Game Primer: OU vs. Iowa State

Saturday, September 30

Norman

6 p.m.

University of Oklahoma

Iowa State

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September 28, 2023 | Football

Listen Watch Live Stats Game Notes

By: OU Athletics Communications

#14/14 Oklahoma

Iowa State

Saturday, Sept. 30 / 6 p.m. CT / Gaylord Family — Oklahoma Memorial Stadium

FS1 / Radio / Live Stats / Game Notes

OPENING KICK

• No. 14/14 Oklahoma (4-0, 1-0) plays its final Big 12 Conference home opener when it hosts Iowa State (2-2, 1-0) on Saturday at 6 p.m. CT at Gaylord Family — Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. The game will be televised by FS1 with Jeff Levering and Mark Helfrich announcing.

• Oklahoma owns a 79-7-2 all-time record against Iowa State and is 18-2 in the series in the Big 12 era. The Sooners' .909 series winning percentage against ISU is the best by one Power Five program against another (minimum of 50 games played).

• OU is 50-3-1 (.935) in its last 54 games against Iowa State.

• Iowa State only has seven wins in 88 all-time meetings against Oklahoma, but two of the victories have come over the last six seasons. In 2017, the Cyclones beat No. 3 OU 38-31 in Norman, and on Oct. 3, 2020, they posted a 37-30 home win over the No. 18 Sooners. ISU was unranked in both contests. OU has won the last three matchups.

• Oklahoma has won 17 of its last 18 home night games (6 p.m. kick or later). OU's only home defeat under the lights at Gaylord Family — Oklahoma Memorial Stadium since 2016 came Sept. 24, 2022, against Kansas State (41-34).

• The 2023 season marks OU's last as a member of the Big 12. The Sooners move to the Southeastern Conference on July 1, 2024.

• The Sooners are 36-8 in Big 12 home games since the start of the 2012 season, but five of the losses came in conference home openers (6-5 record in those contests). OU is 3-3 in its last six Big 12 home openers.

• Oklahoma 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 170-58 (.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 (150-78; .658).

• OU is 75-10 (.882) in September games since the start of the 1999 season, which was Bob Stoops' first as head coach.

• The Sooners' 34 points allowed are their fewest over the first four games of a season since 1992 (gave up 32). It's the lowest point total allowed by a Big 12 team over its first four games since TCU gave up 29 in 2012.

• Oklahoma ranks in the top four nationally in both scoring offense (No. 4 at 46.8 ppg) and scoring defense (No. 2 at 8.5 ppg). OU's +38.3 average scoring margin ranks second in the country (Oregon is at +40.8).

• The only time the Sooners trailed this season was for a 7:05 stretch in the first quarter at Cincinnati (3-0), and the only times they've been tied were at 0-0. They have led for 217:17 out of 240 minutes on the year.

• 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), rank second with their 430 all-time weeks ranked in the top five of the AP poll, third with seven AP national championships and with their 101 weeks as the AP's No. 1 team, and fourth with their 56 bowl appearances and 414 NFL Draft picks.

• Iowa State, which is in its eighth year under head coach Matt Campbell, is coming off a 34-27 Big 12-opening home win over Oklahoma State on Saturday. ISU quarterback Rocco Becht completed 27 of 38 passes for 348 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions, and the Cyclones' defense logged two interceptions and held OSU to a 47.9 pass completion percentage (23 for 48).

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. OU's buses will drop off players and coaches east of the Lindsey Street and Asp Avenue intersection, just southwest 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.

• 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 p.m. Sooner fans of all ages can access Party at the Palace and take part in the festivities. Highlights include sponsor giveaways, music, food vendors and more. Food trucks from 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.

KEY STORYLINES

• Iowa State's only three wins against Oklahoma since 1961 came in 1990 (33-31 in Norman), 2017 (38-31 in Norman) and 2020 (37-30 in Ames). ISU's seven overall series wins have come by 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 7 and 13 points. Its 13-point win came in the first meeting in 1928 in Ames. Fourteen of OU's last 17 victories against the Cylcones have been by double digits, but three of the last four have been by single digits. OU has outscored ISU 101-100 over the last three meetings in Norman.

• With Brent Venables on staff, Oklahoma is 8-0 against Iowa State (the second-year head coach was the Sooners' 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 Cyclones to 50 total points in those eight contests (average of 6.3 and a high of 13). ISU's point totals were 0, 3, 3, 6, 7, 7, 10 and 13 (last year).

