, and the OU defense registered three takeaways in a 52-21 home win over Texas Tech on Oct. 30, 2021. The Sooners averaged a season-high 9.8 yards per play in earning their 10th straight victory over the Red Raiders.

• Williams' 402 passing yards were the second most ever by an OU freshman behind only Landry Jones' 418 vs. Stanford in the 2009 Sun Bowl (Jones was a redshirt freshman). Williams, who was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week and Davey O'Brien National Quarterback of the Week, posted a 255.2 passing efficiency rating, which was the best in the country last season among quarterbacks who attempted at least 30 passes.

• Receivers Marvin Mims (135) and Mario Williams (100) both cracked the century mark for receiving yards. Mims caught TD passes of 67 yards and 43 yards, while Williams caught a 22-yard score. Brayden Willis (8 yards), Drake Stoops (12 yards), Austin Stogner (9 yards) and Brian Darby (42 yards) registered OU's other four receiving touchdowns. Darby's TD reception came from the arm of Spencer Rattler, who played the Sooners' final two series of the day and completed all five of his passes for 67 yards.

• OU registered two interceptions (safety Pat Fields' first of season and second of career and defensive back Justin Broiles' first of career) and a fumble recovery (strip sack by Isaiah Thomas; he also recovered the ball) while not committing a turnover. The Sooners were 4 for 6 on third-down conversions and held Tech to a 4-for-13 mark.

• Fields and linebacker DaShaun White led OU with eight tackles each, while Key Lawrence, in his first action at cornerback, logged seven tackles and two pass breakups. Thomas finished with three tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and two pass breakups.

• Kicker Gabe Brkic made his lone field goal try, a 53-yarder.

Marvin Mims

OU'S ROAD SUCCESS

• Oklahoma has won 30 of its last 36 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) and West Virginia (23-20).

• 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 foes 1,076-626 (49-28 average) and outgained them by 3,621 yards (583-419 average).

• The Sooners have outgained their opponent in 28 of their last 36 true road games.

• OU has scored at least 30 points in 37 of its last 41 true road games (school-record 35-game streak was stopped last season at Baylor). The next highest total by an FBS team over its last 41 true road contests is 31 (Ohio State).

MAD RUSH

• With his 211-yard rushing effort at West Virginia two weeks ago, senior running back Eric Gray eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark for the season. Gray has run for 1,203 yards on the year, making him the 27th Sooner (24th running back) to reach the 1,000-yard plateau in a single campaign. Those 27 players have combined for 40 1,000-yard rushing seasons. Gray's 1,203 rushing yards rank 18th in OU single-season history (see chart on this page).

• Since the start of the 2014 season, OU leads the nation with its 11 individual seasons of 1,000 rushing yards. The next most is eight by Appalachian State, Georgia and Navy (none of those three teams have anyone over 750 rushing yards this season). The 11 1,000-yard rushing seasons have come from RB Samaje Perine (2014-16), RB Joe Mixon (2016), RB Rodney Anderson (2017), QB Kyler Murray (2018), RB Kennedy Brooks (2018-19, 2021), QB Jalen Hurts (2019) and Gray. That's at least one 1,000-yard rusher in eight of the last nine seasons (none in the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign).

• Also since the start of 2014, OU leads the country with nine individual 1,000-yard rushing seasons by running backs. The next most is eight by Appalachian State and Georgia.

NOTING THE OFFENSE

• The Sooners have logged more rushes than passes in nine of their 11 games. The lone exceptions were the Kansas State contest when they rushed 34 times and passed 39 times and the Oklahoma State game when they rushed 34 times and threw 40 passes. On the season, OU has 476 rushes and 341 passes (58.3%-41.7%).

• OU's 45 touchdown drives this season have averaged 7.0 plays, 66.6 yards and just 2:03 of game clock. Twenty-six of the 45 TD drives have taken 2:00 or less, and 37 of the 45 drives have taken less than 3:00.

• Despite ranking 129th nationally in average time of possession, OU is tied for 17th with its 2.6 plays per game of at least 30 yards.

• OU has scored on 34 of its 39 red-zone opportunities this season (28 touchdowns and six field goals).

