Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboys Open Big 12 Play With Aggies
September 26, 2010 | Cowboy Football
Sept. 26, 2010
Complete Release in PDF Format 
Texas A&M at RV/No. 24 Oklahoma State
Thurs., Sept. 30, 2010 :: 6:30 p.m. :: Boone Pickens Stadium (60,218)
TV: ESPN (Rece Davis, Craig James, Jesse Palmer and Jenn Brown)
Radio: Cowboy Radio Network (Dave Hunziker, John Holcomb and Robert Allen)
Internet: okstate.com
Satellite Radio: Sirius Channel 121 and XM Channel 141
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The Other Opener
The Oklahoma State Cowboys (3-0) will open the 2010 Big 12 season Thursday (Sept. 30) when they host the Texas A&M Aggies (3-0) for a 6:30 p.m. kickoff (actual kick 6:45). The game will be televised nationally by ESPN. It is the second national TV game of the season for the Cowboys with a third to follow next Friday (Oct. 8) when OSU plays at Louisiana in an ESPN2 telecast. The A&M game is OSU's fourth straight home contest to open the season.
Four In A Row
Oklahoma State is opening a season with four straight home games for the second straight year, but only the third time in school history. The 1975 season was the first time it happened.
Rankings Wrap Up
Oklahoma State is yet to make an appearance in the Associated Press poll in 2010, but the Cowboys checked in at No. 25 in the USA Today coaches' poll on Sept. 19 and now stand at 24th.
The Series
Texas A&M leads the all-time series by a 17-8 count, but OSU is riding a two-game winning streak and will be looking to win three in a row against the Aggies for the first time ever. Other facts and figures from a series with several close calls....
• The first meeting came in 1913, but the schools played just eight times prior to 1981.
• OSU is 4-6 against the Aggies in Stillwater.
• The Cowboys are 4-10 vs. Texas A&M during the Big 12 era, but the two teams have split their last eight games.
• Dating back to 2002, only nine points separate the two schools in cumulative scoring (OSU 257, A&M 248)
• At 25 games, the series against Texas A&M is the second shortest for OSU against a Big 12 South foe. The Texas series (24 games) is the shortest.
• Oklahoma State is 2-1 when opening the Big 12 season against Texas A&M with a loss in 2001 and wins in 2008 and 2009.
At The Wire
The Oklahoma State-Texas A&M series is one of the more tightly contested in the Big 12. The Aggies were one-point winners in 2006 and 2007 and OSU was a five-point winner last year in College Station. Since 1997, A&M has two overtime wins against OSU with one of those a one-point decision. Six games have been decided by five points or less since 1997.
Unbeatens In September
Oklahoma State and Texas A&M are two of just 25 undefeated teams as the football season hits the last game of September. And the Cowboy-Aggie matchup is one of five games this weekend featuring two undefeated teams. Of the 25 unbeatens, six are Big 12 schools (OSU, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas State) and four are OSU opponents in 2010.
Undefeated Matchups This Weekend
Texas A&M (3-0) vs. Oklahoma State (3-0)
Michigan (4-0) vs. Indiana (3-0)
Michigan State (4-0) vs. Wisconsin (4-0)
Stanford (4-0) vs. Oregon (4-0)
Florida (4-0) vs. Alabama (4-0)
How Young Is Too Young
Oklahoma State heads into the conference season as one of America's youngest teams. How young is OSU?
• Sixteen Cowboys have made their first career starts in 2010.
• OSU has 1,175 receiving yards through three games. That total includes only 80 yards by seniors.
• Thirteen true freshmen have played this season (more on that later in this update).
• The Cowboys have four new starters in the offensive line, three new starters at linebacker (from 2009) and three new starters in the secondary.
• Eight OSU players have scored this season; six of the eight are underclassmen.
Last Year In College Station
With the Cowboys still digesting the suspension of receiver Dez Bryant and the injury status of Kendall Hunter, OSU overcame an early 15-7 deficit to register a 36-31 victory in College Station. The Cowboys compiled 448 yards of total offense to overcome 118 yards in penalties. Hunter's backup, Keith Toston, rushed for 130 yards and Zac Robinson passed for 279 yards, including touchdown passes to Tracy Moore (51 yards) and Hubert Anyiam (27 yards). Justin Blackmon had one reception for 32 yards. Cornerback Andrew McGee had one of his better games of the season with seven tackles.
Last Time In Stillwater
The last time Texas A&M visited Stillwater, the Cowboys broke a four-game series losing streak against the Aggies in a big way. On Oct. 4, 2008, OSU picked up a 56-28 win over Texas A&M after sprinting to a 28-7 halftime lead. Defensive end Ugo Chinasa returned an interception six yards for a score and he set up another touchdown with a 35-yard return of a recovered fumble. Dez Bryant had five catches for 106 yards with three scores and he returned a punt 78 yards for another touchdown. Kendall Hunter ran for 90 yards on 21 carries. The 56 points represent the most OSU has ever scored in the series.
