Oklahoma State University Athletics
Game Notes: Cowboys Host Baylor
October 31, 2010 | Cowboy Football
Oct. 31, 2010
Complete Release in PDF Format 
No. 19/18 Oklahoma State vs. No. 22/22 Baylor
Nov. 8, 2010 :: 11:30 a.m. Central Time :: Boone Pickens Stadium (60,218 capacity)
TV: FSN (Bill Land, Dave Lapham and Emily Jones)
Radio: Cowboy Radio Network (Dave Hunziker, John Holcomb and Robert Allen)
Internet: okstate.com
Satellite Radio: Sirius Channel 154 and XM Channel 231
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The Stretch Run
The Oklahoma State Cowboys (7-1/3-1) begin the stretch run of the 2010 football season when they host the Baylor Bears (7-2/4-1) Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium. Kick is set for 11:30 a.m. as the Cowboys experience their second straight pre-noon kickoff. FSN will be on hand to televise the game.
Top 25 Meeting
Saturday's game will mark the first time that OSU and Baylor meet with both teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25. The Cowboys enter the game 19th in the AP poll while Baylor is No. 22. OSU is 3-1 as a top 25 team when facing Baylor. The only previous time that Oklahoma State faced a ranked Baylor squad came in the 1983 Bluebonnet Bowl and the Cowboys came away with a 24-14 win in the Houston Astrodome over the No. 20 Bears.
Totally Offensive
The Cowboys and Bears bring two of the nation's top offenses to the table. OSU enters play second nationally with an average of 527.3 yards per game while Baylor is No. 8 in America with 490.4 yards per contest. Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III is third nationally in total offense (332.56 yards per game) while OSU quarterback Brandon Weeden is fifth (309.12).
Scene Setting
The Baylor-Oklahoma State matchup has major implications in the Big 12 South. Baylor, OSU and Oklahoma all have just one conference loss heading into November. The winner of Saturday's game will at worst have a share of the division lead (Baylor would continue to own sole possession of the lead as the Bears have one more conference game under their belt than the Oklahoma schools). OSU is 2-0 this season against South Division foes with wins over Texas A&M and Texas Tech already in the books. OSU has not lost to a Big 12 South member outside of Oklahoma or Texas since a Nov. 8, 2008, setback at No. 2 Texas Tech. The Cowboys have won three straight vs. A&M, two straight and three of the last four against Tech and four in a row against Baylor.
Worth Noting
Oklahoma State is coming off a 24-14 win at Kansas State. The win improved OSU to 3-0 on the road this season after OSU started 3-0 on the road in 2009. OSU has now registered three-game road winning streaks in consecutive seasons for the first time since the 1944 and 1945 teams accomplished the feat.
Winning Numbers
Oklahoma State's victory at Kansas State means another milestone reached for the OSU football program. The Cowboys have won at least seven games for five straight seasons for the first time ever. Other accomplishments within grasp:
• One more win this season would give OSU at least eight wins in three straight seasons for just the third time in school history and for the first time since the 1983-84-85 teams.
• If the Cowboys can win twice more in 2010, Oklahoma State will record three straight nine-win seasons for the first time ever.
One To Tie
The win at Kansas State was Oklahoma State's 25th over the last three seasons (9-4, 9-4, 7-1). The 2010 Cowboys need one more victory for the program to reach 26 over the past three seasons and allow the 2008-2009-2010 teams to tie the 1986-87-88 squads for the most wins by OSU in a three-year period.
Most Wins Over Three Years
1986-87-88 26
2008-09-10 25
2002-03-04 24
1984-85-86 24
1930-31-32 24
Can Kids Contend?
Oklahoma State is in the middle of the Big 12 South race in a year of massive turnover. Twenty-one different Cowboys have made their first career starts in 2010 with true freshman linebacker Shaun Lewis joining those ranks on Saturday at K-State. Oklahoma State is fifth in the country in number of true freshmen seeing action this season with 14. In addition, the redshirt freshman class has kicked in an additional nine bodies and freshmen or redshirt freshmen have earned nine starts.
Speaking Of Freshmen
The win at Kansas State was clear evidence of the changing face of OSU football:
• In his first career start, freshman Shaun Lewis responded with eight tackles (second only to Orie Lemon's 10). He also led OSU with two tackles behind the line of scrimmage.
