Oklahoma State University Athletics
Game Notes - Cowboys Host No. 17 K-State
October 30, 2011 | Cowboy Football
Complete Release in PDF Format 
Oct. 30, 2011
No. 17/19 Kansas State at No. 3/4 Oklahoma State
Nov 5, 2011 :: 7 p.m. CT :: Boone Pickens Stadium (60,218 capacity)
TV: ABC Sports (Announcers TBA)
Radio: Cowboy Radio Network (Dave Hunziker, John Holcomb & Robert Allen)
National Radio: Westwood One (Announcers TBA)
Internet: okstate.com
Satellite Radio: Sirius Ch. TBD and XM CH. TBD
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Purple vs. Orange
For the first time since the first two games of the season, the Oklahoma State Cowboys will play consecutive home games as No. 17 Kansas State comes to town for a Saturday evening tilt at Boone Pickens Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. OSU enters the game leading the Big 12 with a 5-0 conference record and a perfect 8-0 mark overall. Kansas State is coming off of its first loss of the season after seven straight victories to start 2011.
8-0
Oklahoma State is 8-0 for just the second time in school history and for the first time since its lone undefeated season in 1945. OSU is also 5-0 in conference play for the first time ever.
9-0
A win on Saturday would improve OSU to 9-0 for the second time ever and match the best start in school history. The 1945 team finished its season with a 9-0 record. That total included a Sugar Bowl victory.
Television Info
Oklahoma State and Kansas State will do battle on an ABC/ESPN2 reverse mirror telecast. The game will be OSU's fourth on ABC this season and the Bedlam game has already been selected by the network as well.
Ballot Box
Oklahoma State is third in the Associated Press poll for a second straight week. It is the highest the Cowboys have been ranked by the media since November of 1984 when OSU was also third in the AP. It ties the highest AP ranking in OSU history.
As The Turnstiles...Um...Turn
Oklahoma State's 2011 season will be a record-breaking one at the box office. The school has already hosted the second (Baylor), third (Kansas), seventh (Louisiana) and eighth (Arizona) largest crowds in school history.
Series Stuff
Oklahoma State leads the all-time series with Kansas State, 35-22.
• Oklahoma State has won three straight and four of the last five games between the schools.
• The series began in 1908, but the schools played just 15 times prior to becoming conference foes in 1960.
• OSU has won the last two home meetings after K-State won four in a row in Stillwater.
• OSU holds an all-time advantage of 18-8 in Stillwater.
• OSU and Kansas State will be meeting for the first time with both teams ranked in the AP top 25.
Ranked Repercussions
Oklahoma State has two wins this season over members of the AP top 25 - both coming on the road. The Cowboys won at No. 8 Texas A&M and at No. 22 Texas. A win over No. 17 Kansas State would give the Cowboys three victories over top 25 opponents in the same season for the first time since the 1976 Big Eight championship team knocked off four ranked teams.
Mike Gundy vs. Bill Snyder
Mike Gundy is 2-1 against K-State as OSU's head coach, but last year's win in Manhattan is the only time he has faced off against K-State boss Bill Snyder. Gundy's playing career overlapped the beginning of Bill Snyder's "Miracle In Manhattan". As OSU's quarterback, Gundy was 4-0 against Kansas State. In 1989, an injured Gundy had to come off the bench to lead OSU to a come-from-behind 17-13 win against Snyder's first Kansas State team.
Last Year's Game
Oklahoma State had to slug out a 24-14 victory over the Wildcats in Manhattan last season. Playing without Justin Blackmon, OSU trailed late in the first half, 7-0, before Brandon Weeden connected with Michael Harrison on a 15-yard TD. That late first-half score turned momentum and launched the eventual win.
• True freshman Joseph Randle had a big game against his home state school with 64 rushing yards on just seven carries and 59 receiving yards on just four catches.
• Brandon Weeden passed for 298 yards on a 22-of-39 effort.
• The Cowboys won the turnover battle by a 3-2 margin as OSU lost two fumbles but had three interceptions -- and one of those resulted in a 26-yard return for a score by safety Johnny Thomas.
