Game Primer: vs. West Virginia

Saturday, November 11

Norman

6 p.m.

University of Oklahoma

West Virginia

Tickets

November 09, 2023 | Football

Watch Listen Game Notes Live Stats

By: OU Athletics Communications

#17/17/16 Oklahoma

West Virginia

Saturday, Nov. 11 / 6 p.m. CT / Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium / Norman

FOX / Radio / Live Stats / Game Notes

OPENING KICK

• No. 17/17/16 Oklahoma (7-2, 4-2 Big 12) hosts West Virginia (6-3, 4-2) on Saturday at 6 p.m. CT at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman. The game will be televised by FOX with Jeff Levering and Mark Helfrich announcing.

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

• Oklahoma owns an 11-3 (.786) record against West Virginia and is 7-1 vs. the Mountaineers in Norman. In the Big 12 era, the Sooners hold a 9-1 series advantage and have averaged 42 points per game.

• Including Saturday, the Sooners have been ranked in 14 of their 15 meetings against West Virginia. That includes nine top-10 rankings and seven top-five rankings. Including this week, OU's average AP ranking when facing WVU has been No. 8.

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

• OU's 178 points allowed are its fewest over the first nine games of a season since 2015 (gave up 163).

• 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 173-60 (.742) 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, with 19 fewer wins (154-79; .661).

• 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.

FOR THE FANS

• Approximately two hours and 15 minutes before each home game (3:45 p.m. this Saturday), OU players and coaches will arrive at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium via team buses and walk to their stadium entrance while being cheered by fans. This year's "Walk of Champions" path has changed. OU's buses will drop off players and coaches on Lindsey Street, south of the stadium. The Sooners will walk east on Lindsey before turning north (left) on Jenkins Avenue and enter the stadium at Gate 13. The team will be led by the Sooner Schooner and OU Spirit, and the Pride of Oklahoma will perform during the procession. As part of Veterans Day, military active duty and veterans will participate in Walk of Champions this week just prior to the team's walk.

• Once again, "Party at the Palace, Presented by Allstate" will be held on the lawn immediately north of Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, this week running from 1 to 5:30. Sooner fans of all ages can access Party at the Palace and participate in the festivities, which this week, as part of Veterans Day, will include several military vehicles and large equipment pieces on Brooks Mall, just northwest of the stadium. Other highlights include sponsor giveaways, music, food vendors and more. Food trucks from Bondi Bowls, Midway Deli, Supermercados Morelos, HteaO and Kona Ice will be on hand and Devon Energy's innovative STEM program "SportsLabs" will once again take place on the lawn immediately north of Heisman Park on the east side of Jenkins Ave. Additionally, the Sooner Radio Network (flagship 107.7 The Franchise) originates the start of its pregame show live from Party at the Palace beginning two hours prior to kickoff.

• In mid-August, OU announced changes to its tailgating policies, including the addition of a public tailgating location designated along the south side of Lindsey Street between Asp and Jenkins Avenues. In this location, tailgating may only take place on the grassy area between the Lindsey Street curb and the north side of the sidewalk. Other campus areas designated for private and public tailgating will remain the same as the 2022 season. A map indicating designated tailgating areas and game day road closures, as well as the university's tailgating policies, can be found here.

• For a full list of OU game day policies, procedures and additional fan information, click here.
Anderson, Nic

KEY STORYLINES

• West Virginia's one win against the Sooners since it joined the Big 12 Conference prior to the 2012 season represents its fewest against a league opponent during the time span (not including 2023 newcomers BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF). The Sooners are 9-1 against West Virginia during the period and have scored at least 44 points in seven of those contests (average score of 42-28 in the 10 games), including six of the last eight meetings (average score of 45-27 in the eight).

• Since West Virginia joined the Big 12, its five meetings against Oklahoma in Norman have produced a significantly lower average score (37-18 in favor of OU) than the five meetings in Morgantown (46-37 in favor of OU). The Sooners have held the Mountaineers to 14 or fewer points in three of the five matchups at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, including each of the last two (OU won 52-14 in 2019 and 16-13 in 2021).

• West Virginia is tied for the Big 12 lead with its 23 rushing touchdowns and ranks third with its 218.0 rushing yards per contest. OU ranks fifth out of 14 league teams by allowing nine rushing TDs and is fourth by permitting 133.7 rushing yards per outing.