• OU redshirt senior quarterback Dillon Gabriel is off to a pristine start this season, ranking in the top 12 nationally in several categories. The Mililani, Hawaii, product ranks third in the country in pass completion percentage (.780; for perspective the OU single-season record is .709 by Baker Mayfield in 2016), fifth in passing efficiency rating (197.2; the OU record is 199.2 by Kyler Murray in 2018), passing touchdowns (12) and points responsible for per game (21.0), eighth in passing offense (306.8 ypg), and 12th in total offense (321.2 ypg) and yards per pass attempt (10.4). Gabriel has played in 13 of 16 quarters this season.

• Gabriel has been aided by the protection of OU's offensive line, as the Sooners rank eighth nationally through four games by allowing just 0.8 sacks per contest (one opponent sack by SMU and two by Cincinnati). Iowa State leads the country by allowing just one sack on the season.

• After ranking 49th nationally last year in third-down conversion percentage (.405) and 87th in third-down conversion percentage defense (.409), OU is off to a stellar start in both categories in 2023. The Sooners have converted 31 of their 53 third downs through four games, good for the nation's fourth-best percentage (.585) out of 130 teams. And OU has allowed foes to convert just 17 of their 61 combined third-down tries. The .279 opponent conversion figure has the Sooners ranked 11th in the country.

• OU added nine defensive scholarship transfers in the offseason and has been impressive on that side of the ball through four games. The Sooners rank second nationally in scoring defense (8.5 ppg) and interceptions (eight), eighth in takeaways (10), 11th in third-down conversion defense (28.0%) and tackles for loss (8.2 per game), 13th in pass efficiency defense (102.4 rating), 17th in yards per play (4.4), 25th in red zone defense (71.4%), 26th in rushing defense (94.0 ypg) and 32nd in total defense (309.5). For perspective, last year OU ranked 82nd in yards per play allowed (5.8), 98th in scoring defense (30.0 ppg), 105th in rushing defense (187.5 ypg) and 121st in total defense (461.0 ypg).

• The Sooners have allowed just seven scores (three touchdowns and four field goals for 34 total points) on 48 possessions through four contests. They didn't permit a touchdown until the fourth quarter by SMU in the second game. OU has allowed a touchdown in just two of 16 quarters.

• OU ranks fourth nationally with its +1.8 turnover margin per game. The Sooners have registered 10 takeaways to rank eighth in the country and have committed three turnovers (two at Tulsa [one on a kickoff return] and one at Cincinnati). They also blocked a punt against SMU that led to a touchdown.

Rouse, Walter at Cincinnati

LAST YEAR VS. THE CYCLONES

• Oklahoma registered three interceptions and held Iowa State to 66 rushing yards (2.4 per carry) in a 27-13 win on Oct. 29, 2022, marking OU's 25th victory in its last 26 trips to Ames. The 14-point triumph wound up as ISU's second-largest margin of defeat on the season.

• The Sooners, who never trailed, rushed for 182 yards, the second-highest total by an Iowa State opponent on the year. The Cyclones entered the day allowing just 105.3 rushing yards per contest.

• Oklahoma took a 13-3 lead to halftime and kicker Zach Schmit accounted for all 13 of the team's points with a 41-yard field goal, a two-yard receiving touchdown on a fake field goal, a PAT and a 34-yard field goal. The touchdown was thrown by holder Michael Turk, who became the first OU full-time punter to throw a TD pass since 1970 (Joe Wylie vs. Nebraska).

• The Sooners held ISU to 144 first-half yards, an opponent first-half season low. The Cyclones had just nine rushing yards on 12 carries in the first 30 minutes.

• Running back Eric Gray turned in his fifth 100-yard rushing performance of the season, finishing with 101 yards and a four-yard touchdown on 20 carries (5.0 average).

• Quarterback Dillon Gabriel completed 15 of 26 passes for 148 yards and a touchdown. The TD throw was a 41-yarder in third quarter to receiver Jalil Farooq, who finished with four catches for a team-high 74 yards.

• OU's three interceptions came from Woodi Washington (first of season, fifth of career) on Iowa State's second play, Justin Broiles (first of season, third of career) in the fourth quarter and Danny Stutsman (first of career) in the fourth quarter. Stutsman returned his pick 37 yards to the Iowa State 2-yard line and set up the game-sealing touchdown with 4:36 to go (made the score 27-13).

• Linebacker DaShaun White registered a career-high 14 tackles (10 solo), which were six more than the next-highest total on either team.

• Turk punted six times for an average of 49.3 yards. He had key 61- and 60-yard punts in the fourth quarter that flipped the field and OU's defense registered takeaways on the ensuing possessions.