Big 12 Beginnings
Oklahoma State opens the Big 12 portion of the 2010 schedule when it hosts Texas A&M. Some opening numbers regarding the Cowboys:
• OSU is 6-8 in Big 12 openers.
• Under Mike Gundy, the Cowboys are 3-2 in Big 12 openers, including three straight victories (two over Texas A&M and one over Texas Tech).
• OSU is 3-1 when opening Big 12 play at home. OSU did not open conference play with a home game its first eight years in the Big 12, but is now opening in Stillwater for the fifth time since 2004.
Climbing The Charts
As OSU sticks its toe in the conference pond for the first time, it seems appropriate to re-visit the Cowboys' growing success in league play under Mike Gundy. The Cowboys are coming off a 6-2 Big 12 finish. OSU claimed sole possession of second place in the league for the first time in 2009 and established a new Big-12-era high with six conference victories. Under Mike Gundy, OSU has increased its Big 12 win total every season.
The Gundy Years
The Oklahoma State alum has brought stability to accompany an impressive list of accomplishments in his tenure as head coach at OSU. The former OSU quarterback is in his sixth season with a 39-27 record at his alma mater. Some of OSU's achievements under Gundy:
• Four straight bowl appearances (over the last four years) for the first time in school history. Overall, OSU has a school-best seven bowl appearances in eight seasons.
• A preseason AP top 10 ranking for the first time ever (2009)
• A return to the AP top five (2009) for the first time since 1985
• A school-record six conference wins in 2009 with a second-place finish in the rugged Big 12 South
• Four straight Big 12 rushing titles. OSU had never led its conference in rushing
• OSU has made two appearances on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
• An improved conference win total every year (from one to six in five years)
• Four straight seasons with at least seven wins for the first time in school history
• Three of the top seven offenses in OSU history have come under Gundy (and he quarterbacked the best offense in OSU history)
The Big 4-0
Mike Gundy will be looking for his 40th victory as the Cowboy head football coach when the Aggies come to town. He enters the game with an overall record of 39-27. Only Pat Jones (62) and Jim Lookabaugh (58) have reached the 40-win mark at OSU.
Gundy By The Numbers
Mike Gundy's 39-27 record is perhaps deceiving.
• The Cowboys were 12-15 after 27 games under Gundy, but have gone 27-12 over the last 39 games and 22-8 over the last 30 games.
• Four of the losses came to teams ranked in the top three of the AP poll at game time.
• OSU is 19-21 under Gundy in Big 12 play. However, OSU is 15-9 in league play over the last three seasons and 11-5 against conference foes in the last two years.
Gundy In Perspective
Mike Gundy is the eighth man in school history to coach into his sixth season. The longest tenured football coaches at OSU are Jim Lookabaugh and Pat Jones, who spent 11 seasons each at the helm of the program. Jones also leads OSU with 62 all-time victories while Gundy, who played quarterback for Jones, is third with 39 wins. Gundy's .591 winning percentage is third best on the school list. College Football Hall of Famer Pappy Waldorf won at a .735 clip during his five seasons in Stillwater before he headed for Berkeley and the University of California. Gundy and Jones top all of OSU's head coaches with four bowl teams each. Gundy is OSU's only coach to earn a bowl bid in four straight seasons.
Another 4-0
Oklahoma State will be looking for a 4-0 start when it takes on the Aggies. It would be the 14th 4-0 start in school history and the second under Mike Gundy. As a player, Gundy quarterbacked OSU to 4-0 starts in 1987 and 1988 on the way to a pair of 10-2 seasons. OSU has started a season 4-0 just three times since 1988 after making a 4-0 record the norm in the 1980s with six of them.
Offensively Speaking
Oklahoma State is coming off a landmark offensive output in its 65-28 win over Tulsa. School records fell by the wayside as OSU jumped to a 58-7 lead midway through the third quarter and cruised to the win. In the process, OSU scored on 10 straight possessions (the only 10 possessions that Brandon Weeden played in the game). Some of the more noteworthy records that tumbled against TU:
• OSU set a new school record with 722 yards of total offense. Keep in mind starting quarterback Brandon Weeded played just two snaps into the third period (the second snap was an 81-yard TD pass to Justin Blackmon and ended his night).
• The Cowboys set a new school record with eight touchdown passes (six by Brandon Weeden and two by Clint Chelf).
• Weeden's 328 first-half passing yards set a school record and he tied a record with five first-half TD passes.