• Redshirt freshman receiver Michael Harrison had three catches covering 31 yards. His third-down, 15-yard TD reception in the last minute of the first half was one of the key plays of the game.
• True freshman running back Joseph Randle was second on the team with 64 rushing yards, and second on the team with 59 receiving yards.
Way Too Early For This, But...
The OSU trio of quarterback Brandon Weeden, running back Kendall Hunter and receiver Justin Blackmon are already reaching single-season milestones after just eight games. They combine to form the sixth OSU trio since 1988 to pass for 2,000 yards, rush for 1,000 yards and record 1,000 receiving yards. Entering the Baylor game, Weeden already has 2,547 passing yards to rank fourth on OSU's single-season list. Hunter already has 1,174 rushing yards for No. 15 on the single-season list and Blackmon already has 1,112 receiving yards to rank No. 6 on the single-season list.
Got Here First
Oklahoma State enters the weekend as the only school in the country with a 1,000-yard rusher (Kendall Hunter) and a 1,000-yard receiver (Justin Blackmon) already in the books for 2010. Hunter is one of five 1,000-yard rushers to date while Blackmon and Greg Salas of Hawaii are the country's only two 1,000-yard receivers entering this weekend.
The Series
Oklahoma State leads the all-time series with the Bears by a 16-12 count. The Cowboys hold a 13-1 advantage during the Big 12 era, including a current four-game winning streak. Some series notes:
• OSU hasn't lost to Baylor in Stillwater since 1939. That stretch, however, covers only eight games.
• OSU was 1-9 against Baylor from 1914 through 1942. Since that time, however, the Cowboys have won 15 of the 18 games.
• OSU was a 24-14 winner over Baylor in the 1983 Bluebonnet Bowl in Houston. It was the first career bowl win for then Cowboy boss Jimmy Johnson and marks the only time OSU has faced a ranked Baylor team (No. 20 in the AP poll).
• The Cowboys have scored at least 34 points in every game against Baylor since 1999.
• Baylor has scored a total of 27 points against the Cowboys over the last three games.
• The Cowboys and Bears will play in Stillwater again next season as the Big 12 switches to its nine-game conference schedule.
Connections
Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy was a member of the Baylor coaching staff as the quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator in 1996. Other connections:
• Cowboy offensive line coach Joe Wickline also worked at Baylor (1997 and 1998).
• Cowboy offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen and Bears defensive coordinator Brian Norwood were at Texas Tech together in 2000.
• Baylor special teams coordinator and receivers coach Dino Babers was a graduate assistant at Arizona State when Bill Young was coaching the Sun Devils' defensive line in 1985.
The Last Meeting
It was a good day for the Cowboy defense as Oklahoma State knocked off Baylor, 34-7, on Oct. 24, 2009. Keith Toston ran for 109 yards and Beau Johnson added 93 for the Cowboys as OSU improved to 6-1. Cowboy tight ends Wilson Youman and Cooper Bassett had TD receptions. On the defensive side, OSU held the Bears off the scoreboard until the 7:17 mark of the fourth quarter and OSU won the total offense battle, 445-284. Cowboy quarterback Zac Robinson set a school completion percentage record by hitting 23 of his 27 pass attempts (85.2 percent) for 250 yards.
Last Time In Stillwater
Dez Bryant caught 11 passes covering 212 yards with two scores as OSU improved to 7-0 with a 34-6 win over the Bears on Oct. 18, 2008. The Cowboys limited the Bears to 204 yards of total offense. Robert Griffin passed for 162 yards on a 15-of-27 effort, but was limited to 12 rushing yards on 12 carries. Kendall Hunter ran for 93 yards and Keith Toston had scoring runs of four and two yards.
Starting Up
Oklahoma State's 7-1 start in 2010 ties for the second best (based on percentage) eight-game start in school history. A win over Baylor would improve the Cowboys to 8-1 and tie for the second best eight-game record in school history. OSU has started a season 8-1 or better just four times in school history.
Best 8-Game Records
Year Record Pct.