HOME IS WHERE THE "W" IS

• Oklahoma is 136-13 (.913) 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 [.901] and Ohio State [.893] are next). OU has outscored its opponents by an average of 43-18 in those games.

• The Sooners have posted 148 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 393) has a longer current streak.

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

GABRIEL A TD MACHINE

• Redshirt senior quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who has started 41 of his 42 career games between UCF (2019-21) and OU (2022-23), including each of his last 41, ranks second nationally since the start of the 2019 with his 107 touchdown passes despite missing 11 games during the span due to injury (current Notre Dame and former Wake Forest QB Sam Hartman has passed for one more TD in two more games).

• Gabriel ranks first nationally since the start of 2019 with his 12,427 passing yards. Hartman is second (12,219 in 44 games) and Oregon's Bo Nix is third (12,013 in 51 games).

• Gabriel needs 24 TD passes to move into the top five in FBS career history. He is tied for 20th on the all-time chart and needs seven to tie Florida's Danny Wuerffel (114) for 15th.

• 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 3.0 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 seventh 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 four games this season, Gabriel has accounted for 14 touchdowns and two turnovers. He ranks third nationally with his .780 completion percentage and fifth with his 197.2 pass efficiency rating, going 92 for 118 for 1,227 yards (306.8 average) and 12 scores. He has also rushed for 58 yards and two TDs.

MORE ON THE OFFENSE

• The Sooners rank in the top 10 nationally in a multitude of categories through four games, including second in completion percentage (.789), fourth in scoring offense (46.8 ppg), third-down conversion percentage (.585) and passing efficiency rating (200.4), sixth in passing offense (349.0 ypg), eighth in sacks allowed (0.8 per game) and 10th in total offense (506.8 ypg) and first downs (106).

• Oklahoma has had 14 players score an offensive touchdown this season, most nationally.

• OU is the only team in the country to score at least 60 points twice this season.

• The Sooners rank fourth nationally with their 6.0 pass plays per game of at least 20 yards and with their 13.5 pass plays per contest of at least 10 yards.

• Three Sooners rank in the top 66 nationally in yards per catch (Nic Anderson second at 27.9, Jalil Farooq 34th at 20.4 and Andrel Anthony 66th at 17.7).

• OU has started three different running backs in its four games (junior Tawee Walker vs. Arkansas State, redshirt senior Marcus Major against SMU and Cincinnati and sophomore Jovantae Barnes at Tulsa). Walker leads OU with his 176 rushing yards, 5.2 yards per carry and two rushing touchdowns.

• Quarterback Dillon Gabriel leads the Big 12 in passing offense (306.8 ypg), total touchdowns (14), passing TDs (12), completion percentage (.780), passing efficiency rating (197.2) and points responsible for per game (21.0). He also ranks second in total offense (321.2 ypg) and yards per pass attempt (10.4).

• Gabriel is one of three quarterbacks nationally in the last five seasons to complete 75.0% of his passes with 12-plus touchdown passes and no more than one interception over his team's first four games of a season (OU's Jalen Hurts and Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa were the others, both in 2019).

• 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 three games is complete 13 of 15 passes (86.7%) for 169 yards and two touchdowns, and run 10 times for 50 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 redshirt freshman Nic Anderson for a TD at Tulsa two weeks ago.

Stutsman, Danny at Cincinnati

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.

• Out of 130 teams, Oklahoma ranks second in the country in scoring defense (8.5 ppg) and interceptions (eight), eighth in takeaways (10), 11th in tackles for loss (8.2 per game) and third-down defense (28.0%), 13th ini pass efficiency defense (102.4 rating), 17th in yards per play (4.4), 25th in red zone defense (71.4%), 26th in rushing defense (94.0 ypg) and 32nd in total defense (309.5 ypg).

• OU ranks sixth nationally by permitting only one play of 40-plus yards this season and ranks 12th nationally by allowing just four plays of 30-plus yards.

• One year after leading the Big 12 in tackles, junior linebacker Danny Stutsman is at it again by averaging a league-high 10.8 stops per game (next most is 9.3). He has led OU in tackles in each game 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. He also ranks second in the league and fourth nationally with his 8.0 TFLs.

• 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 four games this season, while Lacey has started three (SMU, Tulsa and Cincinnati) and Ford and Terry one each (Arkansas State).

• Safety Reggie Pearson, who started each of OU's first three games this year before missing the Cincinnati contest, is in his sixth season of college football after spending his first three years at Wisconsin and the last two at Texas Tech. He started 20 of 23 games the last two years for the Red Raiders, racking up 109 tackles, three interceptions and seven pass breakups. He also started 13 of 14 games for Wisconsin in 2019 and logged 60 tackles.