• Quarterback Dillon Gabriel has completed 188 of 303 passes (62.0%) this season for 2,476 yards and 18 touchdowns against five interceptions. He has also rushed for 279 net yards and five touchdowns, including a 61-yard score at Nebraska. Gabriel, who exited OU's game at TCU in the second quarter and missed the game against Texas both due to injury, ranks 36th nationally (second in Big 12) in passing efficiency rating (147.0), 24th in yards per completion (13.2), 30th in yards per pass attempt (8.2), 37th in passing yards per game (247.6) and 42nd in passing TDs.

• Gabriel's 167 pass attempts before his first interception (five games ago 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).

• Senior running back Eric Gray leads an OU rushing attack that averages a Big 12-leading 217.2 yards per game, as well as 5.0 yards per carry and 2.3 touchdowns per outing. Gray ranks 13th nationally with his 6.5 yards per carry and second in the Big 12 (14th nationally) with his 109.4 rushing yards per game. He paces the team with his 11 rushing TDs. He ran for 102 yards against UTEP, 113 at Nebraska, 114 against Kansas State, 176 against Kansas, 101 at Iowa State, 106 versus Baylor and 211 at West Virginia. Freshman Jovantae Barnes, who missed the Iowa State and Baylor games due to injury, is second on the team with his 397 rushing yards (44.1 per game) and averages 4.8 yards per carry. He turned in a 100-yard, two-touchdown game at TCU.

• Through 11 games this season, junior wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. ranks third in the Big 12 (27th nationally) with his 17.9 yards per catch and second in receiving yards (844), despite ranking eighth in the league with his 4.3 receptions per game. He has 17 career 40-plus-yard receptions, which is tied with Ryan Broyles (2008-11) for the third most in OU history and just four off the top spot.

• Gray and Mims Jr. rank second and ninth in the Big 12 in all-purpose yards per game with their 129.3 and 92.9 respective averages. Mims is second in the Big 12 with his 76.7 receiving yards per outing.

GETTING DEFENSIVE

• Oklahoma is tied for second nationally (first among Power Five schools) with its 93 tackles for loss and is tied for fifth with its 360 TFL yardage. OU is tied for third nationally (first in Power Five) by averaging 8.5 TFLs per game.

• OU has registered an interception in nine of its 11 games this season (in each of the first three and in the last six) and ranks sixth nationally (tied for Big 12 lead) with 15 interceptions overall. The Sooners intercepted three passes at Iowa State, their first game with three interceptions since the 2020 Cotton Bowl vs. Florida. On Saturday, OU picked off four passes against Oklahoma State, its most interceptions in a game since 2015 vs. Texas Tech. Redshirt senior cornerback C.J. Coldon leads the team with three interceptions while sophomore safety Billy Bowman, sophomore linebacker Danny Stutsman and fifth-year linebacker DaShaun White each have two interceptions this season.

• OU has allowed nine total first-half points over the last two games (six at West Virginia and three vs. Oklahoma State), the first time since 2012 it has permitted nine first-half points or fewer over a two-game Big 12 span.

• Nineteen different players have started a game on defense this season, and those players have made an average of 19.2 career starts. Discounting the four graduate transfers who have started at least one game this season, (DL Jeffery Johnson made 44 starts at Tulane and six this year; DB Trey Morrison made 41 starts at North Carolina and one this year; DB Coldon made 19 starts at Wyoming and two this year; DL Jonah Laulu made 18 starts at Hawai'i and one this year), OU defensive players have averaged 15.5 starts per player. Only LB White (47 career starts) and DB Justin Broiles (25 career starts) have been in OU's initial lineup for the equivalent of two full seasons.

• Stutsman and senior linebacker David Ugwoegbu rank first and fourth in the Big 12 with their 100 (9.1 per game) and 93 (8.5 per game) respective total tackles.

• Since the start of Big 12 play, Ugwoegbu has averaged 9.4 tackles per game. 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, eight vs. Kansas and 10 at West Virginia. He has made at least six tackles in every game this season and double-digit tackles five times. Ugwoegbu has also notched 7.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks and four QB hurries.