• Punter Quinn Sharp had a huge day, pinning K-State inside its own 10 four times and inside the five twice.
• OSU endured 100 yards in penalties on 10 infractions.
Connections
K-State co-offensive coordinator Del Miller was the OC at Oklahoma State in 2000.
A Win Would Mean
A victory over the Wildcats would be significant for the Cowboys on several fronts. With a victory...
• OSU would be 9-0 for just the second time in school history and for the first time since 1945.
• OSU would reach nine wins in four straight seasons for the first time ever.
• OSU would improve its best-ever conference start to 6-0.
• OSU would improve its current winning streak to 10 games. The current nine-game winning streak is the second longest in school history, trailing only the 13-game streak in 1944-46. OSU's streak is also the second longest active streak in the country (tied with Alabama, LSU and Boise State), trailing only Stanford's 16-game run.
Baylor Recap
Oklahoma State is coming off a 59-24 win over Baylor in the 2011 Homecoming game. It was OSU's sixth win of at least 21 points this season. Seven of OSU's eight wins have been by double figures.
• Oklahoma State stuffed the stat box as the Cowboys rolled to a 35-0 halftime lead, a 49-3 advantage after three quarters and scored 59 points on just 63 snaps.
• The Cowboys had two players rush for more than 100 yards (Joseph Randle: 14-152-4 and true freshman Herschel Sims: 8-104-1), and a 100-yard receiver (Justin Blackmon: 13-172-2). The Cowboys won the turnover battle, 5-1, and averaged 9.5 yards per snap.
• OSU had three different runners with a rush of at least 63 yards.
• OSU ran for 327 yards on just 27 carries for an average of 12.1 yards per attempt. It was the best rushing total by the Cowboys since 331 at Iowa State in 2009.
• The Cowboys had two 99-yard scoring drives.
• The OSU red zone defense was stellar with Baylor being stopped on downs twice inside the five and the Cowboys picking off another pass in the end zone.
• Baylor ran 14 plays inside the OSU five and did not score until the 14th (on their last snap of the day).
Not Quite Never Ever
The Baylor game was the fourth in OSU history with two 100-yard runners and a 100-yard receiver. The previous Cowboy teammates to accomplish the feat:
• 1988 vs. Kansas (Barry Sanders and Gerald Hudson rushing and Hart Lee Dykes receiving)
• 1998 vs. Mississippi State (Nathan Simmons and Jamaal Fobbs rushing and Terance Richardson receiving)
• 2008 vs. Troy (Kendall Hunter and Keith Toston rushing and Dez Bryant receiving)
Smith and Randle
Oklahoma State entered 2011 looking to replace two-time All-American Kendall Hunter at running back. What has evolved is an incredibly effective two headed sophomore monster in Joseph Randle and Jeremy Smith.
• Through eight games, the duo has combined for 1,344 rushing yards with 23 touchdowns. They combine to average 6.65 yards per carry.
• They have combined for five 100-yard rushing games (four by Randle). Against Baylor, they ran for 229 yards with Smith running for 77 on just three carries and Randle rushing for a career-best 152 yards and four scores. Randle's long run of the day was 62 yards and Smith's was 63.
• Randle has set career bests two weeks in a row with 138 rushing yards at Missouri and 152 vs. Baylor.
• Smith had 140 rushing yards against Texas on just seven carries and 77 yards against Baylor on just three carries.
• OSU has rushed for 25 TDs this season after running for 26 all of last season.
• The Cowboys have 25 running plays of at least 20 yards this season. OSU had 26 all of last season.
• OSU has 10 runs of at least 30 yards this season after having eight all of last season.
• Randle has run for 842 yards and is just 158 yards shy of reaching 1,000 yards. The Cowboys have had a 1,000-yard runner in each of the last four seasons.
The Big Six
Oklahoma State joins Alabama, Boise State, Houston, LSU and Stanford as one of six undefeated teams remaining at the FBS level as it heads into K-State week.
The Rest Of The Story
The Cowboy defense spends a lot of time answering questions because of statistics. OSU enters the K-State game No. 84 in the country in rushing defense, No. 101 in passing defense and No. 111 in total defense. Here are some other numbers:
• The OSU defense leads the country with 17 interceptions.