• Defensive back Peyton Bowen, who was a five-star player last year at Guyer High School in Denton, Texas, has made an early impact this year with his 14 tackles, team-high four pass breakups (one on fourth down late vs. SMU) and blocked punt vs. SMU. He made his first career start two games ago at Tulsa, getting the nod at OU's "Cheetah" position.

• Linebacker Dasan McCullough transferred from Indiana following a stellar freshman season in 2022 and figured to see the field a lot this year, only to sustain an injury early in week one that kept him out the next two games. McCullough made his first OU start at Cincinnati on Saturday and logged seven tackles, tied for second most on the squad. He was named a freshman All-American last year by ESPN, The Athletic (second team) and College Football News (second team). Playing in all 12 games, making four starts and registering 49 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks and three pass breakups.

SUPER SPECIAL TEAMS

• Redshirt junior Zach Schmit, in his second year as OU's placekicker, has made all 23 of his PAT attempts and all four of his field goal tries (20, 21, 30 and 34 yards) this season. He is 80 for 80 on career PAT tries, which is the fifth-longest streak of made PATs in school history.

• The Sooners lost 2021 and '22 first-team All-Big 12 punter Michael Turk, who set OU records for punting average in a game (59.7 yards on three punts in 2021 against TCU), season (51.2 yards in 2021) and a career (48.4). Redshirt seniors Josh Plaster and Luke Elzinga have split punting responsibilities this season with Plaster taking the field in longer situations and Elzinga serving as the team's short-field specialist. Plaster is averaging 40.5 yards on his 11 punts (long of 50, four fair catches, four inside the 20-yard line) while Elzinga is averaging 37.5 yards on his two punts (long of 42, both fair caught inside the 20).

• OU's kickoff and punt return games have been strong through four games. The Sooners rank 10th nationally with their 28.6-yard kickoff return average (all five by Jalil Farooq) and 16th with their 16.0-yard punt return average (Gavin Freeman is averaging 18.7 yards on his six returns). Farooq returned a kick 62 yards vs. Tulsa and Freeman returned a punt 82 yards for a TD vs. Arkansas State.

• The Sooners rank fifth nationally by holding opponents to -0.8 yards per punt return (four for -3 yards; long of two yards) and rank 31st in the country by limiting foes to 16.0 yards per kickoff return.

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 the 2011 campaign.

• 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 58-14 (.806) in regular season Big 12 play since the start of the 2015 season. Oklahoma State ranks second during that period (46-27; .630), TCU third (43-30; .589), Texas fourth (39-33; .542) and Kansas State fifth (38-35; .521).

• 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), Kansas State (2-2) and Baylor (1-1) have the next best marks.

• 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

• Saturday's contest will mark the 1,330th in OU history. The Sooners rank fifth in college football annals with their .726 all-time winning percentage (938-338-53 record). They trail Ohio State (.733), Alabama (.732), Michigan (.731), and Notre Dame (.730). Since the end of World War II (1946 season to present), OU leads all programs with 694 wins (34 more than Alabama, the program with the next most) and owns a .767 winning percentage.

• 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 12,423 points scored, which is 595 more than second-place Boise State (11,828) and 936 more than third-place Oregon (11,487).

• 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 24-7 all-time as the No. 14-ranked team in the AP poll (14-3 at home). OU is 4-0 all-time against Iowa State as the AP's No. 14 team, and 1-0 at home (52-16 victory in 2015). Oklahoma's last loss as AP No. 14 was also its last home game in that spot (45-24 to No. 3 Ohio State in 2016).

• This is just the third season in the last 24 years and first since 2015 that OU has registered at least eight interceptions through its first four games.

• OU's 25 total touchdowns are four more than the Big 12 team with the next most (Kansas State).

• Sooners kicker Zach Schmit is averaging 8.8 points per game. OU is allowing 8.5 points per contest.

• The last time OU held each of its first four opponents to under 20 points was 2000 (won national title).

• Since the start of the 2014 season, Oklahoma leads the nation with its 5.5 yards per rush and ranks fifth nationally (second in Power Five) with its 308 rushing TDs.

• OU has won 86 of its last 87 games when holding opponents to 23 or fewer points. The one exception was a 23-20 loss at West Virginia last season.

• Since the start of the 2012 season, OU is 86-7 when scoring at least 35 points and 75-4 when scoring at least 40. The Sooners are 184-0 all-time when scoring at least 50 points.