Game Primer: OU at Oklahoma State

Saturday, November 4

Stillwater, Okla.

2:30 p.m.

University of Oklahoma

Oklahoma State

November 02, 2023 | Football

Watch Listen Live Stats Game Notes

By: OU Athletics Communications

#10/11 Oklahoma

Oklahoma State

Saturday, Nov. 4 / 2:30 p.m. CT / Boone Pickens Stadium / Stillwater, Okla.

ABC / Radio / Live Stats / Game Notes

OPENING KICK

• No. 10/11 Oklahoma (7-1, 4-1 Big 12) goes for its eighth Bedlam win in nine tries when it meets Oklahoma State (6-2, 4-1) on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater. The game will be televised by ABC with Dave Pasch, Dusty Dvoracek and Tom Luginbill announcing.

• Saturday's game will mark Oklahoma's 118th all-time meeting against OSU. OU's most games versus any opponent is 119 (Texas).

• The Sooners and Cowboys are in a five-way tie for first place in the Big 12 with Iowa State, Kansas State and Texas.

• Oklahoma has dominated the Bedlam Series with its 91-19-7 (.808) all-time record against Oklahoma State, and is 41-8-5 (.806) in the series in Stillwater. OU has won 17 of the last 20 meetings and is 15-3 against OSU with Mike Gundy as the Cowboys' head coach.

• OU's 91 wins against Oklahoma State are its most against one opponent and tied for the most in FBS history against one program (Nebraska has 91 wins vs. Kansas).

• According to the 2023 NCAA Records Book, 25 FBS series have seen programs face each other at least 110 times. Among those series, Oklahoma's .808 winning percentage against Oklahoma State is the best.

• The Sooners are 33-5-1 (.859) against OSU in Stillwater since the end of World War II (1946-present).

• The game will feature the Big 12 programs with the best overall records over the last 20 years. Since the start of the 2004 season, OU is a Big 12-best 204-55 (.788) while OSU ranks second with its 169-82 (.673) overall mark. OU is 16-3 head to head during that time period.

• OU's 151 points allowed are its fewest over the first eight games of a season since 2015 (gave up 147).

• Oklahoma is 159-36 (.815) since the start of the 2000 season as an AP top-10 team. The Sooners' 630 all-time weeks in the AP's top 10 are the second most nationally (Ohio State; 695).

• The 2023 season marks Oklahoma's last as a member of the Big 12, as it moves to the Southeastern Conference on July 1, 2024. OU has won 14 Big 12 championships in the league's first 27 years. No other program has won more than three.

• The Sooners are a league-best 173-59 (.746) in regular season Big 12 play since the conference began in 1996. The current Big 12 program with the next best winning percentage is Texas, almost 100 points behind (153-79; .659).

• The 2023 season marks the 129th in OU football history. The Sooners lead the country with their 50 all-time conference championships, 27 11-plus-win seasons, 33 AP top-five finishes, seven Heisman Trophy winners (tied) and five No. 1 overall NFL Draft picks (tied). They rank second with their 431 all-time weeks in the top five of the AP poll, third with seven AP national championships and their 101 weeks as the AP's No. 1 team, and fourth with their 56 bowl appearances and 414 NFL Draft picks.

KEY STORYLINES

• With Oklahoma slated to join the Southeastern Conference on July 1, 2024, Saturday's game is the last scheduled Bedlam football contest.

• Oklahoma is 9-2 in its last 11 meetings against Oklahoma State and has scored at least 28 points in each of those 11 matchups. Over the last eight meetings (OU is 7-1), the Sooners averaged 43 points and 557 yards (7.7 per play) while giving up 27 points and 448 yards (5.9 per play). OU averaged 258 rushing yards and 299 passing yards in the eight contests, with 20 rushing touchdowns and 22 passing TDs.

• Over the 14 seasons (1999-2011) that second-year Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables has been associated with the OU program, the Sooners have posted an 11-3 record against OSU. Venables was co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach from 1999-2003 and associate head coach, defensive coordinator and linebackers coach from 2004-11. OU has held the Cowboys to 21 or fewer points in nine of those 14 contests and to 16 or fewer points seven times.

