Oklahoma State University Athletics
Game Notes: OSU Hosts No. 14 Nebraska
October 17, 2010 | Cowboy Football
Oct. 17, 2010
Complete Release in PDF Format 
No. 14/13 Nebraska at No. 17/15 Oklahoma State
Oct. 23, 2010 :: 2:30 p.m. Central Time :: Boone Pickens Stadium (60,218)
TV: ABC Sports (Announcers TBD)
Radio: Cowboy Radio Network (Dave Hunziker, John Holcomb and Robert Allen)
National Radio: Sports USA Radio Network (Rich Cellini and Gary Barnett)
Internet: okstate.com
Satellite Radio: Sirius Channel 121 and XM Channel 141
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Coming Home
The Oklahoma State Cowboys (6-0/2-0) return home to Boone Pickens Stadium for the first time since Sept. 30 when they host the Nebraska Cornhuskers 2:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon. The Cowboys will be playing their only home game in the month of October when Nebraska visits for the 2010 Homecoming game.
TV
The Cowboys make their fourth television appearance of the season on a fourth different network when Nebraska visits. ABC is in town for the matchup with OSU appearing on the network for the first time this season. OSU has already made early-season appearances on FSN, FSN Southwest, ESPN and ESPN2. OSU is 5-5 in its last 10 games on ABC. Since the beginning of the 2009 season, OSU has had 15 appearances on national cable or regional network television.
The Series
Nebraska holds a 36-5-1 all-time lead in the series, but the Cowboys have turned the tables of late with a two-game winning streak and three wins in the four contests since the turn of the century. Some series notes:
• Nebraska has not won in Stillwater since 1995 in what was OSU head coach Bob Simmons' first game at OSU. The teams played in Kansas City in 1998 and the Cowboys picked up home wins over the Huskers in 2002 and 2006.
• The series only dates back to 1960, making it the shortest for OSU against any of its old Big Eight Conference comrades.
• OSU set a record for its most points scored against the Cornhuskers in its last game vs. Nebraska (a 45-14 win in 2007 in Lincoln).
• From 1962 until 2001 OSU had just a 1973 tie to show for its efforts against Nebraska. However those winless years were still competitive with 10 games decided by eight points or less.
• Mike Gundy is 2-0 vs. Nebraska.
A Change Of Pace
Nebraska comes to town No. 4 nationally in rushing offense and No. 111 in passing offense. Through six games, OSU has played three of the nation's top 11 passing offenses in No. 6 Texas Tech, No. 10 Texas A&M, and No. 11 Troy. OSU also faced the nation's 27th most productive passing attack in Tulsa.
Did You Know?
Oklahoma State defensive coordinator Bill Young coached Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini at Ohio State when Young was on the staff of John Cooper.
Last Meeting
It was historic for the Cowboys as OSU rolled to a 45-14 win in Lincoln after bolting to a 38-0 halftime advantage. The Cowboys posted 551 yards of total offense and scored on their first six possessions. Dantrell Savage rushed for 212 yards while freshman Kendall Hunter ran for 67 yards on 10 carries, including a 33-yard touchdown. Nebraska was limited to 335 yards and did not score until the first play of the fourth quarter. It was OSU's second win in Lincoln in 22 games.
Last Time In Stillwater
On Oct. 28, 2006, Oklahoma State rallied from an early 16-0 deficit for a 41-29 win over the Cornhuskers the last time Nebraska visited Stillwater. OSU closed the game with a 21-point fourth quarter to win going away. Quarterback Bobby Reid tossed two touchdown passes (to Keith Toston and Adarius Bowman) and defensive end Nate Peterson closed the scoring for OSU with a 19-yard fumble return for a score. Dantrell Savage ran for 117 yards and D'Juan Woods had 87 receiving yards on just four catches.
It's Homecoming
In case you hadn't heard, Homecoming is a big week on the Oklahoma State campus and the 2010 version of “America's Greatest Homecoming Celebration” is on the agenda this week with the theme of “Cowboy Nation”. A full week of activities is already underway on campus. The highlights include “The Walkaround” on Friday night with as many as 50,000 alumni, students and gawkers heading to the Greek neighborhood to enjoy the Homecoming decorations. Later in the evening (doors open at 8:30 p.m.) it's “Homecoming And Hoops” as Midnight Madness meets a football pep rally in Gallagher-Iba Arena.
