Game Primer: OU vs. TCU

Saturday, October 1

Fort Worth, Texas

11 a.m.

University of Oklahoma

TCU

September 29, 2022 | Football

Watch Listen Live Stats

^18/16 Oklahoma

TCU

Saturday, Oct. 1 / 11 a.m. CT / Fort Worth, Texas

ABC / Radio / Live Stats / Game Notes

OPENING KICK

• No. 18/16 Oklahoma (3-1, 0-1) plays its first Big 12 Conference road game of the Brent Venables head coaching era when its faces TCU (3-0, 0-0) on Saturday at 11 a.m. CT at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth. The game will be televised by ABC with Mark Jones, Robert Griffin III and Quint Kessenich announcing.

• OU has won 14 Big 12 titles in the first 26 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 22 years, with no other program winning more than three during the span. TCU joined the Big 12 prior to 2012 season and has one Big 12 championship (shared the 2014 crown with Baylor).

• Since the start of the 2015 season, OU has won two more Big 12 championships (six) than it has lost Big 12 road games. The Sooners are 23-4 (.852) in conference road contests over the last seven seasons (not including the annual neutral-site game vs. Texas in Dallas).

• The Sooners have won 29 of their last 33 true road games and have scored at least 30 points in 37 of their last 38 true road contests. The program with the next most 30-point performances in its last 38 true road games is Ohio State (29).

• Oklahoma is 54-9 (.857) in regular season Big 12 play since the start of the 2015 season. Oklahoma State ranks second during that period (42-21; .667), TCU and West Virginia third (33-30; .524), Iowa State fifth (33-31; 516) and Texas sixth (32-31; .508).

• OU is 153-34 (.818) in regular season Big 12 play since the start of the 2000 season. That's 30 more wins than the program with the next most victories during that period (Texas; 123-64) and 45 more than the program with the third most (Oklahoma State; 108-79).

• Going back to the 2014 season, Oklahoma has won 32 of its last 36 games against teams from the state of Texas. Also going back to 2014, the Sooners have won 22 of their last 26 games played in Texas.

• OU has been ranked in each of the last 31 AP Top 25 polls and in 115 of the last 119 going back to the start of the 2015 season. It has been ranked in the top 10 in 82 of those 119 polls. TCU has made 39 AP Top 25 appearances since the start of the 2015 season, with its highest ranking during that stretch at No. 2 in 2015. The last time TCU was ranked in the AP Top 25 was in 2019 (No. 25 on Sept. 15).

• 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.

• Oklahoma is coming off a 41-34 home loss to Kansas State on Saturday. OU posted 550 yards of offense but gave up 509 and allowed the Wildcats to go 10 for 19 on third- and fourth-down conversion attempts. The Sooners were also flagged 11 times for 87 yards. The defeat for OU was just its 12th at home since the start of the 1999 season, tied for fewest in the country.

• TCU is under the direction of first-year head coach Sonny Dykes and is playing its Big 12 opener on Saturday. The Horned Frogs won all three non-conference games, 38-13 at Colorado, 58-17 vs. Tarleton State and 42-34 at SMU this past weekend.

Trey Morrison and Key Lawrence lead

KEY STORYLINES

• On only one occasion since Oct. 2 and 9, 1999, has Oklahoma lost back-to-back regular season games. That was in 2020 when OU fell 38-35 at home to Kansas State and 37-30 at Iowa State. The Sooners have won 43 of their last 44 regular season contests following a regular season loss.

• OU has lost its Big 12 opener just five times going back to the 2000 season. On each of the previous four occasions, it won a Big 12 championship (2006, '07, '12 and '20).

• Oklahoma is 10-1 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 six by an average of 19 points (won by at least 18 in five of the last six matchups).

• The Sooners have statistically dominated each of their last eight matchups against TCU, all wins. Over those eight contests, Oklahoma has outgained the Horned Frogs 4,134 yards to 3,004 (+141.3 ypg) and owns a 198-136 advantage in first downs (104-62 over the last four years). It has gained over 500 yards in six of the eight meetings and had 498 and 461 in the other two. OU has been particularly dominant in the run game, outgaining TCU 2,096 yards to 973 (+140.4 ypg). It has registered at least 200 rushing yards in seven of the eight contests (TCU's high is 183; last year) and has surpassed 300 yards on three occasions (366 in 2019, 323 in 2018 and 333 in 2015). OU had 295 rushing yards in last year's meeting (6.6 yards per carry).

