Game Primer: OU vs. Oklahoma State - University of Oklahoma (2024)

OPENING KICK

• Oklahoma (5-5, 2-5 Big 12) goes for its seventh Bedlam Series win in eight tries when it hosts No. 24/24 Oklahoma State (7-3, 4-3) on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. CT inside Gaylord Family ­– Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. The game will be televised by ABC with Dave Pasch, Dusty Dvoracek and Tom Luginbill announcing.

• Saturday's contest will mark Oklahoma's 117th all-time meeting against OSU. OU's most games versus any opponent is 118 against Texas.

• The game will feature the Big 12 programs with the best overall records over the last 20 years. Since the start of the 2003 season, OU is a Big 12-best 208-54 (.794) while OSU ranks second with its 172-81 (.680) mark.

• Oklahoma has dominated the Bedlam Series with its 90-19-7 (.806) all-time record against Oklahoma State, and is 43-9-2 (.815) in the series in Norman. OU has won 16 of the last 19 meetings and is 14-3 against OSU with Mike Gundy as the Cowboys' head coach.

• According to the 2022 NCAA Records Book, 25 FBS series have seen programs face each other at least 110 times. Among those series, Oklahoma's .806 winning percentage against Oklahoma State is the best.

• OU's 90 wins against Oklahoma State are its most against one opponent and the second most in FBS history against one program (Nebraska has 91 wins vs. Kansas).

• Saturday's game will mark just the third in the Bedlam Series since the start of the 2000 season in which OU is not ranked in the AP poll. The Sooners won the two matchups, 42-14 in 2005 over unranked OSU and 27-0 in 2009 over the No. 11 Cowboys, both in Norman. OU has won three straight Bedlam matchups when unranked (also 44-7 in 1999 in Norman).

• Even with its 2-5 conference start, OU is 56-13 (.812) in regular season Big 12 play since the beginning of the 2015 season. Oklahoma State ranks second during that period (46-24; .657), TCU third (40-30; .571), Texas fourth (36-33; .522), West Virginia fifth (35-34; .507) and Baylor and Kansas State sixth (35-35; .500).

FOR THE FANS

• Approximately two hours and 15 minutes before each home game, OU's players will disembark the team buses near the intersection of Lindsey St. and Jenkins Ave. for the "Walk of Champions." This year's route has changed from previous seasons, as the team will be led on foot by the Sooner Schooner heading north on Jenkins to Gate 13 where they will enter the stadium. OU Spirit will be on hand and the Pride of Oklahoma will perform during the team procession. Fans are encouraged to cheer on the team upon its 4:25 p.m. arrival as it walks the final yards to the stadium.

• Once again, "Party at the Palace, Presented by Allstate" will be held on the lawn immediately north of Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. With an expanded footprint this year, the event will start at 1:30 p.m. and will feature great food options (food trucks from HTeaO, Kona Ice, The Meating Place, Midway Deli and Supermercados Morelos), interactive games for kids (including a Kids' Zone and a "Skills and Drills" mini football field), a DJ, the Sooner Schooner, mascots and members of the OU spirit squads.

• OU's men's basketball and wrestling teams will sign autographs starting at 4 p.m. in front of McCasland Field House.

• Courtesy of Bedlam game sponsor Phillips 66, former OU and OSU quarterbacks Jason White (2003 Heisman Trophy winner) and Josh Fields will meet fans and sign autographs at Heisman Park (immediately east of the stadium) from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. The Phillips 66 Bedlam Trophy will also be on display and available for fan photos.

• Devon Energy's innovative STEM program "SportsLabs" will take place on the lawn immediately north of Heisman Park on the east side of Jenkins Ave.

KEY STORYLINES

• Oklahoma is 9-1 in its last 10 meetings against Oklahoma State and has scored at least 33 points in each of those 10 matchups, averaging 43 points during the stretch. Over the last seven seasons, the Sooners are averaging 45 points and 575 yards (8.1 per play) vs. OSU while giving up 30 and 442 (6.1). OU averaged 270 rushing yards and 305 passing yards in the seven meetings, with 18 rushing touchdowns and 20 passing TDs.

• The last time the Sooners met OSU when OU was unranked in the AP poll was in 2009 in Norman, a 27-0 win over the No. 11 Cowboys. Current OU running backs coach DeMarco Murray ran for 72 yards and two touchdowns and receiver Ryan Broyles caught nine passes for 103 yards and returned a punt 88 yards for a TD. Quarterback Landy Jones threw for 240 yards and the OU defense limited OSU to six first downs and 109 total yards, its fewest in a decade. The Cowboys did not register a first down in the second half and completed just 10 of 23 passes for 62 yards.