The Homecoming Schedule
Sun.: Harvest Carnival - Payne County Expo Center
Sun.: Chili Cook-off - Payne County Expo Center
Wed.: Street Painting - Hester Street
Thurs.: Orange Ambiance - Theta Pond
Fri.: WalkAround - Greek Neighborhood
Fri.: Homecoming &Hoops - Gallagher-Iba Arena
Sat.: Sea Of Orange Parade - Downtown Stillwater
Homecoming Numbers
Oklahoma State is 47-34-7 all-time in Homecoming games, dating back to the original in 1921. There was no Homecoming game in 1943. OSU has won three straight Homecoming games since a three-game losing streak in front of the alumni. OSU is 1-2 vs. Nebraska when the Cornhuskers visit for Homecoming. It hasn't happened since 1968 and Nebraska was a 21-20 winner in that contest.
The North Streak
Oklahoma State has won its last six games against the Big 12 North, dating back to a 2007 loss to the Orange Bowl-bound Kansas Jayhawks. OSU is 10-2 vs. the North Division since the beginning of the 2006 season.
A Streaking Start
Oklahoma State is off to a 6-0 start for just the fourth time in school history, but for the second time in three seasons as OSU won seven straight to open 2008. A win on Saturday would give OSU a tie for the second best start in school history at 7-0. Mike Gundy is the first OSU coach to lead the Cowboys to more than one 6-0 start.
Best Cowboy Starts
1945 9-0
2008 7-0
2010 6-0
1997 6-0
Big 12, Too
Oklahoma State is also off to another 2-0 start in Big 12 play. The Cowboys are 2-0 for the third straight season but for just the fifth time since Big 12 play began in 1996. OSU will be looking for a third straight 3-0 conference start and for its fourth 3-0 beginning during the Big 12 era.
And Then There Were 10
Only 10 teams remain unbeaten in college football, including the Oklahoma State Cowboys. OSU is joined by Missouri and Oklahoma from the Big 12 in the unbeaten circle. Those two teams play each other this week as do unbeatens LSU and Auburn.
The Perfect 10
School Record Up Next
Auburn 7-0 LSU
LSU 7-0 at Auburn
Michigan State 7-0 at Northwestern
TCU 7-0 Air Force
Oklahoma State 6-0 Nebraska
Boise State 6-0 Louisiana Tech
Oregon 6-0 UCLA
Oklahoma 6-0 at Missouri
Missouri 6-0 Oklahoma
Utah 6-0 Colorado State
The Big 12 Since '09 Opener
School W-L
Texas 17-3
Oklahoma State 15-4
Nebraska 15-5
Missouri 14-5
Oklahoma 14-5
Texas Tech 12-7
Kansas State 11-7
Iowa State 10-10
Baylor 9-11
Texas A&M 9-12
Kansas 7-11
Colorado 6-12
Facing The Elite
Nebraska represents OSU's first 2010 opponent from the Associated Press top 25. After facing five ranked opponents in 2008, OSU has played just two since the beginning of the 2009 season (a win over No. 13 Georgia and a loss to No. 3 Texas – both last season).
The 2010 Vote
With the rise to No. 17 in this week's AP poll, Oklahoma State has now been a member of the AP top 25 for 29 of the last 33 weeks. OSU is 16-8 as a member of the AP top 25 under Mike Gundy.
The Spirit Of 76
Under Mike Gundy, OSU has now cracked the AP top 25 in three straight seasons. OSU had not been ranked by the AP in three consecutive years since the Cowboys made the polls (at least for a week) in eight straight years from the finale of 1970 through the first game of 1977.
Making History In Lubbock
Oklahoma State is coming off a convincing 34-17 win at Texas Tech as the Cowboys won in Lubbock for the first time since 1944. The Cowboys jumped to a 21-0 first quarter lead and never trailed. The highlights from last week:
• In the win, the Cowboys held Texas Tech below 20 points in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1974 and 1975.
• OSU set a season high in time of possession with 34:32. The Cowboys also set a season-high with 48 rushing attempts.
• The OSU defense gave up 14 second-quarter points, but limited the Red Raiders to a total of three points over the other three quarters.
• Kendall Hunter (130) and true freshman Joseph Randle (95) combined for 225 rushing yards. Randle also added 44 receiving yards.
• It was another day at the office for Justin Blackmon with 10 catches for 207 yards and a 62-yard score.
• Orie Lemon was credited with 17 tackles, including 14 solo stops.
• Safety Johnny Thomas had one of his best games with nine tackles and a big forced fumble.
• The Cowboys held Tech to 7-of-21 on combined third and fourth-down conversion attempts.