• Since the Mountaineers became Big 12 members in 2012, WVU is 51-53 (.490) in conference play, good for the seventh-best winning percentage in the league. Oklahoma is a league-leading 81-23 (.779) in regular season Big 12 play during the same period. Oklahoma State ranks second (67-38; .638), Kansas State third (61-44; .581) and Texas fourth (60-44; .577).

• Redshirt senior OU quarterback Dillon Gabriel has been one of the country's best quarterbacks through nine games. His 28 touchdowns accounted for are four more than the Big 12 player with the next most (Kansas State's Will Howard; 24) and Gabriel ranks in the top 10 nationally in a bevy of categories. The Mililani, Hawaii, product is fourth in total offense (325.9 ypg), fifth in points responsible for per game (18.7), eighth in pass completion percentage (.713; for perspective the OU single-season record is .709 by Baker Mayfield in 2016) and 10th in passing efficiency rating (167.6). He leads the Big 12 in all of those categories, as well as in passing offense (294.0 ypg) and passing TDs (20). Gabriel will face a West Virginia squad that ranks fourth the Big 12 in passing defense (227.8 ypg) and opponent completion percentage (.577), and fifth in interceptions (nine).

• Redshirt freshman receiver Nic Anderson leads the nation with his 24.9 yards per reception and is tied for the Big 12 lead with his eight touchdown catches. His eight touchdowns have come on 20 receptions, giving him the nation's highest TD reception rate (40%) this season (min. 5 TD catches). Only four FBS players since the start of the 1996 season have gone an entire season with a higher TD reception rate (min. 8 TD catches).

• Sixth-year receiver Drake Stoops ranks second in the Big 12 this season with his career-high 52 receptions (his previous career high was 39 last season). His 528 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns are also career highs, topping his previous career-best marks of 393 and three last season. He is tied for third in the league with his six receiving TDs. Stoops' 23 receptions over the last three weeks are most in the Big 12 and tied for sixth most nationally. He is coming off a 12-catch, 134-yard (both career highs) performance at Oklahoma State in which he scored a TD. The 12 receptions tied as the most by a Big 12 player in a game this season.

• The Sooners rank second nationally with their 15 interceptions, their most through the first nine contests of a season since 2001. OU is one of just three Power Five teams with at least four players with two or more interceptions this year (Billy Bowman has four, Gentry Williams three and Kendel Dolby and Key Lawrence two each). West Virginia's four interceptions thrown are fewest 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 56 of their 119 third downs through nine games, good for the nation's 21st-best percentage (.471) out of 130 teams. And OU has allowed foes to convert just 39 of their 134 combined third-down tries. The .291 opponent figure has the Sooners ranked 11th in the country. West Virginia ranks 49th nationally in third-down conversion percentage (.419) and 47th in third-down conversion percentage defense (.364).

• The Sooners have allowed just 32 scores by opposing offenses (17 touchdowns and 15 field goals) on 111 possessions through nine contests. Oklahoma has also allowed an offensive touchdown in just 12 of 36 quarters. It permitted just one offensive touchdown in each of the first and third quarters. OU is allowing just 7.8 points per second half.

• OU ranks fifth in the country with its 2.1 takeaways per game and 10th with its +0.9 turnover margin per contest. It also blocked a punt against SMU that led to a TD and one vs. Iowa State that resulted in a safety.

• Over the season's first seven games, Oklahoma opponents scored three points off the Sooners' five turnovers. Over the last two games, opponents scored 23 points off OU's six turnovers.

LAST YEAR VS. WEST VIRGINIA

• Oklahoma averaged 6.3 yards per play to West Virginia's 4.7 and registered two takeaways without committing a turnover, but came up short in Morgantown on Nov. 12, 2022, as the Mountaineers kicked a 25-yard field goal with no time remaining for a 23-20 win. OU's loss snapped a nine-game winning streak against WVU and marked the Mountaineers' first victory over the Sooners since joining the Big 12 in 2012.

• OU held West Virginia scoreless until 33 seconds remained in the first half. The Sooners led 12-6 at halftime, scoring on a Zach Schmit 32-yard field goal, an Eric Gray 12-yard rush and a Billy Bowman PAT return on West Virginia's extra-point attempt.

• After falling behind 13-12 late in the third quarter, the Sooners quickly responded with a seven-play, 59-yard TD drive and two-point conversion to take a 20-13 advantage. WVU knotted the score at 20 on its next possession before Schmit's 46-yard field goal attempt with 6:24 remaining bounced off the upright. OU never got the ball back, as WVU drove 65 yards on 15 plays for the game-winning field goal as time expired.