• Oklahoma is 4-1 in Fort Worth since TCU joined the Big 12 and has won the last three meetings there. The average score in the last three contests has been 46-29. The Horned Frogs' lone win over the Sooners as members of the Big 12 came in 2014 (37-33) at Amon G. Carter Stadium (OU was ranked No. 4 and TCU No. 25).

• Saturday's game will mark the fifth straight Oklahoma-TCU meeting in which the Sooners were the lone ranked team (they won the last four). The last time TCU was ranked when playing OU was in the 2017 Big 12 Championship in Arlington when the No. 2 Sooners posted a 41-17 win over No. 10 TCU.

• Saturday's contest will feature a pair of top-10 offenses. Oklahoma ranks seventh nationally by averaging 513.0 yards per game and TCU ninth by averaging 510.0. The Horned Frogs rank second in the country with their 8.1 yards per play and the Sooners are 12th at 7.3.

• Despite ranking 130th out of 131 FBS teams in average time of possession this season (24:55), the Sooners have outgained their opponents in every game and by a combined 605 yards (2,052-1,447). OU has run 32 fewer plays than its opponents, but averages 7.3 yards per play while allowing 4.6.

• Since the start of the 2015 season, OU leads the country with its 5.6 yards per rush and ranks fifth nationally (second in Power 5) with its 240 rushing touchdowns. This season, the Sooners are averaging 5.7 yards per carry and have rushed for nine TDs. They have rushed 162 times (eight of those have been sacks) and attempted 120 passes. Senior Eric Gray is one of 20 players nationally averaging at least 100 rushing yards per game (100.0) and ranks fourth nationally with his 7.6 yards per carry. He has three 100-yard rushing games on the season.

• The Sooners' defense ranks second in the country with its 36 tackles for loss and 9.0 TFLs per game, and third with its 174 TFL yardage. OU also ranks 11th with its 13.0 sacks (despite registering none Saturday vs. Kansas State) and fourth with its 96 sack yards. TCU has allowed five sacks over its three games.

• Oklahoma and TCU are tied for second nationally by committing just one turnover on the year. OU's turnover (a fumble) didn't occur until the third quarter of third game of the season at Nebraska. Its +4 turnover margin on the season is tied for 19th best in the country. The Sooners have registered two fumble recoveries and three interceptions. They have intercepted at least one pass in eight of the last nine games.

• TCU assistant coaches Malcolm Kelly (outside receivers) and JaMarkus McFarland (defensive line) starred at Oklahoma as players. Kelly was a 2005 freshman All-American and two-time first-team All-Big 12 selection (2006 and '07) who finished his three-year career with 144 receptions for 2,285 yards and 21 touchdowns. By the conclusion of his collegiate career, his 2,285 receiving yards and 21 receiving TDs were second most in OU history. McFarland (2009-12) was a defensive tackle for the Sooners who finished his career with 47 games played (22 starts), 81 tackles, 17.0 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks and an interception. He was a three-time Academic All-Big 12 pick.

LAST YEAR VS. TCU

• Fourth-ranked Oklahoma gained 525 total yards and averaged a season-high 9.1 yards per play in a 52-31 home win over TCU last year on Oct. 16. It was OU's nation-leading 15th straight win.

• Caleb Williams became the first Oklahoma true freshman to start a game at quarterback since 1990 (fifth OU true freshman overall) and completed 18 of 23 passes for 295 yards (261 in the first half) and four touchdowns and ran nine times for 66 yards and a score (41-yard rush). His 295 passing yards and four passing TDs both set OU true freshman records.

• Jadon Haselwood entered the game with three career receiving touchdowns but had three on the night. He was on the receiving end of Williams TD throws of 11, 16 and 7 yards. Michael Woods II had three receptions for a team-high 75 yards.