• OSU shattered the old record for single-game passing yards (430) with 528 against Tulsa on just 43 pass attempts.
• The Cowboys completed 31 passes for another record.
• OSU's 171 points represent the school's highest total through three games (modern era record).
60-Something
Just three games into the 2010 season and Oklahoma State has surpassed the 60-point mark twice with 65 against both Tulsa and Washington State. OSU has reached the 60-point mark just 16 times in its history. The 2010 Cowboys become just the third team to reach the 60-point mark twice in the same season and the first since 1988. The only other team to reach 60 more than once came in 1912 and that squad accomplished the feat three times.
Big Plays Live Here
How explosive has the Oklahoma State offense been through three games? Consider:
• Twelve Cowboys have a pass reception of at least 17 yards
• Five Cowboys have a rush of at least 16 yards
• Eighteen pass plays of at least 20 yards are already in the books
• The 81-yard Brandon Weeden to Justin Blackmon TD is the fourth longest pass play in the NCAA this season
• OSU has 16 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
Fastest Start Ever
The 2010 Oklahoma State offense is off to the fastest scoring start in school history (at least since the invention of the facemask). The Cowboys have scored 171 points through three games to edge out the fabled 1988 offense (160 points) for the most points to start a season.
Cashing In
Oklahoma State is now 16-for-16 in red zone scoring. OSU tops the country in that category along with nine other teams. On the 16 trips into the red zone, the Cowboys have five rushing touchdowns, seven TD passes and four Dan Bailey field goals.
Same Ole Rush
Despite the Cowboys' new-found prominence through the air, OSU continues to live up to its tradition in the rushing department. Oklahoma State is averaging 204.3 rushing yards per game and has seven rushing TDs in 12 quarters of play
In Perspective
OSU is averaging 5.3 yards per rushing attempt in 2010. To put that number in perspective, the Cowboys ran for 2,441 yards last season and averaged 4.4 yards per attempt while leading the Big 12 in rushing. In 2008, another year in which OSU led the league in rushing, OSU averaged 5.48 yards per carry. That season saw Kendall Hunter rush for more than 1,500 yards and earn first-team All-America honors.
Young Guns
Oklahoma State is among the national leaders in true freshmen earning playing time. Through three games, OSU ranks fourth in the country in that category, trailing only Air Force (17), Florida (16) and Syracuse (15).
Don't Discount The D
Oklahoma State's defense may not have the numbers of the OSU offense, but Bill Young's crew is off to a solid start as well. The numbers are a bit skewed as OSU's reserves have played basically four of the team's 12 quarters to date. Some things to mull:
• OSU has handily outscored its opposition in every quarter, but the fourth. The opposition holds a 29-28 advantage in that period, thanks in part to massive reserves playing on the defensive side late in games.
• In the first three quarters this season, OSU holds a 153-54 scoring advantage.
• Oklahoma State's first three opponents averaged 174 yards of offense vs. OSU in the first half.
Defense By The Numbers
Some more notables from the OSU defense:
• The Cowboys are No. 20 in turnovers gained (9).
• OSU ranks No. 18 in red zone defense with 12 drives resulting in points on eight possessions.
• Oklahoma State has allowed just one opposing runner to reach 100 yards over the last 16 games (none this season).
• The first-team defense has allowed just 48 points through the first three games of the season.
The Forgotten All-American
Quiet Kendall Hunter prefers to remain anonymous and most of the college football media have seemed happy to oblige him. Hunter, a 2008 first-team All-American (as voted by the FWAA) and the Big 12's leading rusher that season, was all but forgotten in the hype leading up to the 2010 season opener. The start to the 2010 season debut may have served as a reminder of his talents. After three games:
• Hunter is third nationally with an average of 157.7 rushing yards per game.
• He is fifth in the country (but third on the team) in scoring (12 points per game).
• He is third in the country with an average of 198.33 all-purpose yards per game (and he had a 100-yard kickoff return wiped out by penalty).
• He already has five carries of at least 20 yards.
• His 473 rushing yards have already surpassed his 2009 injury-plagued season total of 382 yards.
• 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 7.9 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 place for himself in Cowboy backfield lore.
• Against Troy, Hunter became the seventh OSU player to reach 3,000 career rushing yards (3,106) and he climbed to fifth all-time (tied with David Thompson and Keith Toston) in rushing touchdowns (27).
• Hunter is the nation's seventh active leading rusher despite averaging just 13.8 carries per game.
• He has moved up to No. 17 all-time at OSU in scoring with 174 points with his two TDs vs. Troy.
• Hunter averages an impressive 6.25 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 13 career 100 yard rushing games and two 200-yard games.
