Oklahoma State University Athletics
Game Notes - Oklahoma State vs. Houston
September 07, 2009 | Cowboy Football
Sept. 7, 2009
Complete Release in PDF Format 
Houston at Oklahoma State
Sat., Sept. 12 :: 2:30 p.m. CT :: Boone Pickens Stadium (60,218 cap.)
TV: FSN (Bill Land, Gary Reasons and Emily Jones)
Radio: Cowboy Radio Network (Dave Hunziker, John Holcomb and Robert Allen)
Internet: okstate.com
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Week Two
The Oklahoma State Cowboys will host their second straight game to open the 2009 season when the Houston Cougars visit Stillwater on Saturday. Kickoff is at 2:30 p.m. with Fox Sports Net televising the game. Both teams enter the contest off of season-opening victories.
TV Talk
The game will be televised by Fox Sports Net. Bill Land will call the action with Gary Reasons providing analysis and Emily Jones reporting from the sidelines. The Cowboys are making their first appearance on Fox since the 2008 season opener, which resulted in a 39-13 win over Washington State in Seattle.
The Cowboys Quickly
OSU has won 11 of its last 15 games with all four losses coming to top 15 opponents, including three to teams in the top three of the AP. The Cowboys will be looking to make four straight bowl appearances for the first time in school history.
Hanging Ten
Oklahoma State is in the Associated Press top 10 for the second straight week as the Cowboys figure to climb from ninth after the win over No. 13 Georgia. The AP poll will not be released until Monday due to Labor Day games. OSU is 3-2 as a member of the top 10 under Mike Gundy.
Three Records Fall
The season is just one week old, but Oklahoma State has already established three new records. OSU has smashed its record for season ticket sales. Last year OSU set a new record with 39,976 season tickets. This season, the number has climbed past 45,000 and is likely to continue to grow as OSU still has seven home games remaining. OSU also set a record with more than 11,000 student tickets sold for the first time ever. And OSU opened the season by establishing a new record for single-game attendance.
53,012
Thanks to the new digs at Boone Pickens Stadium, Oklahoma State has more seats to fill and the OSU faithful seem eager to meet the challenge. OSU opened 2009 with a crowd of 53,012 on hand for the Georgia game, establishing a new single game record.
A Number To Note
Oklahoma State has won 16 straight non-conference home games (including 10-0 under Mike Gundy), dating back to a 2002 home loss to UCLA. The Cowboys were able to take revenge on the Bruins in 2004 when they opened the season with a 31-20 win over UCLA in the Rose Bowl.
Outside Of Big 12 Territory
The Oklahoma State Cowboys are 15-4 in non-conference play under Mike Gundy. That total includes a 2-1 bowl record and a 2-1 record against the SEC.
Texas Two Step
Over the next two weeks, Oklahoma State will face both Football Bowl Subdivision teams from Houston. The Cowboys face the Houston Cougars this week, followed by the Rice Owls on Sept. 19. Both teams made bowl appearances last season.
Two To Start
Oklahoma State is looking to start a season 2-0 for the fifth time in six seasons and for the fourth time in five years under Mike Gundy. Since 1983, the final year for head coach Jimmy Johnson in Stillwater, Oklahoma State has had 13 2-0 starts with nine of those teams finishing the season in a bowl game. OSU opened the 2008 season with seven straight wins.
The H Troop
Oklahoma State has been a steady force on the recruiting front when it comes to the Houston metro area. The Cowboy roster features 16 players from that region.
Cowboys And Cougars
Oklahoma State and Houston are meeting for the third time in four seasons but for just the fifth time since 1970. The series is a dead heat at 9-9-1. The Cougars are visiting Stillwater for the second straight season but for just the third time since 1986. The series dates back to 1951 when both schools were members of the Missouri Valley Conference. OSU holds a 5-4 advantage in Stillwater.
Seeing The USA
The Cowboys are facing the first of two straight Conference USA opponents. OSU is 57-44-9 all-time against the current membership of Conference USA. Most of those games have come against the University of Tulsa, which OSU has played 70 times.
Looking Back
Oklahoma State had one of the top offensive performances in school history in 2008 when the University of Houston visited Oklahoma State. The Cowboys trailed 16-7 in the second period before pulling away for a 56-37 victory. OSU generated 699 yards of total offense for the second largest total in school history.
More Info On 2008
The victory over Houston last season was historic. It marked just the fourth time in NCAA history that one team produced a 300-yard passer, a 200-yard runner and a 200-yard receiver in the same contest. Against Houston, Zac Robinson passed for 320 yards, Kendall Hunter ran for 210 yards and Dez Bryant had 236 receiving yards.
Dez Sets Sail
The 2008 Houston game propelled Cowboy receiver Dez Bryant onto the national stage. He ended the year as a consensus All-American and the Big 12 special teams player of the year. He was the Walter Camp national player of the week after his efforts against Houston, which included nine receptions for 236 yards and three touchdowns. He also had a 71-yard punt return for a score.
Another Historical Meeting
In 1986 when Houston visited Stillwater, another significant event occurred. After posting an 18-6 record in his first two years as OSU head coach, Pat Jones was facing a bit of a rebuilding season in 1986. True freshman quarterback Mike Gundy looked to be ticketed for a redshirt season, but Jones made the call at halftime of the Houston game (Sept. 30, 1986) to throw Gundy into the fire. He responded with a 12-of-22 passing effort for 163 yards and a touchdown and would eventually be named a Freshman All-American. He ended his career as the Big Eight Conference's all-time leading passer.