• Running back Kennedy Brooks turned in his second straight and 11th career 100-yard rushing performance. He ran 20 times for 153 yards (7.6 per carry), including a two-yard touchdown on the game's opening possession. Eric Gray added his first rushing TD as a Sooner with a two-yard carry late in the fourth quarter.

• Safety Pat Fields recorded a team-high eight tackles while linebackers Brian Asamoah, David Ugwoegbu and DaShaun White (1.5 for loss; 37-yard fumble return) and safety Key Lawrence finished with seven each. Lawrence made his first career start (at nickelback).

• Michael Turk set a school record with his 59.7 average on three punts. The first-year Sooner registered punts of 55, 63 and 61 yards to break the former OU record set by Tress Way, who averaged 58.8 yards on six punts against Oklahoma State in 2009.

• TCU quarterback Max Duggan completed 20 of 30 passes for 346 yards and four touchdowns without an interception. Receiver Quinton Johnston caught seven passes for 185 yards and three TDs.

• The Sooners beat TCU for the eighth straight time and improved to 22-1 the last 23 years in the game immediately following their October contest vs. Texas.

ROAD WARRIORS

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

• 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 33 true road games.

• OU has scored at least 30 points in 37 of its last 38 true road games (school-record 35-game streak was stopped last season at Baylor).

Eric Gray vs Nebraska lead

GETTING DEFENSIVE

• Oklahoma ranks second nationally with its 36 tackles for loss and 9.0 TFLs per game (among teams that have played four games) and third with its 174 TFL yardage. Only Washington State has more TFLs (37) and TFLs per game (9.5). The Sooners also rank fourth in sack yardage (96) and rank among the top 15 in sacks (13; tied for 11th) and sacks per game (3.3; tied for 13th).

• OU's 36 tackles for loss are its fourth most through the first four games of a season since 2000, and the most since 2009. Only the 2007 (44 TFLs through four games), 2009 (38 TFLs) and 2008 (37 TFLs) teams had more in the last 23 years.

• Oklahoma's 30 points allowed through its first three games were its fewest since the 2013 squad allowed 27 points. It was the first time OU allowed 14 or fewer points in any of its first three contests since 2009.

• OU has given up just two plays of 30 or more yards. Only Army and Utah have given up fewer (one each).

• Oklahoma allowed only three touchdowns through its first three games. It was the first time since the 2013 season the Sooners allowed only three TDs over any three-game span (no TDs in 34-0 win vs. UL-Monroe, one TD in 16-7 win vs. West Virginia and two TDs in 51-20 win over Tulsa in '13).

• The defense has been led by a pair of standout sophomores in linebacker Danny Stutsman (35 tackles) and safety Billy Bowman (33 tackles) and senior linebacker David Ugwoegbu (34 tackles) who rank second, fourth and third in the Big 12 in total tackles, and junior defensive end Reggie Grimes, who is tied for the Big 12 lead by averaging 1.0 sack per game.

• 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 four games this season. Against Kent State, he forced and recovered a fumble on the same play.

• Stutsman also established 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. He ranks 15th nationally averaging 5.8 solo tackles per game (23 of his 35 tackles have been solo). Prior to his performance vs. Kent State, the last Sooner to register four TFLs in a game was Ronnie Perkins, at Baylor in 2019.

• Grimes has been a menace in opposing backfields this season. Six of his 10 tackles through four games have been for lost yardage and four have been sacks. His 6.0 TFLs have cost opponents 36 lost yards while his 4.0 sacks have totaled 31 yards. Grimes is tied for the Big 12 lead in tackles for loss and TFL yardage (eighth nationally) and ranks 19th nationally and third in the Big 12 in TFLs per game (1.5). He leads the Big 12 in sacks, sack yardage and sacks per game (1.0).

• The Sooners registered an interception in each of their first three games this season. 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.

NOTING THE OFFENSE

• Oklahoma ranks 12th nationally by averaging 7.3 yards per play and is 23rd in scoring offense (40.3 ppg) and seventh in total offense (513.0 ypg) despite ranking 53rd in total plays (282 plays, 70.5 per game) and 130th (out of 131 FBS teams) in time of possession (24:55 per game).