• The OSU defense is also tied for the NCAA lead with 12 fumble recoveries.
• The Cowboys lead the country with 29 forced turnovers.
• The Cowboys are No. 10 nationally in red zone defense, allowing 13 touchdowns on 30 chances by the opposition.
• OSU is No. 18 in the country in quarterback sacks with 2.75 per game.
• OSU is No. 20 nationally with 7.5 tackles for loss per game.
• OSU is No. 62 in the country in scoring defense, allowing 26.5 points per game.
• OSU is the only Big 12 team yet to allow 30 points in a game.
A High Number Worth Noting
Due to the quick-strike nature of the offense, the Cowboy defense has been on the field for 660 snaps through eight games. To put that number in perspective, the top-ranked Alabama defense has been on the field for 458 plays through eight games. Based on a typical college game, the OSU defense has, in essence, been on the field for two games-plus more than Alabama.
Turnover Tradition
Every year under Bill Young the OSU defense has improved its takeaway number. In 2010, OSU ended the year with 34 takeaways to rank fifth in the country. Over the last six games, the defense has forced 26 turnovers, highlighted by 16 interceptions. OSU enters the K-State game leading the nation in turnover margin and forced turnovers (29).
Advantage Cowboys
Oklahoma State has turned around its turnover story since September. The Cowboys were on the negative side of the ledger after two weeks with four turnovers committed and just three gained. However, over the last six games OSU has won the turnover battle 26-6. Over those games (Tulsa, Texas A&M, Kansas, Texas, Missouri and Baylor), OSU has scored 108 points after gaining a turnover.
INT Story
Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin entered the OSU game having tossed just two interceptions on 182 attempts in 2011. The OSU defense continued its interception fest by picking off the Bear quarterback twice (a third INT was wiped out by an OSU penalty). Griffin was 33-50 passing with the two picks and a TD. His completion percentage was his lowest of the season as well.
The Turnover Trio
Three Cowboys have led OSU's turnover assault on the opposition with a total of 14 between them.
• Junior DB Brodrick Brown has intercepted four passes and recovered two fumbles.
• Sophomore DB Justin Gilbert has three interceptions and a fumble recovery.
• Senior linebacker James Thomas has three INTs and a fumble recovery.
Defensive Footnotes
• Oklahoma State's defensive statistics reveal a unit that is a victim of the Cowboys' success. Statistically speaking, the Cowboys only rank 111th in total defense and No. 62 in scoring defense. However, when games are being decided, OSU's defense has been a much more effective unit.
• OSU allowed just 101 yards in the first half against Louisiana while sprinting to a 34-10 lead. The Cajuns ended the game with 320 yards after OSU began substituting liberally.
• OSU jetted to a 21-0 halftime lead against Arizona and cruised to the win. The Wildcats had just 168 yards during the decisive first half. Arizona ended the game with 439 yards in a 37-14 loss.
• OSU jumped to a 31-6 halftime lead at Tulsa and yielded just 130 yards during the process. OSU went deep into its bench during the second half and TU finished with 482 yards.
• OSU limited Texas A&M to just 170 yards after halftime when OSU was outscoring the Aggies by a 27-9 count in the comeback win.
• Kansas had just 186 halftime yards against OSU and trailed 56-7. The Jayhawks finished with 478 total yards.
• The Cowboys gave up 26 points at Texas, but two came on a safety, seven came on a kickoff return and seven more came on a 15-yard drive following a turnover.
• OSU forced four turnovers at Missouri and stopped another drive on downs. The Cowboys allowed just seven points in the second half at Columbia.
• Against OSU, Baylor was shut out at halftime for the first time since its 2010 game at OSU. The Bears scored 24 points, but 21 came in the fourth quarter (which OSU entered with a 49-3 lead). Baylor also had 193 yards of offense in the fourth quarter.
NCAA Chart Watching
Some national numbers to mull over as OSU prepares for Kansas State:
• Oklahoma State leads the nation with a turnover margin of 2.38.
• OSU leads the nation with 17 passes intercepted.