• Over the 13 seasons (1999-2011) that first-year Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables served as a Sooners assistant coach, OU posted a 10-3 record against OSU (he was co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach from 1999-2003 and associate head coach, defensive coordinator and linebackers coach from 2004-11). The Sooners held the Cowboys to 21 points or fewer in eight of those 13 contests and to 16 or fewer six times. OU's only home loss came in 2001, 16-13.

• Since being held to 195 yards of offense in its Oct. 8 loss to Texas when quarterback Dillon Gabriel didn't play due to injury, Oklahoma is averaging 489.5 yards over its four games. The Sooners gained 701 yards vs. Kansas (KU was allowing 396 ypg entering the day), 332 at Iowa State (ISU was permitting 290 ypg), 499 vs. Baylor (BU was allowing 337 ypg) and 426 at West Virginia (WVU was allowing 414 ypg).

• Oklahoma has won 24 of its last 28 November games, with 11 of those wins coming against AP Top 25 teams. The four losses, however, have come in their last five November games (27-14 at Baylor and 37-33 at Oklahoma State last season, and 38-35 vs. Baylor and 23-20 at West Virginia the last two outings. Prior to last year's Baylor contest, OU's last November loss was in 2014.

• A win over Oklahoma State would make Oklahoma bowl eligible. OU owns the nation's second-longest active streak of bowl appearances at 23. The next-longest streak in school history was eight (1975-82).

• The Sooners lead the Big 12 and rank 13th in the country (seventh among Power 5 teams) with their 221.4 rushing yards per game. OU senior Eric Gray, who has seven 100-yard rushing games this season, including each of the last four outings, ranks third in the Big 12 and 14th nationally with his 111.3 rushing yards per contest. He paces the Big 12 and ranks sixth nationally by averaging 6.7 yards per carry. Oklahoma State ranks seventh in the Big 12 by allowing 163.1 rushing yards per game and ranks ninth by permitting 4.4 yards per carry. It held Iowa State to 59 rushing yards on 36 carries on Saturday (1.6 average) after allowing an average of 244.5 rushing yards over its previous four contests.

• Gray ranks 23rd in OU single-season history with his 1,113 rushing yards. The last Sooner to reach 1,100 rushing yards in a season faster than Gray's 10 games was Adrian Peterson in 2004 (the Heisman Trophy runner-up did it in eight games). He needs 140 yards to move into the top 15 and 231 yards to move into the top 10. Of the 40 individual 1,000-yard rushing seasons in Sooners history, Gray's 6.7 yards per carry represents the eighth-highest average.

• Oklahoma ranks sixth in the country with its 8.0 tackles for loss per game and is 14th with its 30.0 TFL yardage per contest. Oklahoma State ranks 11th nationally by averaging 7.6 tackles for loss (23.4 yards per outing).

• The Sooners rank 127th out of 131 FBS teams this season in average time of possession (26:15) and have held a TOP advantage in just one of their 10 games (30:19-29:41 vs. Kansas). Similarly, Oklahoma State ranks 122nd with an average TOP of 27:01. The Cowboys have possessed the ball longer than their opponent in just two of 10 contests.

LAST YEAR AT OKLAHOMA STATE

• No. 10/10/9 Oklahoma held a 33-24 lead early in the fourth quarter at No. 7/7/7 Oklahoma State last year on Nov. 27 but failed to score again in a 37-33 defeat that eliminated the Sooners from the Big 12 Championship game, snapping a streak of six straight league titles.

• OU outgained OSU 441 yards to 354, registered three takeaways and held Cowboys leading rusher Jaylen Warren to 56 yards on 17 carries, but couldn't punch the ball in the end zone on its final drive and lost for the first time in the Bedlam Series since 2014 (snapped a streak of six wins).

• Caleb Williams completed 20 of 39 passes for 252 yards and three touchdowns without an interception for the Sooners, and his 56-yard rush to the OSU 24-yard line with less than a minute left gave OU hope for the comeback win. Three incompletions and a sack on the next four plays ended those chances, however.

• Williams' TD passes all came in the first half and went to Brian Darby (11 yards), Austin Stogner (29 yards) and Brayden Willis (10 yards). Stogner caught three passes for a season-high 61 yards and Jeremiah Hall registered team highs of four catches and 76 receiving yards (a career high).