Taming The Dawgs
Oklahoma State is coming off a 24-10 season-opening victory over No. 13 Georgia. It was just the Cowboys' fifth win over a top 15 team since 1988. It was OSU's first win over the Bulldogs in four tries and avenged a 35-14 defeat in 2007 to another Georgia team ranked No. 13 in the AP poll. The loss was just the fifth for Georgia coach Mark Richt in 35 road games at UGA. Georgia entered the game with a 10-2 record under Richt when facing a ranked team on the road.
Score One For The Defense
In week one, the Oklahoma State defense took to the field for the first time under new coordinator Bill Young. The results were impressive.
• The Cowboys held the Bulldogs to 257 yards of total offense. Georgia generated 80 yards of offense on its only touchdown drive of the game, which came on its first possession. Translated, that means the Bulldogs scored three points and had 177 yards of total offense over the last 54:42 of the game.
• The last 11 drives for the Bulldogs resulted in one field goal, six punts, two lost fumbles, an interception and a two-play drive that ended the first half.
• The Bulldogs drove 56 yards for their third-quarter field goal and had the 80-yard drive to start the game. Nine of the other 10 drives covered less than 30 yards.
• Over the last four seasons, the only other school to hold the Bulldogs to 10 points has been Florida (twice).
Ten The Easy Way
Oklahoma State scored 10 points in the opener as a direct result of turnovers. The Cowboys took the lead for good late in the second quarter when Lucien Antoine forced a fumble that was recovered by Terrance Anderson. OSU cashed that TO in for a quick field goal. The final points of the game came after Shane Jarka's quarterback sack and forced fumble, which was recovered by Nigel Nicholas. OSU flipped that mistake into a Dez Bryant touchdown reception.
Strictly By The Numbers
Against Georgia, OSU had two sacks, two forced fumbles, an interception and eight pass break-ups. Last season, over 13 games the Cowboy averages were less than one sack per game, just over one forced fumble per contest, less than one interception per game and five pass break-ups each game.
Safety First
Safety Lucien Antoine had been an impressive Cowboy during the fall camp of 2008. However, a season-ending injury on the opening kickoff of the home opener ended his junior season. He made up for lost time Saturday. Antoine led the Cowboys in tackles with seven, including six solo stops and he caused the fumble that led to OSU's first lead against Georgia.
The Next Wave
OSU's defensive tackles have been much-analyzed in recent years and on Saturday they were probably happy for the attention. The statistical standout was reserve Shane Jarka. The junior from Sugar Land, Texas had three tackles, 1.5 quarterback sacks and a forced fumble. In his first college game, redshirt freshman DT Nigel Nicholas recovered a fumble and was credited with a half-sack.
Cox - The DB
Perrish Cox is well established as one of America's top return men (more on that later). Against Georgia, it was Cox the defender who may have stolen the show. More often than not, Cox drew the assignment of Bulldog super sophomore receiver A.J. Green. Green ended the day with four catches for 52 yards. Cox ended the game with four tackles and four pass break-ups in the win.
Cox - The Return Man
OSU did not take control of the Georgia game until the first possession of the second half. And that jump-start came courtesy of Perrish Cox. OSU's all-time leader in kick returns for touchdowns and kickoff return yards began the second half with a 74-yard return that eventually resulted in an OSU touchdown. To update Cox as a return man...
• The return against Georgia was the ninth of his career longer than 50 yards.
• He now has 2,236 kickoff return yards. He is just 29 yards shy of the Big 12 career record.
• His four returns for touchdowns are tied for the national lead among all active players. The all-time NCAA record in that category is six.
Kendall Moves Up
Against the speedy and physical Georgia defense, Kendall Hunter gutted his way to 75 yards and in the process climbed to No. 10 all-time at OSU in rushing. Hunter has accumulated 2,326 yards to inch out OSU legend Bob Fenimore for the 10th spot. Next up in Hunter's sites is No. 9 Vernand Morency. Hunter is 335 yards behind the former Cowboy.
The Next Record
Another record likely to fall soon is career touchdown passes. Zac Robinson now has 53 career TD tosses. He is one behind Mike Gundy in that category and is closing in on the record 55 tossed by Josh Fields.
Dez Being Dez
Despite facing almost constant double coverage, Dez Bryant made his mark on the Georgia game with three catches covering 77 yards and two scores (including a 46-yarder). Some noteworthy Bryant achievements:
• He has 29 touchdowns in 26 career games (including punt returns).
• He is already No. 14 at OSU with 176 career points.
• He has 2,179 career receiving yards and needs just eight more to surpass Adarius Bowman for fourth place all-time at OSU in that category. That yardage total is seventh among active NCAA players.
• He is tied for the national lead among all active players with 27 TD receptions.
• His career average of 16.4 yards per catch leads all NCAA players.
Sharp Debut
Redshirt freshman punter Quinn Sharp made his Cowboy debut against Georgia. His only responsibility: replace Matt Fodge, who was named America's best punter last season by virtue of winning the Ray Guy Award. Sharp answered that challenge in a big way. He punted seven times for an average of 50 yards. He had a long punt of 61 and had four punts downed inside the 20. After a week of play, he is second nationally in punting average and as a team OSU leads the nation in net punting (46.71 yards).