• Gray rushed 25 times for a game-high 211 yards, his highest output as a Sooner, and two touchdowns. At the time, the 211 yards were the second most by a Big 12 player on the season and the sixth most by any player against a Power Five opponent. He averaged 8.4 yards per carry against a WVU defense that entered the day allowing 137.3 rushing yards per game and 4.0 yards per carry.

• OU went a combined 1 for 13 on third- and fourth down attempts (0 for 2 on fourth downs) while WVU was a combined 11 for 24 (4 for 5 on fourth downs).

• The Sooners registered 12 tackles for loss, their second most of the season, including a career-high three by defensive end Ethan Downs. Linebacker Danny Stutsman and cornerback C.J. Coldon logged respective career highs of 15 and 13 tackles, while linebackers DaShaun White and David Ugwoegbu finished with 11 and 10 tackles. Stutsman also recorded his second interception in three games.

• Cornerback Woodi Washington recorded his first career forced fumble and defensive lineman Jordan Kelley notched his first career fumble recovery.

HOME IS WHERE THE "W" IS

• Oklahoma is 138-13 (.914) at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium since the start of the 1999 season, giving the Sooners more Big 12 championships during the period (14) than home defeats. It is the best home winning percentage in the country over the last 24-plus seasons (Boise State [.903] and Ohio State [.894] are next). OU has outscored its opponents by an average of 43-18 in those games.

• OU has posted 150 straight sellouts of originally scheduled home games dating back to the start of the 1999 season (Bob Stoops' first as head coach). Only Nebraska (FBS-record 397) has a longer current streak.

• Oklahoma has won 18 of its last 19 home night games (6 p.m. or later). OU's only home loss under the lights at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium since 2016 came Sept. 24, 2022, vs. Kansas State (41-34).

• OU has recorded 41 unbeaten seasons at home, including 15 in the last 24 years.

GREAT GABRIEL

• Redshirt senior quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who has started 46 of his 47 career games between UCF (2019-21) and OU (2022-23), including each of his last 46, leads all FBS players since the start of 2019 with his 115 touchdown passes despite missing 11 games during the span due to injury.

• Gabriel also ranks first nationally since the start of 2019 with his 13,846 passing yards. Oregon's Bo Nix (in nine more games) is second.

• Gabriel is tied with former Louisiana Tech QB Tim Rattay for 14th on the FBS career chart for passing touchdowns (115). He needs six TD passes to move into the top 10 and 16 to move into the top five.

• Through nine games this season, Gabriel has accounted for 28 touchdowns and six turnovers (five interceptions and one fumble). He ranks eighth nationally with his .713 completion percentage and ninth with his 167.6 pass efficiency rating, going 206 for 289 for 2,646 yards (294.0 average) and 20 TDs. He has also rushed for 287 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 nine games. It is third in first downs per game (26.0), sixth in completion percentage (.720), seventh in total offense (490.0 ypg), eighth in scoring offense (39.9 ppg) and pass efficiency rating (170.4), and 10th in passing offense (312.8 ypg) and yards per pass attempt (9.3).

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

• Two Sooners rank in the top 60 nationally in yards per catch: Nic Anderson (No. 1 at 24.9) and Jalil Farooq (No. 59 at 16.6).

• Since Sept. 16, Anderson, a Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award semifinalist, is tied for third nationally with his eight touchdown catches and has amassed that total in just seven games.

• OU has started four different running backs in its nine games. Junior Tawee Walker, who ran for a career-high 146-yards at KU two games ago and 59 more Saturday at Oklahoma State, leads OU with 444 rushing yards on the year (team-high 5.3 per carry) and paces the running backs with six rushing touchdowns. Redshirt senior Marcus Major, who missed the last two games, has run for 308 yards (3.9 average) and rushed for a season-high 82 yards against UCF three games ago. Sophomore Jovantae Barnes has 130 rushing yards (3.8 average) and one TD (he missed four straight games before playing the last two contests), and redshirt freshman Gavin Sawchuk, who has started the last three outings, has 37 carries for 238 yards and four TDs. Sawchuk ran for a career-high 111 yards and a TD at Oklahoma State on Saturday.

• Quarterback Dillon Gabriel leads the Big 12 in total offense (325.9 ypg; next most is 284.0), passing offense (294.0 ypg), total touchdowns (28), passing TDs (20), completion percentage (.713), passing efficiency rating (167.6) and points responsible for per game (18.7).