• Redshirt senior OU quarterback Dillon Gabriel is off to a sensational eight-game start. His 27 touchdowns accounted for are seven more than the Big 12 player with the next most (Kansas State's Will Howard; 20) and Gabriel ranks in the top 10 nationally in a bevy of categories. The Mililani, Hawaii, product ranks third in points responsible for per game (20.2), fifth in total offense (324.5 ypg), eighth in pass completion percentage (.714; for perspective the OU single-season record is .709 by Baker Mayfield in 2016), ninth in passing efficiency rating (169.6) and 10th in passing touchdowns (19). He leads the Big 12 in all of those categories, as well as in passing offense (287.8 ypg) and yards per pass attempt (9.1). Gabriel will face an Oklahoma State squad that ranks 12th the Big 12 in passing defense (237.6 ypg) and eighth in opponent completion percentage (.580).

• Gabriel is one of just three FBS players since the start of the 1996 season — two of them Sooners — to complete at least 70% of his passes through his team's first eight games of a season while throwing for at least 19 TDs and four or fewer interceptions, and rushing for at least 250 yards and eight TDs. The other two players were OU's Jalen Hurts in 2019 and UCF's Daunte Culpepper in 1998.

• Redshirt freshman receiver Nic Anderson leads the Big 12 with his eight touchdown receptions and ranks third nationally with his 23.8 yards per catch. His eight touchdowns have come on 17 receptions, giving him the nation's highest TD reception rate (47%) this season (min. 5 TD catches). Only two FBS players since the start of the 1996 season (Appalachian State tight end Barrett Burns in 2015 [53.3%] and North Texas receiver Jyaire Shorter in 2022 [47.8%]) have gone an entire season with a higher TD reception rate (min. 8 TD catches).

• The Sooners rank second nationally with their 14 interceptions, their most through the first eight contests of a season since 2000. OU is the only Power Five team with at least four players with two or more interceptions this year (Gentry Williams and Billy Bowman have three each while Kendel Dolby and Key Lawrence have two each). Oklahoma State's six interceptions thrown are tied for sixth most in the Big 12.

• After ranking 49th nationally last year in third-down conversion percentage (.405) and 87th in third-down conversion percentage defense (.409), OU has been much stronger in both categories in 2023. The Sooners have converted 51 of their 107 third downs through eight games, good for the nation's 17th-best percentage (.477) out of 130 teams. And OU has allowed foes to convert just 34 of their 119 combined third-down tries. The .286 opponent figure has the Sooners ranked fifth in the country. Oklahoma State ranks 76th nationally in third-down conversion percentage (.392) and 96th in third-down conversion percentage defense (.420).

• The Sooners have allowed just 27 scores by opposing offenses (14 touchdowns and 13 field goals) on 97 possessions through eight contests. OU has also allowed an offensive touchdown in just nine of 32 quarters. It has not permitted an offensive touchdown in the first quarter and has allowed just one in the third quarter. OU is allowing just 7.5 points per second half.

• OU ranks third in the country with its +1.3 turnover margin per game and its 2.3 takeaways per contest. It also blocked a punt against SMU that led to a touchdown and one vs. Iowa State that resulted in a safety.

LAST YEAR VS. OKLAHOMA STATE

• Unranked when playing Oklahoma State for the first time since 2009, Oklahoma raced to a 28-0 first-quarter lead then rode its defense the rest of the way in a 28-13 home win over the 24th-ranked Cowboys on Nov. 19, 2022. It marked just OU's second victory in program history in which it only scored in the first quarter (the other was in 1937).

• The Sooners set first-quarter school records for total offense (their 299 yards were the second most in any quarter in program history) and passing offense (their 224 yards were six shy of the standard for any quarter). OU's 28-point lead marked its largest ever in the first quarter in the Bedlam series.

• OU's defense tied a season high with six sacks, registered 13 tackles for loss (one shy of season high) for 60 yards and tallied 12 quarterback hurries, the program's most since 2002. The Sooners held OSU to a 7-for-22 mark on third downs (31.8%) and 0 for 2 on fourth downs.

• Ten Sooners recorded at least a half a tackle for loss.

• Oklahoma registered four takeaways on the night, all interceptions, and three of them came in the game's first 18 minutes. The four interceptions were OU's most in a game since 2015 and most against OSU since 1985. The interceptions, in order, came from cornerback C.J. Coldon, defensive end Jonah Laulu (first of career), safety Billy Bowman (second of season and career) and linebacker DaShaun White.

• OSU's 102 plays were the second most ever by an OU opponent, but the Sooners allowed just one TD.

• Quarterback Dillon Gabriel completed 14 of 18 passes for 224 yards and two touchdowns in the first quarter, and ran three times for 15 yards and a score, also in the opening 15 minutes. The 239 yards of total offense set the OU record for any quarter. He finished the game 20 for 40 through the air for 259 yards and threw one interception.