• Kennedy Brooks turned in his fourth 100-yard rushing game of the year, carrying 22 times for a game-high 139 yards. It was his third 100-yard performance in three career games against the Cowboys.

• Linebacker Brian Asamoah paced OU with 11 tackles while cornerback Woodi Washington registered both of the Sooners' interceptions, each of which led to a touchdown.

• With the game tied at 24 early in the third quarter, OU defensive lineman Perrion Winfrey forced a fumble that OSU recovered in its own end zone for a Sooners safety. The Sooners punted on their ensuing possession but the Cowboys muffed it on their 8-yard line and OU's Justin Broiles recovered in the end zone for a touchdown and a 33-24 advantage. It was Broiles' first career TD.

• The Sooners' 33 points were their most ever in defeat in Stillwater.

HOME IS WHERE THE "W" IS

• Oklahoma is 133-13 (.911) 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 among Power 5 programs over the last 24 seasons (Ohio State is next at .897). OU has outscored its opponents by an average of 43-18 in those games.

• The Sooners have posted 145 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 388) has a longer current streak.

MAD RUSH

• With his 211-yard rushing effort at West Virginia on Saturday, senior running back Eric Gray eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark for the season. Gray has run for 1,113 yards on the year, making him the 27th Sooner (24th running back) to reach the 1,000-yard plateau in a single campaign. Those 27 players have combined for 40 1,000-yard rushing seasons. Gray's 1,113 rushing yards rank 23rd in OU single-season history (see chart on this page).

• Since the start of the 2014 season, OU leads the nation with its 11 individual seasons of 1,000 rushing yards. The next most is eight by Appalachian State, Georgia and Navy (none of those three teams have anyone over 650 rushing yards this season). The 11 1,000-yard rushing seasons have come from RB Samaje Perine (2014-16), RB Joe Mixon (2016), RB Rodney Anderson (2017), QB Kyler Murray (2018), RB Kennedy Brooks (2018-19, 2021), QB Jalen Hurts (2019) and Gray. That's at least one 1,000-yard rusher in eight of the last nine seasons (none in the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign).

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

NOTING THE OFFENSE

• Despite ranking 127th nationally in average time of possession, Oklahoma is tied for 19th with its 2.6 plays per game of at least 30 yards.

• OU has scored on 32 of its 36 red-zone opportunities this season (26 touchdowns and six field goals).

• Quarterback Dillon Gabriel has completed 168 of 263 passes (63.9%) this season for 2,217 yards, 16 touchdowns and four interceptions. He has also rushed for 249 net yards and four touchdowns, including a 61-yard score at Nebraska. Gabriel ranks 30th nationally (second in Big 12) in passing efficiency rating (151.7), 25th in yards per completion (13.2), 26th in yards per pass attempt (8.4), 39th in passing yards per game (246.3) and 47th in passing TDs despite exiting OU's game at TCU in the second quarter and missing the game against Texas due to injury.

• Gabriel's 167 pass attempts before his first interception (three games ago vs. Kansas) were the most by a player to start an OU career, more than doubling the previous record of 80 set by Jalen Hurts in 2019. The total also represented the third most consecutive passes attempted without an INT in school history (Baker Mayfield had a streak of 200 and Jason White had 194).

• Through 10 games this season, junior wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. ranks second in the Big 12 (18th nationally) with his 18.5 yards per catch and second in receiving yards (776), despite ranking 10th in the league with his 4.2 receptions per game.

• Mims has 17 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, a 50-yard TD against Kansas State, a 63-yard touchdown against Baylor and a 67-yard reception at West Virginia). He is tied with Ryan Broyles (2008-11) for the third-most 40-plus-yard receptions in OU history. CeeDee Lamb (2017-19) holds the school record with 21 receptions of 40 or more yards. Mims also has 11 career receptions of 50 or more yards, and nine of those have gone for touchdowns.