• Freshman quarterback Jackson Arnold was the 2022 Gatorade National Football Player of the Year at Guyer High School in Denton, Texas, enrolled at OU in January and won the backup job. All Arnold has done in his four games is complete 13 of 15 passes (86.7%) for 169 yards and two touchdowns, and run 12 times for 54 yards and one TD. He was 11 for 11 for 114 yards and a touchdown in his debut against Arkansas State and threw a 50-yard bomb to Anderson for a TD at Tulsa in week three.

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 has improved dramatically in both categories, ranking 27th (19.8 ppg) and 75th (382.0 ypg), respectively, this season. It also ranks second in interceptions (15), fifth in turnovers gained (19), sixth in tackles for loss per game (7.9), 11th in third-down conversion percentage defense (.291) and 19th in pass efficiency defense rating (115.9).

• Oklahoma has allowed a total of 70 points and just 1,552 total yards after halftime this season for averages of 7.8 points and 172.4 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). The 24 points are fewest in the Big 12 (next-fewest total is 30 by Kansas State) and the 10th fewest in the country.

• 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 his 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 10th nationally with his 1.4 TFLs per game (11.5 total) and returned an interception for a touchdown at Tulsa. He has missed the last game and a half due to injury.

• OU's lone preseason All-Big 12 selection, junior defensive end Ethan Downs has team highs of 4.5 sacks and five QB hurries, and ranks second on the squad with his 6.0 tackles for loss. He also 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.

• 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) and Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award semifinalist is one of just four players nationally with two blocked punts this season.

SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES

• Redshirt junior Zach Schmit, in his second year as OU's placekicker, has made all 43 of his PAT attempts and 10 of his 15 field goal tries this season. He is 100 for 100 on career PAT tries, which is the fourth-longest streak of made PATs in school history.

• Redshirt seniors Josh Plaster and Luke Elzinga split punting responsibilities the first six games, with Plaster taking the field in longer situations and Elzinga serving as the team's short-field specialist. Elzinga took over full punting responsibilities three games ago vs. UCF and has averaged 47.4 yards on his 11 kicks since then (long of 58, six inside the 20-yard line).

• OU's kickoff and punt return games have been strong through nine games. Jalil Farooq ranks 32nd nationally by averaging 21.4 yards on his 15 kickoff returns and Gavin Freeman ranks 13th by averaging 12.5 yards on his 11 punt returns. Farooq returned a kickoff 62 yards vs. Tulsa and Freeman returned a punt 82 yards for a TD vs. Arkansas State.

FIRST-TEAM STARTERS

• Forty-seven players have made their first appearance in an Oklahoma uniform this season, and 21 players (13 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 (nine starts each), redshirt senior DL Jacob Lacey and sophomore DB Gentry Williams (eight starts each), junior WR Andrel Anthony (six starts), sophomore LB Dasan McCullough (five starts), redshirt senior DL Da'Jon Terry (four starts), redshirt senior DB Reggie Pearson, redshirt sophomore OL Troy Everett, redshirt freshman WR Nic Anderson and redshirt freshman RB Gavin Sawchuk (three starts each), redshirt senior DB Justin Harrington and freshman OL Cayden Green (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 LB Kip Lewis (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 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 665 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 12,595 points scored, which is 608 more than second-place Boise State (11,987) and 897 more than third-place Oregon (11,698).

• 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.

EXTRA POINTS

• The Sooners are 17-0 all-time as the No. 17-ranked team in the AP poll (11-0 at home). Oklahoma last played as the AP's No. 17 team in 2015 (a 63-27 home victory over Texas Tech). OU has won its games as the AP's 17th-ranked team by an average score of 42-15.

• OU has won 87 of its last 88 games when holding opponents to 23 or fewer points. The one exception was a 23-20 loss at West Virginia last season.

• Seven of Oklahoma's losses the last two seasons have come by seven points or less (five by three points, one by five and one by seven).

• OU's 19 takeaways this season are its most through the first nine games of a season since 2011 (had 20).

• The Sooners' 47 total touchdowns are most in the Big 12 and three more than the league team with the next most (Kansas State has 44).

• Since the start of the 2014 season, Oklahoma leads the nation with its 5.4 yards per rush and ranks fifth nationally (second in Power Five) with its 321 rushing TDs.