• Brandon Weeden passed for 356 yards with a score as OSU generated 30 first downs and rolled up 581 yards of total offense.
• OSU held the ball for 9:57 of the fourth quarter.
• Tech quarterback Taylor Potts was limited to 226 passing yards after entering the game throwing for 329 yards per outing.
• The Cowboys had three different players rush for a TD in the same game for the first time since playing Grambling State on Sept. 26, 2009.
Cowboys Topping The Charts
Oklahoma State enters the Nebraska game with a handful of individuals leading the nation in several categories and some others near the top of the charts:
• Justin Blackmon leads the country in scoring (13 ppg), receiving yards per game (159.2), total receiving yards (955) and touchdown receptions (12). He is second in the country in catches per game (9.5) and is No. 12 in all-purpose yards (161.7 per game).
• Senior linebacker Orie Lemon leads the nation with an average of 8.67 solo tackles per game. He is No. 9 nationally with two recovered fumbles. He is coming off a 17-tackle effort at Texas Tech.
• Senior Dan Bailey is one of nine kickers nationally yet to miss a field goal in 2010. He is third nationally in scoring at 12.5 ppg).
• Kendall Hunter is No. 5 in rushing and tops in the Big 12 at 138.33 yards per game.
• Brandon Weeden is second in passing yards per game (327.67), second in touchdown passes with 19, fourth in the “points responsible for” category with 19.0 per game, fifth in total passing yards (1,966), and No. 12 in passing efficiency (163.04).
• Andrew McGee is No. 15 nationally with three interceptions.
Mid-Year Milestones
Entering the Nebraska game, Oklahoma State's Big Three on offense are already within striking distance of some statistical marks that are usually used to measure entire seasons.
• Kendall Hunter needs 170 yards to record the second 1,000-yard rushing season of his career.
• Justin Blackmon needs only 45 receiving yards to reach 1,000 for the season.
• Brandon Weeden lacks just 34 passing yards to reach the 2,000-yard mark.
A Never Ever For Blackmon
Justin Blackmon reached another milestone in Lubbock when he became the first Cowboy to record six straight 100-yard receiving games with his 209-yard effort against the Red Raiders. Blackmon also has a “second-best” streak going with a touchdown reception in six straight games. The record of eight was set by Hart Lee Dykes over the final eight games of his career in 1988. Over the last two games, Blackmon now has 23 catches covering 397 yards with three scores. He has set a career high in receiving yards in each of the last two games (190 vs. Louisiana and 207 against Texas Tech).
America's Best Kick Combo?
Oklahoma State could make a case that it has the best kicking combo in America in Dan Bailey and punter/kicker Quinn Sharp. Bailey is simply perfect on the season. He is 13-of-13 on field goals and 36-of-36 on extra points. He became the first Cowboy since Luke Phillips (in a 2001 win at Oklahoma) to boot two 52-yarders in the same game as part of his 4-for-4 effort at Louisiana. Sharp is not only one of America's leading punters (10th) with his 45.63-yard average, but he also has OSU No. 13 in the country in net punting and continues to lead America in touchbacks with 35. He led the nation in that category last season as a freshman.
Bailey Moves Up
Not only is Dan Bailey perfect on the season, but he is climbing OSU's career scoring chart. He is now third all-time at OSU with 296 career points.
• He has hit 21 of his last 22 field goal attempts with the only miss during that stretch at 53-yarder vs. Colorado in 2009.
• He booted a game winner at the gun in OSU's 38-35 over Texas A&M to provide OSU's first “walk-off” field goal since 1981.
• Bailey has hit all 167 of his career extra-point attempts for an OSU record.
Sharp Still Sharp
Quinn Sharp, just a sophomore, has already proven his value as a punter and kicker. And his sophomore season has been stronger than his outstanding freshman season. Sharp enters this week 10th in the country with an average of 45.63 yards per punt. Even more importantly, OSU is No. 13 in the country in net punting (40.13 yards per kick).
• Sharp is second among all active NCAA punters with a career average of 45.25 yards per kick.
• He has 33 career punts in excess of 50 yards and eight of longer than 60 (including three this season).
• Eight of his 20 punts this season have resulted in a fair catch.
• He has 27 career punts inside the opponent's 20.
• Of his 53 kickoffs this season, 35 have gone for touchbacks. He led the nation in that category last season.