• Senior running back Eric Gray leads an OU rushing attack that averages a Big 12-leading 221.4 yards per game, as well as 5.0 yards per carry and 2.3 touchdowns per outing. Gray ranks sixth nationally with his 6.7 yards per carry, ranks third in the Big 12 (14th nationally) with his 111.3 rushing yards per game and paces the team with his 10 rushing TDs. He ran for 102 yards against UTEP, 113 at Nebraska, 114 against Kansas State, 176 against Kansas, 101 at Iowa State, 106 versus Baylor and 211 at West Virginia. Freshman Jovantae Barnes, who missed the Iowa State and Baylor games due to injury, ranks second on the team with his 338 rushing yards (42.3 per game) and averages 4.4 yards per carry. He turned in a 100-yard, two-touchdown game at TCU. Barnes, Gabriel and redshirt junior Marcus Major are tied for second on the team with four rushing TDs. Major, who also has a receiving score, is averaging 28.4 rushing yards per game and 4.1 yards per rush.

• Gray and junior receiver Marvin Mims Jr. rank third and 10th in the Big 12 in all-purpose yards per game with their 130.2 and 91.6 respective averages.

• Fifth-year senior tight end Brayden Willis has shown his versatility on the field this season by handling the football in a variety of ways. He leads the team with five touchdown receptions and ranks third with 347 receiving yards and fourth with 25 catches. He has also thrown a touchdown pass and rushed nine times for 24 yards. Against Kansas, he registered a career-high 102 yards and a 26-yard touchdown catch on five receptions. It was his first career 100-yard receiving game (previous high was 81 at TCU on Oct. 1). His five receptions tied a career high (also had five vs. Kansas State on Sept. 24).

• OU's 41 touchdown drives this season have averaged 7.1 plays, 67.1 yards and just 2:06 of game clock. Twenty-three of the 41 TD drives have taken 2:00 or less, and 33 of the 41 drives have taken less than 3:00.

GETTING DEFENSIVE

• Oklahoma is tied for fourth nationally with its 80 tackles for loss and ranks 12th with its 300 TFL yardage. OU ranks sixth nationally by averaging 8.0 TFLs per game.

• Nineteen different players have started a game on defense this season, and those players have made an average of 18.6 career starts. Discounting the four graduate transfers who have started at least one game this season, (DL Jeffery Johnson made 44 starts at Tulane and five this year; DB Trey Morrison made 41 starts at North Carolina and one this year; DB C.J. Coldon made 19 starts at Wyoming and one this year; DL Jonah Laulu made 18 starts at Hawai'i and one this year), OU defensive players have averaged 15 starts per player. Only LB DaShaun White (46 career starts) and DB Justin Broiles (24 career starts) have been in OU's initial lineup for the equivalent of two full seasons.

• Sophom*ore linebacker Danny Stutsman and senior linebacker David Ugwoegbu rank first and fourth in the Big 12 with their 92 (9.2 per game) and 84 (8.4 per game) respective total tackles.

• Since the start of Big 12 play, Ugwoegbu has averaged 9.3 tackles per game. His career-high 15 tackles against Kansas State were the most by a Sooner since the 2018 season, and he followed that output with 10 stops at TCU, 10 against Texas, eight against Kansas and 10 at West Virginia. He has made at least six tackles in every game this season. Ugwoegbu has also notched 6.5 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, three QB hurries, one pass breakup and was credited with the tackle on OU's safety against Kent State.

• Stutsman leads the team with 9.2 tackles per game and with 9.5 TFLs (tied with DL Ethan Downs) and has notched 2.0 sacks, three pass breakups three QB hurries and two interceptions (tied for team lead). He established then-career highs in tackles in each of the first two games, logging nine stops against UTEP and 12 (4.0 TFLs) against Kent State before making 10 tackles against Kansas State, 13 against Texas and a career-high 15 at West Virginia. He also tallied 10 stops against Baylor. He has recorded at least seven stops in eight of 10 games and double-digit tackles five times. Prior to his performance vs. Kent State, the last Sooner to register four TFLs in a game was Ronnie Perkins at Baylor in 2019.

• Sophom*ore safety Billy 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 six tackles in four of his seven full games this season. He registered his first career interception against Baylor. Against Kent State, he forced and recovered a fumble on the same play. He entered the TCU game ranked fourth in the league with 33 stops, but missed nearly three full games with an injury (he left the TCU game in the first quarter and did not return). He returned to action at Iowa State and tallied two assisted tackles.

• Fifth-year senior and cheetah linebacker DaShaun White ranks third on the team with 68 total tackles and three QB hurries, and leads the squad with five pass breakups. He has also recorded 5.0 TFLs and one sack. White, who ranks second at OU in career starts among linebackers (46), notched his first career interception in the game against Kansas and established a career high with 14 tackles at Iowa State. He has recorded at least eight tackles in each of OU's last four games and double-digit stops in two of the last three contests.