• The Sooners have scored on 14 of their 15 red zone opportunities this season (11 touchdowns and three field goals). The only exception was a third-quarter fumble at Nebraska.

• Despite ranking 53rd nationally in total plays, OU is tied for second with its 16 plays of at least 30 yards.

• Quarterback Dillon Gabriel has completed 78 of 117 passes (66.7%) for 1,089 yards, 11 touchdowns and no interceptions this season. He has also rushed for 126 net yards and two touchdowns, including a 61-yard score at Nebraska. Gabriel ranks ninth nationally in points responsible for (78), 12th in points responsible for per game (19.5), passing TDs and passing efficiency rating (175.9), 19th in yards per completion (14.0), 21st in total offense (303.8 ypg) and yards per pass attempt (9.3), and 30th in passing yards per game (272.2).

• Senior running back Eric Gray leads an OU rushing attack that averages 231.3 yards per game, 5.7 yards per carry and 2.3 touchdowns per game. Gray ranks fourth nationally with his 7.6 yards per carry and third in the Big 12 (20th nationally) with his 100.0 rushing yards per game. He ran for 102 yards against UTEP, 71 versus Kent State, 113 at Nebraska (two TDs) and 114 against Kansas State. Redshirt junior Marcus Major paces the team with four rushing TDs (also has a receiving score). He is averaging 41.0 yards per game and 5.0 yards per rush.

• Oklahoma has scored touchdowns on 21 offensive possessions this season, and only six of those TD drives have taken longer than two minutes of game clock (71% of TD drives have taken less than 2:00). Only three of the others took more than three minutes and none have taken more than 4:01 of clock time. OU's 21 touchdown drives this season have averaged 6.4 plays, 65.0 yards and 1:46 of game clock.

• In each of their first three games of the year, the Sooners outscored (by at least 30 points) and outgained (by at least 135 total yards) their opponents despite trailing the total time of possession. In its 45-13 season-opening win over UTEP, Oklahoma outgained the Miners 495 to 316, but only possessed the ball for 21:27 (to UTEP's 38:33). In its 33-3 victory over Kent State, OU gained 430 total yards to the Golden Flashes' 295 yards and held the ball for only 23:41 to KSU's 36:19 possession time. In the 49-14 win at Nebraska, the Sooners outgained the Huskers 580 to 327 in total yardage and held the ball for 29:36. OU outgained Kansas State 550 total yards to 509 despite trailing in time of possession (35:04 to 24:56) in the loss.

Dillon Gabriel vs Kansas State lead

MARVELOUS MARVIN

• Through four games this season, junior wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. ranks 11th nationally (first in the Big 12) with his 22.1 yards per catch, 13th (second in Big 12) in receiving yards (397) and 14th (third in Big 12) in receiving yards per game (99.2). He also ranks fourth in the country (second in Big 12) by averaging 19.7 yards per punt return (118 yards on six returns).

• 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.

• Mims led the Sooners in receiving yards each of his first two seasons. He has 89 receptions for 1,712 yards and 17 touchdowns and rushed five times for 35 yards in 28 career games (15 starts). He has also returned 29 punts for 349 yards (12.0 average) and three kickoffs for 70 yards (23.3 average). He has five career games with two TD receptions, including Sept. 10 vs. Kent State.

TOUCH OF GRAY

• Senior running back Eric Gray ranks fourth nationally and leads the Big 12 by averaging 7.6 yards per carry. He also ranks 20th nationally by averaging 100.0 rushing yards per game and 21st with his 400 rushing yards (third in the Big 12 in both). Also a receiving threat, he has caught 11 passes for 88 yards (8.0 average). His 122.0 all-purpose yards per game rank as fourth most in the Big 12 and 35th most nationally.

• Gray rushed for 102 yards vs. UTEP, 71 against Kent State, 113 at Nebraska and 114 vs. Kansas State. His two touchdowns came at Nebraska.