1945 8-0 1.000
1932 6-0-2 .875
1984 7-1 .875
1985 7-1 .875
1987 7-1 .875
2003 7-1 .875
2008 7-1 .875
2010 7-1 .875
Best 9-Game Records
1945 9-0
2008 8-1
1985 8-1
1984 8-1
The 2010 Vote
With Oklahoma State in at No. 19 in this week's AP poll, Oklahoma State has now been a member of the AP top 25 for 31 of the last 35 weeks. OSU is 16-9 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 five straight years from the finale of 1972 through the first game of 1977.
K-State Recap
Oklahoma State is coming off a 24-14 win at Kansas State in a game that defied the season to date. With some of OSU's top weapons on the shelf, including sophomore receiver Justin Blackmon and junior wideout Hubert Anyiam, OSU slugged it out with the Wildcats before taking control in the third period. And with the offense missing some pieces, OSU's defense delivered at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
• OSU's defense allowed a season-low 289 yards, including just 3.9 yards per snap. It was the lowest output by an OSU opponent since Nov. 19, 2009, when the Cowboys yielded just 251 yards vs. Colorado.
• The 2009 Big 12 rushing champ, Daniel Thomas, did manage 101 yards against OSU, but it took 29 carries as he averaged just 3.5 yards per tote. After three quarters, Thomas had 62 rushing yards.
• The Cowboy defense picked off three passes and Johnny Thomas returned his INT 26 yards for a touchdown.
• Along with the three forced turnovers, OSU had four tackles for loss, a sack, and four pass break-ups.
• Ten of K-State's 14 possessions ended with a punt, turnover or a turnover on downs.
• OSU held an impressive total offense advantage of 511-289, despite a short-handed offensive lineup.
• Oklahoma State won in Manhattan for the first time since 1988 after winning in Lubbock vs. Texas Tech for the first time since 1944 on its last road trip.
Safeties First
The Cowboy safety tandem of Johnny Thomas and Markelle Martin put up impressive numbers at Kansas State. They combined for 10 tackles, two interceptions, a forced fumble, a tackle for loss, two pass-break-ups and a defensive touchdown.
Here's Johnny
Junior safety Johnny Thomas is in the midst of his best football as a Cowboy. Thomas had a total of 14 tackles through the first five games of the season. Over the last three games he has 20 stops. At K-State, he had six tackles, a forced fumble, a 26-yard interception return for a score, two pass break-ups and he downed a punt at the 1-yard-line. The interception return for a touchdown was the first for OSU since Patrick Lavine did it against Texas Tech in 2009.
Lemon In The Middle
OSU linebacker Orie Lemon continues to author an impressive senior season. In Manhattan, he had 10 stops in recording his fourth double-digit tackle outing of the season. In conference games, Lemon leads the Big 12 with 12 stops per contest. He had 14 tackles against Texas A&M and 17 at Texas Tech. He is third in the country in solo tackles with 7.63 per game. Lemon is averaging 9.9 tackles per game for the season to rank No. 23 nationally.
Turning The Corner
Oklahoma State has climbed to No. 7 in the country and remains tops in the Big 12 in forced turnovers with 22 on the season. That total was raised by three on Saturday with Cowboy defenders picking off three passes. OSU has forced at least one turnover in every game this season, at least two in seven of the eight games to date and three or more four times in eight games.
The INTersection
The Oklahoma State defense is No. 22 in the country in interceptions with 11 through eight games. But it has been a strange trip toward the top of the NCAA in that category with the picks coming in bunches or not at all. OSU was one of the last teams in the country to intercept a pass this season. Seven Cowboys have an interception in 2010 after six picked off passes all of last year. Senior corner Andrew McGee leads the Cowboys and the Big 12, and is 10th nationally, with four interceptions.
Interceptions By Game
Washington State 0
Troy 0
Tulsa 3
Texas A&M 4
Louisiana 1
Texas Tech 0
Nebraska 0
Kansas State 3
Chart Watching
Oklahoma State players continue to be at or near the top in the NCAA statistical rankings with Justin Blackmon leading the nation in three major statistical categories, including receiving yards per game and scoring. Kendall Hunter, Brandon Weeden and specialists Dan Bailey and Quinn Sharp also rank among the nation's best as do Orie Lemon and Andrew McGee.
