Oklahoma State University Athletics
Game Notes - Oklahoma State at Texas
October 09, 2011 | Cowboy Football
Oct. 9, 2011
Complete Release in PDF Format 
No. 6/7 Oklahoma State at No. 22/21 Texas
Oct. 15, 2011 :: 2:30 p.m. CT :: DKR Texas Memorial Stadium (100,119 Cap.)
TV: ABC Sports (Announcers TBA)
Radio: Cowboy Radio Network (Dave Hunziker, John Holcomb and Robert Allen)
National Radio: Westwood One (John Tautges & Terry Donahue)
Internet: okstate.com
Satellite Radio: Sirius Channel 91 and XM Channel 91
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Two More Road Trips
The 5-0 Oklahoma State Cowboys return to the road for their next two games with visits to Texas (this week) and Missouri (Oct. 22) up next as the 2011 football season hits its midpoint. OSU is in the middle of a five-game stretch that features just one contest at Boone Pickens Stadium.
Television Info
For the second time in three games the Cowboys will play in front of the ABC cameras. OSU also played on ABC on its visit to College Station when OSU came from behind to defeat Texas A&M.
The Texas Streak
Oklahoma State heads to Austin having won six straight games against Big 12 entries from the state of Texas. Last season OSU went 4-0 against the Texas schools for the first time since the league was formed in time for the 1996 season. During the current winning streak, OSU has won in Austin for the first time since 1944, won at Texas Tech for the first time since 1944 and OSU has now won four straight games against Texas A&M for the first time ever.
Road Tested
Oklahoma State heads to Austin as one of America's most successful road teams. The Cowboys have won their last seven road games, including a 33-16 win at Texas last season. The Cowboys have won their last five conference road games, dating back to the 2009 season finale. OSU's current road winning streak is the third longest in the NCAA. It is the second longest in OSU history and is eclipsed only by the 11-game streak back in 1943-44-45.
Longest Active Road Win Streaks
1. Virginia Tech - 10
2. Oregon - 8
3. Oklahoma State - 7
Series Stuff
Oklahoma State trails the Texas series by a 22-3 count. Last season's win in Austin was OSU's first against Texas since 1997.
• The 25-game series against Texas is OSU's shortest series against a Big 12 foe.
• OSU and Texas first met in 1916, but played just 10 times before joining the Big 12 in 1996.
• OSU is just 2-14 all-time in Austin.
• The 16 points Texas scored against OSU last season was the lowest by the Longhorns in the series since 1997.
OSU-Texas and AP
Oklahoma State and Texas ranking tidbits:
• Last season was the first time that OSU entered the Texas game as the higher ranked team. The 2011 game will make it two years in a row.
• OSU and Texas have played just four times in which both teams were ranked by the Associated Press with the most recent coming in 2008.
• OSU has been ranked in the top 10 just once before when facing Texas. That game came in 2008 when No. 7 Oklahoma State was a 28-24 loser at No. 1 Texas.
Last Year in Austin
Oklahoma State ended a 12-game losing streak against Texas, and an 11-game losing streak in Austin, with last season's 33-16 victory at Texas.
• The Cowboys jumped to a 26-3 halftime lead and held a 33-3 advantage after three quarters before completing the 33-16 victory.
• Brandon Weeden passed for 409 yards with Justin Blackmon on the receiving end of 145 yards' worth of those passes, including a 67-yard TD.
• Jeremy Smith had a 6-yard TD run against Texas. It was the first of his current streak of nine straight games with a rushing touchdown.
• OSU rolled up 532 yards of offense, including 308 in the first half, to just 358 for Texas.
• Then-freshman running back Joseph Randle caught seven passes covering 57 yards.
• Kendall Hunter rushed for 116 yards, including two touchdowns.
Texans March on Texas
Oklahoma State heads to Texas with plenty of Texans in tow. The Cowboys' 123-man roster features 70 from the state of Texas. Of those 70 Texans, 48 are on scholarship.
Kansas Recap
Oklahoma State is coming off of a record-breaking performance against the Kansas Jayhawks. In the 70-28 victory, OSU tied a school record with 35 points in the first quarter and tied another school record with 56 points in the first half as OSU led at the break, 56-7. Quarterback Brandon Weeden set a single-game record with a completion percentage of 85.7, breaking the old mark of 85.2 percent set by Zac Robinson against Baylor in 2009. Against Kansas, Weeden was 24-of-28 with five touchdowns and 288 yards. It was his lowest passing total of the season, but he played less than two quarters. Other notes from KU game:
• Eight different players scored touchdowns with Justin Blackmon and Hubert Anyiam scoring twice each.
• OSU tied a modern day record with 10 touchdowns and tied its modern-day scoring record.