Big Game Watch
Oklahoma State's team is so young that the most career records are safe – for now. However, it has been open season on OSU's single-game performance list. Take a look at the current team and individual single-game performances in 2010 and where they rank all-time at OSU:
• In just six career starts, Brandon Weeden has the fourth (409 vs. Tulsa), the eighth (356 vs. Texas Tech), the 10th (351 vs. Louisiana) and the 11th (348 vs. Troy) best passing games in OSU history.
• Kendall Hunter's 257-yard rushing game vs. Washington State is No. 14 all-time at OSU.
• Justin Blackmon's last two games have been the ninth (190 vs. Louisiana) and the eighth (207 vs. Tech) best receiving games in school history.
• Blackmon's 13 catches at Louisiana rank second all-time and his 10 grabs at Tech are No. 12 all-time.
• As a team, OSU set a record with 722 yards of offense vs. Tulsa and the 581 yards at Texas Tech rank No. 22 all-time.
The Numbers Game
Oklahoma State's offense, despite returning just four starters (including only one offensive lineman) continues to shine in 2010. Some numbers to digest:
• OSU is averaging 49.5 points per game and trails only Oregon (54.3 ppg) nationally. OSU has scored at least 34 points in every game and cracked the 40-point mark four times in five games, the 50-point mark three times and 60 points twice. The 2010 Cowboys are just the third in school history to reach 60 points twice in one year.
• OSU is second nationally in total offense (535.3 ypg) – again trailing only Oregon.
• OSU has scored 297 points through six games. It's the third best total in school history through six games and the best of the modern era.
• OSU has already surpassed its entire 2009 total with 21 touchdown passes.
• Sixteen players have caught a pass this season and 12 of them have a reception of at least 18 yards. Even more impressive, six Cowboys have a catch of at least 34 yards.
• OSU is still averaging 4.6 yards per team rush, topping last season's 4.4 final mark.
• OSU leads the Big 12 in scoring offense, total offense, passing offense, red zone offense, and passing efficiency.
• OSU has 25 scoring drives with an elapsed time of less than two minutes (including a 91-yard drive in 1:26 and an 81-yard drive in 1:42).
NCAA Total Offense Leaders
Teams YPG
1. Oregon 567.0
2. Oklahoma State 535.3
3. Michigan 532.0
Cashing In
Oklahoma State is second nationally in red zone offense with points on 27 of its 28 chances. The breakdown includes 11 rushing touchdowns, nine passing touchdowns and seven field goals. OSU's only failure in the red zone came in the first half against Texas A&M when the Cowboys were held on downs.
Hunter To Date
The first half of the 2010 season has been a reminder of Kendall Hunter's talents. To date:
• Hunter is fifth nationally with an average of 138.3 rushing yards per game.
• He is No. 14 in the country (but third on the team) in scoring (10 points per game).
• He is No. 16 in the country (but second on the team) with an average of 159.3 all-purpose yards per game (and he had a 100-yard kickoff return wiped out by penalty).
• He ran for 208 yards in the first half against Washington State. It was the first 200-yard half by a Cowboy since Barry Sanders ran for 217 vs. Kansas in 1988.
• His four rushing touchdowns against the Cougars were just one shy of Sanders' school record (which Sanders set three times in 1988).
• He is averaging an extremely healthy 6.1 yards per rush this season.
Hunter And History
At a university steeped in tailback tradition with the aura of perhaps the greatest runner in college football history setting the standard, Kendall Hunter has already carved a place for himself in Cowboy backfield lore.
• Hunter is sixth all-time at OSU with 3,463 rushing yards and fifth with 31 rushing touchdowns.
• Hunter is the nation's sixth active leading rusher and No. 10 with 31 rushing touchdowns.
• He has moved up to No. 12 all-time at OSU in scoring with 192 points.
• Hunter averages an impressive 6.05 yards per rush for his career, second only to Barry Sanders among OSU's top 10 all-time runners.
• Hunter's 257-yard effort vs. Washington State was the 12th best game in OSU history.
• He has 16 career 100-yard rushing games and two 200-yard games. He has five 100-yard games and a 200-yard game this season.
OSU Career 100-Yard Rushing Games
1. Terry Miller (1974-77) 26
2. Thurman Thomas (1984-87) 21
3. David Thompson (1993-96) 18
4. Barry Sanders (1986-88) 17
5. Kendall Hunter (2007-10) 16
Classy Kendall
Kendall Hunter is one of 30 NCAA football bowl subdivision nominees for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character and competition. Hunter has received several distinctions for his classroom work, including second-team academic all-Big 12 in 2009, a spot on the President's Honor Roll for a 4.0 GPA and honorable-mention Scholar-Baller in 2009 and 2008. Hunter is also a two-time recipient of the Oklahoma State Academic Achievement Award and a member of the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll. Hunter has helped with the Harvest II Food Drive, made numerous visits to pediatric cancer patients in Tulsa and Oklahoma City and he's also been a guest speaker on leadership and hard work at local high schools in Oklahoma and Texas.