• Junior defensive end Reggie Grimes leads the Sooners with 4.5 sacks (totaling 36 lost yards) and is second on the team with 7.5 tackles for loss (totaling 42 lost yards). Of his 16 tackles this season, 7.5 have been for lost yardage.

• OU has registered an interception in eight of its 10 games this season (in each of the first three and in the last five) and has 11 interceptions overall. The Sooners intercepted three passes at Iowa State, their first game with three interceptions since the 2020 Cotton Bowl vs. Florida and the second time in three meetings against Iowa State they picked off three passes (also in the 2020 Big 12 Championship).

• Freshman DB Gentry Williams intercepted 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 against Kent State and junior DB Key Lawrence hauled in his first career pick in the end zone at Nebraska. Senior DB C.J. Coldon notched his first interception at OU (had two while at Wyoming) against Texas and had another vs. Kansas. Stutsman (first career INT), Woodi Washington and Justin Broiles all recorded their first interceptions of the season at Iowa State, and Stutsman had another at West Virginia.

TOUCH OF GRAY

• Senior running back Eric Gray ranks sixth nationally by averaging 6.7 yards per carry. He also ranks 14th nationally (third in Big 12) by averaging 111.3 rushing yards per game and with his 1,113 rushing yards. Also a receiving threat, he has caught 28 passes (second most on team) for 189 yards (6.8 average). His 130.2 all-purpose yards per game rank as third most in the Big 12 and 20th most nationally.

• Gray has eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards (1,113) this season for the first time in his career. Over his last four games, he has rushed for 594 yards and seven touchdowns on 88 carries (6.8 average). During the same four-game span, he ranks third nationally (first among Big 12 rushers) in rushing yards (594) and rushing yards per game (148.5) and first (80-carry minimum) in yards per game.

• Gray is tied for sixth nationally (leads Big 12) with his 36 carries of at least 10 yards and is tied for 10th with his 11 carries of at least 20 yards this season. Twenty-nine of his 10-plus-yard carries have come in the last seven games.

• The Memphis, Tenn., product has seven 100-yard rushing games this season: 102 yards vs. UTEP, 113 at Nebraska, 114 vs. Kansas State, 176 yards against Kansas, 101 yards at Iowa State, 106 yards vs. Baylor and a personal OU-best 211 yards at West Virginia. He is the first OU running back to rush for 100-plus yards in four straight games since Rodney Anderson during the 2017 season. Gray has rushed for two touchdowns four times (at Nebraska, vs. Kansas, vs. Baylor and at West Virginia).

• Gray caught eight passes in the game against Baylor, matching a career high (also had eight catches vs. Georgia in 2020 while he was playing at Tennessee) and established a career high with 58 receiving yards in the Baylor contest. He was the first Sooner running back to notch eight receptions since current OU running backs coach DeMarco Murray had eight catches against Missouri in 2010.

• In 23 games at Oklahoma, Gray has rushed for 1,525 yards and 12 touchdowns on 243 carries (6.3 average) and notched 418 yards and two scores on 51 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 2,836 rushing yards, 787 receiving yards and 25 total touchdowns (20 rushing, five receiving).

SPECIAL TEAMS HAVE BEEN SPECIAL

• In his first season as OU's placekicker, redshirt sophom*ore Zach Schmit is 9 for 13 on field goal attempts and has made all 40 of his PAT tries. He also scored a touchdown on a fake field goal Oct. 29 at Iowa State and totaled 15 points in the game (made field goals of 41 and 34 yards and converted all three PATs).

• Sixth-year punter Michael Turk leads the Big 12 this year and ranks seventh nationally with his 45.9 yards per punt. The Oct. 31 Co-Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week (he threw a TD pass and averaged 49.3 yards on his six punts at Iowa State) has 14 punts of at least 50 yards, including five 60-yarders (long of 61). In 2021, his first year at OU, Turk set a single-season school record by averaging 51.2 yards per punt, smashing the previous record of 47.8 yards by Jack Jacobs in 1940.

• OU ranks 15th nationally with its 13.3 yards per punt return. Marvin Mims Jr. would rank third nationally with his 15.2 yards per return (137 yards on nine returns) if he met the statistical minimum of 1.2 punt returns per game. The Sooners have already doubled their total punt return yards from last year (12 returns for 69 yards in 2021; 11 returns for 146 yards this season).