• The Pokes lead the nation with 29 turnovers gained.
• Oklahoma State is second in the country in scoring at 49.9 points per game.
• Oklahoma State is fourth nationally in total offense with 555.1 yards per game.
• The Cowboys are second nationally in passing offense at 373.3 yards per game
• OSU is fifth nationally with 27.4 first downs per game.
• OSU is fifth nationally with a third-down conversion percentage of 52.03.
• The Cowboys are seventh nationally in fumbles lost with just three.
Building a Tradition
Under Mike Gundy, OSU continues to grow as a program. Since the opening of the 2008 season, the Cowboys are 37-10. That win total is the best ever for OSU over a three-year-plus period and the Cowboys are No. 8 nationally in wins during that time, trailing only Boise State, Alabama, TCU, Oklahoma, Virginia Tech, Oregon and Ohio State.
Gundy in Perspective
Head coach Mike Gundy is in his seventh season as head coach at his alma mater with a blossoming resume in Stillwater. He is 55-29 and clearly building a sustained period of success at OSU.
• OSU was 12-15 under Gundy after 27 games, but has gone 43-14 since, including 37-10 over the last 47 games, 28-6 over the last 34 and 19-2 over the last 21.
• Gundy's 55 wins at OSU rank third all-time behind only Jim Lookabaugh (58-41-6) and Gundy's college coach, Pat Jones (62-60-3).
• Gundy's .655 winning percentage is second best at OSU. That OSU chart is topped by Hall-of-Famer Lynn "Pappy" Waldorf (.735).
• Perhaps the most impressive part of Gundy's tenure at OSU is that he has built the program with three different offensive coordinators and three different defensive coordinators. Three of his former assistants have left Oklahoma State to become head coaches (Dana Holgorsen at West Virginia, Larry Fedora at Southern Miss and Tim Beckman at Toledo).
• Under Gundy, OSU has gone to five straight bowl games (an OSU first) and won at least seven games in six straight seasons (another school first) and at least nine games in three straight seasons (yet another first).
• Under Gundy, OSU has reached the top 10 of the AP poll for a school-best fourth straight season.
Home in the Polls
Oklahoma State has been in the top 10 each week of the 2011 season. At no time in its history has Oklahoma State been more visible in the national polls than during the Mike Gundy era.
• The K-State game will mark OSU's 18th straight as a member of the Associated Press top 25.
• Including this week, OSU has been ranked by the AP 40 times in its last 44 games, including 25 games as a member of the top 15.
• Oklahoma State began the 2009 and 2011 seasons ninth in the AP poll. They are the only two preseason top 10 appearances in school history.
• In 2010, the Cowboys finished No. 10 in the USA Today poll, marking the first time OSU closed a season in the top 10 of a major poll since 1984 when OSU was seventh in the final AP vote.
• The highest the Cowboys have been ranked under Gundy is third the past two weeks.
• Under Gundy, OSU is 29-10 as a member of the top 25.
• Under Gundy, OSU has spent 18 weeks (including weeks in which OSU was idle) in the top 10. Prior to Gundy, OSU had spent just 25 weeks in the top 10 of the AP poll in its history. The Cowboys hold an all-time record of 25-9 when ranked in the top 10.
• Under Gundy, OSU has cracked the Associated Press top 10 in four straight seasons -an OSU first.
• The K-State game will be OSU's ninth straight as a member of the AP top 10 - an OSU first.
• Mike Gundy has beaten at least one ranked team every year as head coach.
Streaking in Stillwater
OSU will carry several team and individual streaks into the Kansas State game:
• Brandon Weeden has tossed at least one touchdown pass in 21 straight games. He broke OSU's school record for that category at Missouri. The old mark of 19 was held by Josh Fields.
• Josh Cooper has at least one catch in 25 straight games.
• Safety Markelle Martin has started 32 straight games to lead the team.
• OSU has completed a pass of at least 31 yards in 16 straight games.