Evolution Of A Receiver
The development of sophomore receiver Justin Blackmon from a 260-yard receiver for the entire 2009 season into one of America's most dangerous wideouts in 2010 is becoming a national story. His national rankings can be found throughout this update. But some other numbers to consider:
• Blackmon has at least 100 receiving yards in six straight games to set an OSU record.
• He has a TD reception in six straight games, becoming the first receiver since Hart Lee Dykes in 1988 to accomplish the feat.
• He is the first non-kicker Cowboy to score in six straight games since running back Vernand Morency in 2004 (six in a row).
• He has a reception of at least 29 yards in every game this season.
• He has at least two TD catches in four of six games this season (was held to one score by Texas A&M and Texas Tech).
• His 13-catch, 190-yard game at Louisiana was the eighth best receiving game in OSU history only to be trumped by the 10-catch, 207-yard effort at Texas Tech.
• His 955 receiving yards already represent the eighth best season in school history.
• His 57 catches also already represent the eighth best single-season total in school history.
Young Guns
Oklahoma State is among the national leaders in true freshmen seeing playing time. Through five games, OSU ranks fifth in the country in that category behind only Air Force (17), Florida (16) and Syracuse and Tennessee (15 apiece).
How Young Is Too Young?
Oklahoma State heads into mid-October as one of America's youngest teams. How young is OSU?
• OSU's second-leading rusher is true freshman Joseph Randle.
• The second and third-team quarterbacks are freshmen.
• Nine of OSU's top 11 receivers, statistically, are expected to return next season.
• A true freshman leads OSU in kickoff and punt returns.
• Eighteen Cowboys have made their first career starts in 2010 with running back Jeremy Smith joining the list vs. Texas A&M.
• The Cowboys have four new starters in the offensive line, three new starters at linebacker (from 2009) and three new starters in the secondary.
• Ten OSU players have scored this season with only Kendall Hunter and kicker Dan Bailey representing the senior class in that category.
Doubling Up
Senior linebacker Orie Lemon is coming off a career-best 17-tackle effort at Texas Tech, including 14 solo tackles. It was his third double-figure tackle game in five outings. Along with leading the nation in solo tackles, Lemon has climbed to third in the Big 12 with 10.3 total tackles per game.
Listening To Mr. Bill
Since his arrival back at his alma mater, defensive coordinator Bill Young has been preaching turnovers to the Cowboys. The young defenders appear to be listening. OSU enters its seventh game of the season seventh nationally and tops in the Big 12 with 18 forced turnovers.
Picking It Up – And Off
The Oklahoma State defense was among the last in the country to register an interception. OSU did not have a pick through the first two games of the season. However, over the last four games the Cowboys have intercepted eight passes and now rank No. 26 nationally in that category. Six players have a pick and senior corner Andrew McGee has a team high three with an interception in three straight games. McGee is No. 15 in the country in that category.
Brains And Brawn
Oklahoma State has a pair of starting defensive linemen who have already obtained their undergraduate degrees. Defensive tackle Shane Jarka has already earned a degree in marketing and is pursuing his MBA. Defensive end Ugo Chinasa has completed work on his degree in sports management.
It's All Academic
Three Cowboy defensive linemen, Shane Jarka, Chris Donaldson and Jamie Blatnick, were academic all-Big 12 selections in 2009. While Jarka is already an OSU graduate, Donaldson is just four hours shy of his degree in secondary education.
Honoring The Blond Bomber
Oklahoma State players sport a decal on their helmets this fall to honor the Blond Bomber. Bob Fenimore, OSU's first All-American and one of the most dominating players of his era, died this summer. His jersey number of 55 is not in use at OSU. He was a two-time All-American, the No. 1 overall selection in the NFL Draft and No. 3 in the Heisman balloting. Fenimore led the nation in total offense and was third in rushing, eighth in passing, ninth in scoring and 13th in punting in 1944. He still holds the OSU career record with 18 interceptions as a defensive back. OSU was 17-1 during his sophomore and junior seasons with wins in the Cotton and Sugar Bowls. He is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame as well as the Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame.