• Eric Gray rushed 20 times for 90 yards and a touchdown. It was his fifth straight game with a rushing TD.

• Receiver Drake Stoops caught a then-career-high six passes, all in the first half, for 89 yards. Included were a season-long 33-yarder and a 23-yard touchdown reception, which was his then-career-high third TD of the year.
Drake Stoops, Tulsa

HAVE CONFIDENCE, WILL TRAVEL

• Oklahoma has won 32 of its last 40 true road games (.800) going back to 2014, with six of the eight losses one-score outcomes.

• 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 31 of their last 40 true road games.

• OU has scored at least 30 points in 40 of its last 45 true road games (school-record 35-game streak was stopped in 2021 at Baylor). The next highest team total over its last 45 true road contests is 32 (Ohio State and UCF).

GABRIEL A TD MACHINE

• Redshirt senior quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who has started 45 of his 46 career games between UCF (2019-21) and OU (2022-23), including each of his last 45, leads all FBS players since the start of 2019 with his 114 touchdown passes despite missing 11 games during the span due to injury.

• Gabriel also ranks first nationally since the start of 2019 with his 13,502 passing yards. Oregon's Bo Nix (in nine more games) is second.

• Gabriel is tied with former Florida QB Danny Wuerffel for 15th on the FBS career chart for passing touchdowns (114). He needs seven TD passes to move into the top 10 and 17 to move into the top five.

• If Gabriel continues to average 2.5 TD passes per contest like he did in his first 38 games entering this season (he is averaging 2.4 this season), he would finish with 127 career TDs in a 13-game 2023 campaign, which he would accomplish in a 51-game career. The 127 passing touchdowns would rank eighth in FBS history. Landry Jones is the OU record-holder for career passing TDs with 123 in 52 games (Baker Mayfield passed for 131 career TDs, but 12 of those were as a Texas Tech Red Raider).

• Through eight games this season, Gabriel has accounted for 27 touchdowns and five turnovers (four interceptions and one fumble). He ranks eighth nationally with his .714 completion percentage and ninth with his 169.9 pass efficiency rating, going 180 for 252 for 2,302 yards (287.8 average) and 19 TDs. He has also rushed for 294 yards and a team-high eight TDs (the national lead among QBs is nine).

MORE ON THE OFFENSE

• Oklahoma ranks in the top 10 nationally in a multitude of categories through eight games. It is second in first downs per game (26.6), fourth in scoring offense (41.9 ppg), fifth in completion percentage (.723), seventh in total offense (489.8 ypg) and pass efficiency rating (173.0), and 10th in passing touchdowns (21).

• OU is one of only four teams in the country to score at least 60 points twice this season (LSU, Penn State and SMU are the others).

• Two Sooners rank in the top 44 nationally in yards per catch: Nic Anderson (No. 3 at 23.8) and Jalil Farooq (No. 44 at 17.3).

• Since Sept. 16, Anderson is tied for the national lead with his eight touchdown catches and has amassed that total in just six games.

• Quarterback Dillon Gabriel leads the Big 12 in total offense (324.5 ypg; next most is 293.7), passing offense (287.8 ypg), total touchdowns (27; next most is 20), passing TDs (19; next most is 16), completion percentage (.712), passing efficiency rating (169.9), points responsible for per game (20.6; next most is 16.0) and passing yards per pass attempt (9.1).

MORE ON THE DEFENSE

• With 19 returning defensive letterwinners (26 total returning defensive players) and 32 total newcomers (nine transfers, 22 freshmen and one junior college transfer), the Sooners have a deeper group of players on that side of the ball in 2023.

• After ranking 98th in scoring defense (30.0 ppg) and 121st in total defense (461.0 ypg) last year, OU ranks 22nd (18.9 ppg) and 61st (369.6 ypg), respectively, this season. It also ranks second in interceptions (14) and tackles for loss per game (8.5), third in turnovers gained (18), fifth in third-down conversion percentage defense (.286) and 18th in pass efficiency defense rating (114.4).

• Oklahoma has allowed a total of 60 points and just 1,326 total yards after halftime this season for averages of 7.5 points and 165.8 yards per second half. OU has limited two opponents (Tulsa [92] and Iowa State [82]) to fewer than 100 total yards in the second half. The Sooners have allowed just 24 points in the third quarter (one touchdown).