OSU and the NCAA
Player Category Rank Stat
J. Blackmon Rec. Yards/Gm 1 158.86
J. Blackmon TD Receptions 1 14
J. Blackmon Scoring 1 12.86 ppg
J. Blackmon Total Rec. Yards 2 1,112
J. Blackmon Receptions/Game 3 8.9
J. Blackmon All-Purpose Yards 12 161.0 ypg
D. Bailey Scoring 4 11.5 ppg
D. Bailey FG Percentage 1 1.000
K. Hunter Rushing 3 146.75 ypg
K. Hunter Rushing TDs 5 12
K. Hunter All-Purpose Yards 11 163.13 ypg
K. Hunter Scoring 24 9.0 ppg
O. Lemon Solo Tackles 3 7.63 pg
Q. Sharp Punting 5 47.0 avg
B. Weeden Passing Yards 3 2,547
B. Weeden TD Passes 2 23
B. Weeden Points Responsibility 10 17.25 ppg
B. Weeden Passing Efficiency 22 156.14
A. McGee Interceptions/Game 10 .50
Two Right Feet
Oklahoma State has two of the best right legs in college football in the form of senior placekicker Dan Bailey and sophomore punter Quinn Sharp. Both are at the top of their game in 2010 with Bailey yet to miss a field goal or extra point and Sharp fifth in the nation in punting and helping the Cowboys to third nationally in net punting.
Bailey's Season
Dan Bailey dotted several mid-season All-America teams and he kept his perfect 2010 alive last week with a field goal of 34 yards against Kansas State. For the season, Bailey is 16-of-16 on three-point tries. He is one of just four perfect kickers on the season and his 16 attempts are the most by any member of that quartet. Bailey hit the walk-off 40-yard game winner in the 38-35 win over Texas A&M and he booted two field goals of 52 yards at Louisiana (the first Cowboy to hit two from 52 in the same game since 2001). He has now hit 24 of his last 25 FG attempts (dating back to the 2009 game vs. Colorado) and he is perfect in his OSU career with 175 straight extra points (an OSU record).
Keeping An Eye On Barry And Cary
Dan Bailey will leave Oklahoma State as one of the school's all-time leading scorers. For his career, he has 313 points to rank third all-time at OSU. He currently trails only Barry Sanders (330) and Cary Blanchard (315). The distance increases when factoring in bowl scoring (which the NCAA does not include prior to 2002). When including OSU postseason play, the top three scorers in school history remain the same, but with a higher ceiling:
Including Postseason Points
1. Barry Sanders 360
2. Cary Blanchard 344
3. Dan Bailey 313
The First Semifinalist
Dan Bailey became the first Cowboy to be named a 2010 semifinalist for a national honor when the Lou Groza Award trimmed its list of potential winners to 20. That announcement was made on Oct. 29 by the Palm Beach Sports Commission.
Sharp Punting
One week after setting a new school record by averaging 60.4 yards on five punts against Nebraska (including a career-best 78-yarder), sophomore punter Quinn Sharp showed his diversity with a stellar outing at Kansas State. Against the Wildcats, Sharp averaged “only” 41.3 yards on his efforts. But he was a huge factor in the game as he had four punts downed inside the K-State 10-yard line (4, 8, 7, 1).
• Sharp is now fifth nationally in punting with an average of 47 yards per boot.
• As a team, OSU is third nationally in net punting (41.2-yard average).
• For the season, Sharp has had eight punts downed inside the 20 with just four touchbacks.
• On kickoffs, Sharp easily leads the nation with 38 touchbacks. To put that number in perspective, OSU's opponents have just eight touchbacks against the Cowboys in 2010.
• He has 36 career punts of longer than 50 yards and 10 longer than 60.
Blackmon Returns
Justin Blackmon will return to play this weekend and look to continue several impressive streaks. Against Nebraska, the sophomore caught five passes covering 157 yards with two touchdowns and drew a pass interference on what looked to be another big play. Included in that total was an 80-yard score. Blackmon now owns the OSU record with a TD catch in seven straight games. He will try to tie another record against Baylor when he goes for his eighth straight 100-yard receiving game.
Evolution of a Receiver
The development of sophomore receiver Justin Blackmon from a 260-yard receiver for the entire 2009 season into perhaps America's most explosive wideout in 2010 has been one of the stories of the 2010 season. His national rankings can be found throughout this update. But some other numbers to consider:
• He has a reception of at least 29 yards in every game this season and at least 125 receiving yards in every game.