Good Company
A quick recap of the handful of names that remain ahead of Kendall Hunter on OSU's all-time rushing chart:
1. Thurman Thomas: the school's all-time rushing leader, an All-American and NFL Hall of Famer
2. Terry Miller: Heisman Trophy runner-up and two-time All-American
3. David Thompson: More than 4,000 yards and an all-league performer in the Big Eight and Big 12
4. Barry Sanders: Heisman winner and multiple Hall of Famer
5. Ernest Anderson: Another All-American and an NCAA rushing champion
6. Tatum Bell: 14 career 100-yard rushing games with two of the seven longest runs in school history
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.
Walker Watchers
Kendall Hunter is one of the preseason candidates for the Doak Walker Award, the Pricewaterhouse Coopers SMU Athletic Forum announced on Aug. 25. The Walker Award is presented annually to the nation's top running back.
Blackmon Busts Out
Oklahoma State entered 2010 looking for a go-to receiver and through two games sophomore Justin Blackmon has been "gone-to". The Ardmore Plainview product is at the top or close to the top in several national categories and is off to a historical start for the Cowboys.
• He leads the country in scoring (18 ppg).
• He leads the country in receiving yards per game (143.7)
• He leads the country in touchdown receptions (8).
• He is seventh in the country in receptions per game (8.0)
• He is 22nd in the country in all-purpose yards (153.7 per game)
• His 81-yard TD reception vs. Tulsa is the fourth longest reception in the country this season.
• He is averaging 17.9 yards per reception.
Streak Starter
Justin Blackmon has three straight 100-yard receiving games to start the season. He's the first Cowboy to reach 100-yards in three straight games since Rashaun Woods hit the mark in five straight games in 2002. The only other Cowboy with five games in a row over 100 yards was Hart Lee Dykes in 1988. Both Dykes and Woods went on to become first-team All-Americans and first-round draft picks.
A Career In A Month
Another Cowboy receiver stepping up in 2010 is Mustang native Josh Cooper. Cooper entered his junior season with 22 catches for 234 yards. Through three games this season, he already has 17 catches covering 228 yards. He has also contributed a 66-yard punt return for a touchdown (vs. Troy). He had his first career 100-yard receiving game when he produced eight catches for 114 yards against Troy.
Weeden's Numbers
Through three starts, junior quarterback Brandon Weeden seems to have made a seamless transition into the starting role. Even though he has played just one college game wire-to-wire, Weeden's numbers are impressive in his first three starts:
• He has already recorded the fourth (409 vs. Tulsa) and ninth best (348 vs. Troy) passing games in school history.
• OSU has just 21 300-yard passing games in school history and Weeden has two of them.
• His 11 TD passes already rank him No. 14 on the single-season list. The school record of 31 was set in 2002 by Josh Fields.
Weeden In America
Entering the Texas A&M game, Brandon Weeden is another Cowboy on the national charts:
• He is No. 3 in the country with an average of 325 passing yards per game.
• He is second in the nation with an efficiency rating of 186.34.
• His 11 TD passes led the country after three weeks, although he dropped to second when OSU was idle the past weekend.
Linebacker U.
Oklahoma State's top two tacklers continue to be senior linebackers Orie Lemon (returning from a 2009 injury that forced him to miss the season) and Justin Gent (a first-year starter). Nineteen of Lemon's 22 tackles are solo stops. He had 13 tackles against Troy when he played every snap of the game (82 plays). Lemon is third in the country with two fumbles recovered. Gent has 15 tackles, including a season-high seven in his first career start (vs. Washington State).
Bailey Chasing Barry, Too
Kendall Hunter is not the only Cowboy on a career list with Barry Sanders. Senior placekicker Dan Bailey enters the A&M game with 260 career points. Sanders is OSU's all-time leader with 330 points. Bailey is already eighth in OSU history in that category and is No. 9 among all active NCAA players. Bailey has averaged 97.5 points over the last two years. A 98-point senior season would put him just 11 points behind Sanders and No. 2 all-time at Oklahoma State. In his career, Bailey has converted on all 152 of his extra point attempts to establish a new OSU record. He has converted all six of his field goal attempts this season.
Sharp Still Sharp
Sophomore Quinn Sharp has taken up where he left off in 2009. One year after leading the nation in touchbacks on kickoffs with 35, he has 24 more into the end zone through three weeks to easily lead the country. He is also averaging 46.9 yards on his 12 punts to rank sixth nationally. He tied a career long with a 67-yard boot against Troy. For his career, which includes 79 total punts, Sharp already has:
• Thirty punts in excess of 50 yards
• Seven career punts of more than 60 yards
• Only five punts for touchbacks while 26 have been downed inside the 20
• Eighteen punts that have been fair caught
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.