Back in Blackmon
Justin Blackmon is coming off his best game of 2011. Against Baylor he tied a career-high with 13 catches and his 172 receiving yards represent the fifth-best total of his career. Blackmon also picked up two more TD grabs and now has 30 touchdown catches in his last 20 games (despite playing less than a half against Missouri and Kansas this season). Some other Blackmon numbers:
• He set an NCAA record with 14 straight games with at least 100 receiving yards. That streak ended with his seven-catch, 57-yard, one-TD night against Tulsa earlier this season.
• On nine occasions he has reached double figures in catches.
• He has 176 catches over the last 20 games.
Blackmon By The Numbers
Blackmon enters the Kansas State game dotting the NCAA leaderboard:
• He is fifth nationally with 9.3 catches per game.
• He is No. 14 nationally with 104.3 receiving yards per game.
• He is second nationally with 10 TD receptions.
• His 32 career TD catches rank third among active players.
Weeden Watching
Oklahoma State's Brandon Weeden is the reigning first-team All-Big 12 quarterback and his play this season has propelled him into the national conversation. After he rallied OSU from a 20-3 halftime deficit at Texas A&M to a 30-29 victory, Weeden was named the Walter Camp national offensive player of the week. He is 19-2 as a starter, including 10-0 away from Boone Pickens Stadium. Some Weeden numbers:
• He is seventh nationally with 338.8 passing yards per game.
• He is eighth nationally in total offense (328.13).
INT Turnaround
Brandon Weeden started the season by throwing six interceptions in the first three games. He then reeled off 194 straight passes before throwing a second-half INT at Missouri. Over his last 236 passes, Weeden has 16 touchdown passes and just one interception.
Weeden Milestones
• He has thrown at least one touchdown pass in 21 straight games (all 21 of his career starts).
• He has at least two TD passes in 18 of his 21 starts.
• Three times in his career he has tossed at least five touchdown passes.
• He has now passed for 7,243 yards in his career.
• Weeden's 2,710 passing yards in 2011 already rank as the fifth best single-season total in OSU history.
• His 22 TD passes in 2011 rank as the fifth best single-season total in school history.
The OSU Top 10
If the U.S. Government were to get involved, they might designate Brandon Weeden as a monopoly. The Edmond senior now has six of the top 10 passing games in school history and he has set the single-game high twice in the last 12 months. He has also moved up to third all-time at OSU in career passing yards.
Sharp Performance
The right leg of Quinn Sharp has become so valuable to the Cowboys, it might deserve its own seat on team charters. In his first season of handling all of the Cowboy kicking chores, Sharp has been among the nation's best at just about everything.
• He is third in the country with a punting average of 47.6 yards.
• Sharp has 14 punts this season in excess of 50 yards and has at least one punt of 51 yards in every game.
• He has been nearly automatic in field goals, connecting on 12 of his 14 attempts.
• He leads the nation with 38 touchbacks on kickoffs. He has led the country in that category each of the past two seasons.
• Sharp is No. 8 nationally in scoring with 10.88 points per game and set a school record by going 10-for-10 on extra point tries against Kansas.
Gilbert Makes His Mark
Justin Gilbert had a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown at Texas. Just 20 games into his career he has established himself as one of the NCAA's special teams stars.
• Gilbert's four career returns for scores ties the OSU record previously held by Perrish Cox.
• Those four touchdown returns rank second among all active NCAA players.
• He is No. 22 nationally with an average of 27.9 yards per return in 2011.
What Brown Can Do
Brodrick Brown continues to display an all-conference level of play through eight weeks. The player who turned in the 2010 defensive play of the year with his leaping re-routing of a Landry Jones pass to OSU teammate Shaun Lewis in Bedlam, is No. 11 nationally with 11 passes defended this season, and he is seventh nationally with four interceptions. He picked off a pass against Kansas and at Texas A&M he broke up a pass on the Aggies' final snap of the game that linebacker James Thomas intercepted for the game-clincher.
Blatnick the Bully
Senior defensive end Jamie Blatnick might be playing the best football of his Cowboy career. At Texas he set a career high with nine tackles and had four tackles for loss, two sacks and a pass-break up and was named Big 12 player of the week. That performance came on the heels of his Kansas game in which he had four tackles, a sack, an interception, a fumble recovery and a quarterback hurry. At Missouri, Blatnick had five tackles, a quarterback sack, a forced fumble and two pass deflections that resulted in interceptions. Some Jamie Blatnick facts worth noting:
• Blatnick is No. 9 in the country with seven sacks. Prior to 2011, he had never had more than 5.5 sacks in a season.