• In 17 games at Oklahoma, Gray has rushed for 812 yards and four touchdowns on 131 carries (6.4 average) and notched 317 yards and two scores on 34 receptions. For his his career, which includes 1,311 rushing yards and eight TDs and 369 receiving yards and three TDs over 22 games at Tennessee, Gray has totaled 2,123 rushing yards, 686 receiving yards and 17 total touchdowns (12 rushing, five receiving).

TURK'S KEY LEG

• Ray Guy Award semifinalist Michael Turk did things last season that no other punter in program history had, and is off to a strong start in 2022. Turk ranks 16th nationally with his 45.3 yards per punt, 2.5 yards behind the national leader. He has six punts of at least 50 yards with a long of 60.

• In his first year at OU in 2021, Turk set a single-season record by averaging 51.2 yards per punt, smashing the previous record of 47.8 yards by Jack Jacobs in 1940. In fact, entering 2021, the NCAA single-season record for punting average (min. 30 punts) was 51.0 by Texas A&M's Braden Mann in 2018. Turk surpassed that figure in 2021, but at 51.17 yards per punt he finished just behind San Diego State's Matt Araiza, who averaged 51.19 yards per punt on the year.

• Twenty of Turk's 35 punts in 2021 (57.1%) went at least 50 yards, and eight went at least 60. His 85-yarder vs. Texas was the FBS' second longest of the season and tied for the fourth longest over the last 10 years, and tied for the third longest in Oklahoma history.

• Turk holds five of the top 14 single-game punting averages (min. three punts) in OU annals, including the best and third-best marks (59.7 vs. TCU and 58.0 vs. Texas last season).

• Turk transferred to Oklahoma from Arizona State in August 2021 and promptly earned the starting job. No other punter played for the Sooners last season.

• The 2019 and '20 first-team All-Pac-12 selection averaged 46.2 yards per punt over the last two seasons at ASU and totaled 28 boots that went at least 50 yards. In 2019, he set the FBS single-game record by averaging 63.0 yards (on five punts) vs. Kent State in the season opener.

• Combining his time at ASU and OU, Turk is averaging 45.8 yards per punt (9,031 yards on 197 punts). The FBS career record (min. 150 punts) is 46.3 yards by West Virginia's Todd Sauerbrun (1991-94)

NOTING THE NEWBIES

• Thirty players (26 of them first-year Sooners) have made their first appearance in an OU uniform this season. The 26 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), sophomore Tawee Walker (RB) and freshmen Nic Anderson (WR), Jovantae Barnes (RB), Gavin Freeman (WR), Jayden Gibson (WR), Gracen Halton (DL), Kaden Helms (TE), Jaren Kanak (LB), Jason Llewellyn (TE), Peter Schuh (DB), Jacob Sexton (OL), Jake Taylor (OL), R Mason Thomas (DL) and Gentry Williams (DB).

FIRST-TIME STARTERS

• Eleven 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.

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 54-9 (.857) record in regular season Big 12 play. The next best mark during the stretch is 42-21 (.667) by Oklahoma State.

• 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.

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 (687) than any other program (next most is 650 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 11,970 points scored, which is 578 points more than second-place Boise State (11,392) and 1,045 more than third-place Oregon (10,925).

• 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

• Dillon Gabriel's 117 pass attempts without an interception are the most by a player to start an OU career, breaking the previous record of 80 set by Jalen Hurts in 2019.

• Oklahoma ranks 15th nationally (sixth among teams with at least 2.0 returns per game) with its 15.9 yards per punt return. Marvin Mims Jr. ranks fourth nationally with his 19.7 yards per return (118 yards on six returns). 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).

• OU has outscored opponents 42-21 in the first quarter and 55-3 in the third quarter this season.

• The Sooners' 49 points at Nebraska on Sept. 17 marked their 38th game with at least that many points since the start of the 2015 season. That's two more such games than any other FBS school during the period (Ohio State, 36).

• Oklahoma is 10-2 all-time as the No. 18-ranked team in the AP poll (4-1 on the road). One of those road matchups was at TCU, a 21-18 win over the unranked Horned Frogs in 1948.

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

• 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).

• Since the start of the 2012 season, OU is 83-5 when scoring at least 35 points and 72-3 when scoring at least 40.

• 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.

• 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.