• He has at least two TD catches in five of seven 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 1,112 receiving yards already represent the sixth best season in school history.
• His 62 catches also already represent the seventh best single-season total in school history.
• Blackmon leads the country in receiving by more than 20 yards per game.
Classy Kendall
Oklahoma State running back Kendall Hunter is one of 10 national finalists for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award in the Football Bowl Subdivision. To be eligible, 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 honors in 2009, a spot on the President's Honor Roll for a 4.0 GPA and honorable-mention Scholar-Baller in 2008 and 2009. 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.
All-America Form
Kendall Hunter was a 2008 first-team All-American when he ran for 1,555 yards as a sophomore and earned the Big 12 rushing title. His senior season could be even better as his pace through eight games tops his 2008 numbers. He enters the Baylor game as the third leading rusher in the country and tops in the Big 12 with an average of 146.8 yards per game.
Hunter 2010 vs. Hunter 2008 Through 8 Games
Year Att Yds TD Avg YPG
2008 169 1170 10 6.6 139.5
2010 189 1174 12 6.2 146.6
More Elite Company
Kendall Hunter has a pair of 1,000-yard rushing seasons to his credit, putting him in elite Cowboy company. Terry Miller leads all OSU runners with three 1,000-yard seasons. Kendall Hunter joins Thurman Thomas, David Thompson and Tatum Bell as the only other Cowboys with multiple 1,000-yard seasons as that quartet has two each.
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 carved a place for himself in Cowboy backfield lore.
• Hunter is fourth all-time at OSU with 3,807 rushing yards and fifth with 33 rushing touchdowns.
• Hunter is the nation's third active leading rusher and No. 9 in career rushing TDs.
• He has moved up to No. 11 all-time at OSU with 210 career points.
• Hunter averages an impressive 6.08 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 and in that game he became the first player since Barry Sanders in 1988 (vs. Kansas) to run for more than 200 yards in a half (208 yards on 18 carries).
OSU Career 100-yard Rushing Games
1. Terry Miller (1974-77) 26
2. Thurman Thomas (1984-87) 21
3. Kendall Hunter (2007-2010) 18
David Thompson (1993-96) 18
OSU Career 200-Yard Games
1. Barry Sanders 7
2. Thurman Thomas 6
3. Ernest Anderson 4
4. David Thompson 4
T5. Kendall Hunter 3*
T5. Vernand Morency 3
*Including two from 2010
All-Time OSU Rushing Leaders
1. Thurman Thomas 4,595
2. Terry Miller 4,581
3. David Thompson 4,314
4. Kendall Hunter 3,807
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 seven 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 has recorded 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.
Now vs. Then
Oklahoma State's 2010 offense is sure to go down as one of the best in school history. But the very best? It has a chance. Check out the numbers from 2010 as compared to those of the legendary 1988 squad that is ranked as the best offensive machine in school history.
1988 vs. 2010
Year Points Total Offense First Downs
1988 47.5 515.2 24.7
2010 45.3 527.2 25.5
Cashing In
Oklahoma State is second nationally in red zone offense with points on 35 of its 36 chances. The breakdown includes 14 rushing touchdowns, 11 passing touchdowns and 10 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. OSU is second nationally to Memphis, which his perfect on 12 red zone opportunities.
How Young Is Too Young?
Oklahoma State heads into November 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.
• Twenty-one Cowboys have made their first career starts in 2010.
• The Cowboys have four new starters in the offensive line, three new starters at linebacker (from 2009) and three new starters in the secondary.
• Twelve OSU players have scored this season with only Kendall Hunter and kicker Dan Bailey representing the senior class 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.
Player One Liners
• Josh Cooper's TD catch at Kansas State was just the third of his career.
• Johnny Thomas' interception in Manhattan was the first of his career.
• Cowboy quarterback Brandon Weeden has a completion of at least 38 yards in every game this season.
• Receiver Isaiah Anderson is averaging 19.7 yards on his seven receptions.
• Bo Bowling had 98 receiving yards on the season before accumulating 92 at Kansas State.
• Redshirt freshman Michael Harrison has three TD catches on nine career receptions.
• True freshman linebacker Shaun Lewis is tied for the team lead (with Orie Lemon) with six tackles for loss this season.