• One year after leading the Big 12 in tackles, junior linebacker Danny Stutsman ranks second this season with his 9.1 stops per game. The AP, The Athletic, CBS Sports, ESPN, FOX Sports and USA Today midseason All-American has led OU in tackles in six of eight games and against SMU in week two was named Walter Camp National FBS Defensive Player of the Week after logging 17 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, a QB hurry and a fumble recovery. Stutsman also ranks second in the league and 11th nationally with his 1.4 TFLs per game (11.5 total) and returned an interception for a touchdown at Tulsa.

• OU's lone preseason All-Big 12 selection, junior defensive end Ethan Downs has a team-high 4.5 sacks, ranks second on the squad with his 6.0 tackles for loss, is tied with sophomore linebacker Jaren Kanak for the team lead with four QB hurries and has one interception. Downs earned second-team All-Big 12 honors last season when he started all 13 games and led the team (ranked fourth in Big 12) with his 13.5 TFLs. He tied for the team lead with 4.5 sacks and paced the Sooners with nine QB hurries.

• OU signed nine defensive scholarship transfers in the offseason, six of them defensive linemen in redshirt seniors Rondell Bothroyd (Wake Forest), Trace Ford (Oklahoma State), Jacob Lacey (Notre Dame), Phil Paea (Utah State), Davon Sears (Texas State) and Da'Jon Terry (Tennessee). The sextet combined for 185 games played, 58 starts, 62 tackles for loss and 33.5 sacks. Bothroyd has started all eight games this season, while Lacey has started seven, Terry three and Ford one.

• Defensive back Peyton Bowen, a five-star player last year at Guyer High School in Denton, Texas, has made an early impact with his 25 tackles, one sack, forced fumble, team-high four pass breakups (one on fourth down late vs. SMU) and blocked punts vs. SMU and Iowa State (the latter for a safety). The midseason true freshman All-American (by On3) is one of just two players nationally with two blocked punts this season. Bowen made his first career start in week three at Tulsa, getting the nod at OU's "Cheetah" position.

FIRST-TEAM STARTERS

• Forty-seven players have made their first appearance in an Oklahoma uniform this season, and 20 players (12 defensive, eight offensive) have made their first OU starts this year. The first-time OU starters have been redshirt senior DE Rondell Bothroyd, super senior OL Walter Rouse and sophomore LB Jaren Kanak (eight starts each), redshirt senior DL Jacob Lacey and sophomore DB Gentry Williams (seven starts each), junior WR Andrel Anthony (six starts), sophomore LB Dasan McCullough (four starts), redshirt senior DB Reggie Pearson, redshirt senior DL Da'Jon Terry and redshirt sophomore OL Troy Everett (three starts each), redshirt senior DB Justin Harrington, redshirt freshman WR Nic Anderson and redshirt freshman RB Gavin Sawchuk (two starts each), and redshirt senior DE Trace Ford, redshirt senior OL Caleb Shaffer, junior RB Tawee Walker, redshirt sophomore DB Kani Walker, sophomore DB Kendel Dolby, freshman DB Peyton Bowen and freshman OL Cayden Green (one start each).

OU'S BIG 12 DOMINATION

• OU's 14 Big 12 titles are 11 more than the program with the next most. Baylor, Kansas State and Texas have each won three Big 12 championships and are followed by Nebraska (two) 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 2011.

• 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).

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

• Since 2000, OU has won more Big 12 championships (14) than it has lost home games (13).

• Oklahoma is 61-15 (.803) in regular season Big 12 play since the start of the 2015 season. Oklahoma State ranks second during that period (50-27; .649), TCU third (44-33; .571), Texas fourth (42-34; .553) and Kansas State fifth (41-36; .532).

• 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.

• Every OU freshman class from 1999-2020 has won at least one Big 12 title and all but the 2011 and 2020-22 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 (697) than any other program (next most is 664 by Alabama).

• Oklahoma has finished in the top 5 of the AP poll a nation-leading 33 times (Ohio State is second with 30).

• OU leads all FBS programs with 50 all-time conference championships. The rest of the top five includes Nebraska (46), Michigan (44), 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 11-win seasons than Oklahoma's 27. And since the start of the 2000 season, OU and Ohio State have produced a nation-leading 18 campaigns of at least 10 wins.

• Since former head coach Bob Stoops arrived in Norman in 1999, OU leads the country with its 12,571 points scored, which is 614 more than second-place Boise State (11,957) and 936 more than third-place Oregon (11,635).

• OU's 80 consensus All-Americans since 1950 are the most nationally (Alabama ranks second with 75 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 16 years.