• He has 15 career sacks to rank No. 10 all-time at OSU.
Lewis Lights Up
Shaun Lewis may touch the ball more than any defensive player in the country. He has just 14 career starts and yet he has four interceptions, four fumble recoveries and four forced fumbles. And his plays have been big...
• His 28-yard interception return vs. Texas A&M in 2010 set the stage for Dan Bailey's walk-off game-winning field goal.
• He picked off a Landry Jones pass in last year's Oklahoma game and returned it 52 yards for OSU's first score.
• His interception at Missouri set up an OSU touchdown and his fumble recovery in Columbia stopped Missouri in the red zone.
Youman the Defender
Senior Wilson Youman absolutely has to be one of the busiest players in college football. This season he has seen action on offense, defense and special teams. The senior played on offense as a tight end, on defense as a defensive end and on the special teams kicking units. Since arriving on campus, Youman has bounced between offense and defense, but 2011 is the first time he has seen game action on both sides of the ball in the same game. He has two pass receptions for six yards and against Texas he picked up his first sack of the season. At Missouri, he turned in the best game of his defensive career with seven tackles to lead OSU's down linemen. He had two tackles for loss, caused a fumble that ended a Missouri drive in the red zone and he deflected a pass that was intercepted.
Three Diplomas
Three members of the Cowboy roster, quarterback Brandon Weeden (business), center Grant Garner (business management), and defensive end Jamie Blatnick (health promotions) have already earned their degrees at Oklahoma State.
Road Tested
Oklahoma State continued its run as one of America's best road teams at Missouri. The Cowboys have won their last nine road games for the second longest streak in school history. The Cowboys have also won a school record seven straight conference road games, dating back to the 2009 season finale. OSU's current road streak is the second longest in the NCAA. The longest road winning streak in OSU history is 11 games in 1943-44-45. Two of OSU's roads wins this season have come against top 25 opposition (at No. 8 Texas A&M and at No. 22 Texas).
Longest Active Road Win Streaks
1. Virginia Tech - 11
2. Oklahoma State -9
2. Oregon - 9
Uniform Note
Oklahoma State sports a new look in 2011 - actually 48 new looks. OSU has partnered with Nike this season to play in Nike Pro Combat uniforms. OSU will have its choice of 48 different combinations with helmets of white, black and gray, jerseys of black, gray and orange (for home games), and pants that are black, white, orange or gray. A player panel has made the game selections for the entire season.
Grab Bag
• Joseph Randle leads the Big 12 and is fourth nationally in scoring (12.8 ppg).
• Quinn Sharp leads the Big 12 kickers in scoring (10.9 ppg).
• Daytawion Lowe is ninth in the Big 12 with 7.2 tackles per game and second in forced fumbles (0.38).
• Jamie Blatnick is third in the league in sacks (0.88) and fourth in tackles for loss (1.2)
• The OSU defense allows 26.5 points per game - 7.4 more points per game than Big 12 leader Oklahoma.
• Eighteen Cowboys have a tackle for a loss this season.
• Eleven Cowboys have a sack this season.
• Nine Cowboys have intercepted a pass this season.
• James Thomas had one career interception in three years before picking off three in `11.
• Junior DT Nigel Nicholas has 8.0 tackles for loss this season. No OSU tackle had more than 4.0 TFLs all of last season.
• OSU has outscored the opposition 118-26 in the first quarter.
Quick Recap
Oklahoma State is coming off one of the most successful seasons in program history. In 2010, the Cowboys, despite being picked to finish fifth in the Big 12 South, set a school record for wins with their 11-2 record. They won 10 regular-season games for the first time ever, tied for the Big 12 South title for the first time and went undefeated on the road for the first time since 1945. OSU finished in the top 10 of the national polls (No. 10 in USA Today) for the first time since 1984.