• Stutsman leads the Big 12 with 9.1 tackles per game and ranks second on the team with 9.5 TFLs. He has notched 2.0 sacks, four pass breakups four QB hurries and two interceptions. 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 tackles against Kansas State, 13 against Texas and a career-high 15 at West Virginia. He also tallied 10 stops against Baylor. He has recorded at least seven stops in nine of 11 games and double-digit tackles five 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.

• 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 five tackles in five of his eight full games this season. He registered his first career interception against Baylor and another vs. Oklahoma State. 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 missed nearly three full games with an injury (he left the TCU game in the first quarter and missed the next two outings).

• White ranks third on the team with 76 tackles and leads the squad with five pass breakups. He has also recorded 6.0 TFLs and 2.0 sacks. White, who ranks second at OU in career starts among linebackers (47), notched his first career interception in the game against Kansas and set a career high with 14 tackles at Iowa State. He has recorded at least eight tackles in each of OU's last five games and double-digit stops in two of the last four.

• Junior defensive end Reggie Grimes and sophomore defensive end Ethan Downs are tied for the team lead with 4.5 sacks. Downs also leads OU with 11.0 TFLs and nine QB hurries while Grimes has 7.5 TFLs and five hurries.

"SPECIAL" TEAMS

• In his first season as OU's placekicker, redshirt sophomore Zach Schmit is 9 for 13 on field goal attempts and has made all 44 of his PAT tries. He also scored a touchdown on a fake field goal Oct. 29 at Iowa State and totaled 15 points in the game (made field goals of 41 and 34 yards and converted all three PATs).

• Sixth-year punter Michael Turk leads the Big 12 this year and ranks fourth nationally with his 46.5 yards per punt. The Oct. 31 Co-Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week (he threw a TD pass and averaged 49.3 yards on his six punts at Iowa State) has 18 punts of at least 50 yards, including seven 60-yarders (long of 67). 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 13th nationally with its 13.3 yards per punt return. Marvin Mims Jr. would rank third nationally by averaging 15.2 yards per punt return (137 yards on nine returns) if he met the minimum of 1.2 punt returns per game to qualify in the category. The Sooners have doubled their total punt return yards from last year (12 returns for 69 yards in 2021; 11 returns for 146 yards this season).

Michael Turk. 10/29/2022 Oklahoma vs Iowa State football. Photo Ty Russell.

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 (689) 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 12,156 points scored, which is 532 more than second-place Boise State (11,624) and 947 more than third-place Oregon (11,209).

• 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

• The last two times Oklahoma produced a pair of 100-yard receivers in a game were both against Texas Tech: Marvin Mims (135 yards) and Mario Williams (100) last year in Norman and CeeDee Lamb (185) and Charleston Rambo (122) in 2019, also in Norman.

• Oklahoma is tied for first in the Big 12 with 15 interceptions while Texas Tech ranks ninth with six. OU has registered 11 interceptions in its last five games (two vs. Kansas, three at Iowa State, one vs. Baylor, one at West Virginia and four vs. Oklahoma State). Ten Sooners have accounted for the team's 15 pickoffs.

• OU is tied for eighth nationally by allowing just nine passing plays of at least 30 yards this season (0.8 per game).

• Oklahoma has allowed only 30 yards on opponents' 10 punt returns this season. The 3.0 average is the 12th lowest nationally and third lowest in the Big 12.

• OU has won 82 of its last 83 games when holding opponents to 23 or fewer points. The one exception was a 23-20 loss at West Virginia two weeks ago.

• Since the start of the 2012 season, OU is 84-6 when scoring at least 35 points and 73-3 when scoring at least 40.

OPENING KICK

KEY STORYLINES

LAST YEAR VS. TEXAS TECH

OU'S ROAD SUCCESS

MAD RUSH

NOTING THE OFFENSE

GETTING DEFENSIVE

"SPECIAL" TEAMS

COLLEGE FOOTBALL'S BEST

EXTRA POINTS

Players Mentioned

Jovantae Barnes

Justin Broiles

C.J. Coldon

Ethan Downs

Dillon Gabriel

Eric Gray

Jeffery Johnson

Jonah Laulu

Key Lawrence

Marvin Mims Jr.

Trey Morrison

Zach Schmit

Drake Stoops

Danny Stutsman

Michael Turk

David Ugwoegbu

DaShaun White

Brayden Willis

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University of Oklahoma Athletics