• It was the most points scored by the Cowboys since 1973 when OSU was a 70-7 winner over Southern Illinois.
• It was the first game in OSU history in which two players passed for 200 yards (Weeden had 288 and Clint Chelf had 206).
• OSU had seven TD passes in the game, one shy of the school record of eight set in 2010 against Tulsa.
• The Cowboys scored touchdowns on their first eight possessions of the game (and all seven in which Brandon Weeden played).
• Quinn Sharp set a school record by hitting 10 extra-point attempts in one game.
• OSU quarterbacks passed for 494 yards for the second best single-game total in school history.
The Perfect 13
Oklahoma State finds itself as one of 13 undefeated teams remaining at the FBS level. Other undefeated teams include Alabama, Boise State, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Houston, Illinois, Kansas State, LSU, Michigan, Oklahoma, Stanford and Wisconsin.
Starting Streaks
Oklahoma State heads to Texas 5-0 for the 10th time in school history. The Cowboys will be trying to open a season with six straight wins for just the fifth time overall, but for the third time in four seasons. OSU is 5-0 in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1944 and 1945 when the school went a combined 17-1 with Sugar and Cotton Bowl victories. OSU will be trying to start two straight seasons 6-0 for the first time ever.
Conference Getaways
Oklahoma State has opened league play with two straight wins for just the eighth time since beginning play in the Big Eight Conference in 1960. A win at Texas would give OSU its ninth 3-0 conference start. However, OSU would be 3-0 in the Big 12 for the third time in the last four seasons. OSU's 3-0 conference getaways came in 2009, 2008, 1997, 1964, 1951, 1940, 1932 and 1926.
Speaking of the Big 12
Oklahoma State is now 14-4 in Big 12 play since the beginning of the 2009 season. That record is the best in the conference during that time frame.
Big 12 Standings Since 2009
Oklahoma State - 14-4
Oklahoma - 13-5
Texas - 10-7
Missouri - 10-8
Texas A&M - 10-8
Texas Tech - 8-9
Kansas State - 8-9
Iowa State - 6-11
Baylor - 6-11
Kansas - 2-15
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 three games, the defense has forced 14 turnovers, highlighted by nine interceptions. OSU enters the Texas game sixth nationally with 17 turnovers forced through five games and OSU is also sixth nationally with 10 INTs. The Cowboys lead the Big 12 in both categories.
Advantage Cowboys
Oklahoma State has turned around its turnover story since the beginning of the season. 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 three games OSU has won the turnover battle 14-3. The lone turnover over the last two games came at Texas A&M when an apparent touchdown was fumbled through the end zone for a safety. The Kansas game was the first turnover-free game of the season for the Cowboys. Over the last three contests (Tulsa, Texas A&M and Kansas), OSU has scored 52 points off of turnovers.
Defensive Footnotes
Oklahoma State's defensive statistics reveal a unit that is a victim of the Cowboys' success. Statistically speaking, the Cowboys only rank 103rd in total defense and No. 71 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 of offense 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.
• 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.
Two-Game Trends
The Cowboy offense wasn't exactly pedestrian the first three games of the season. But in its first two conference games, OSU has been rolling at a torrid pace.
Here are some of the offensive numbers that OSU has registered since halftime of the Texas A&M game:
• Over a 17-possession stretch, OSU scored 13 times with 11 touchdowns.
• The four possessions in which OSU did not score included a drive ended by the half, a drive ended by the end of the game, and by a fumble out of the end zone on what would have been another touchdown. There were no OSU turnovers and just one punt on the 17 possessions.
• From halftime of the A&M game through the KU contest, OSU has outscored the opposition by a 97-37 count.
• Fourteen of the 17 scoring drives took less than 3:30 off the clock.
The Scoring Thumbnail
Oklahoma State's offense enters the sixth week of the season with a packed resume. Here are some facts to consider:
• Of OSU's 41 scoring drives (OSU has one special teams touchdown that is not included), 19 have taken less than two minutes off the game clock.
• OSU has 21 scoring drives of six plays or less.
• OSU's longest drive of the year was a 7:00, 15-play, 78-yard field-goal march against Arizona.
NCAA Chart Watching
Some numbers to mull over as OSU heads to Texas:
• Oklahoma State leads the nation in scoring at 51.4 points per game.
• Oklahoma State leads the nation with 29.6 first downs per game.
• The Cowboys are second nationally in total offense with 577.4 yards per game and second in passing offense (431.2 yards per game).
• The Cowboys are second nationally with just one fumble lost through five games.
• OSU is third nationally in turnover margin at plus-two per game.
Building a Tradition
Under Mike Gundy, OSU continues to grow as a program. Since the opening of the 2008 season, the Cowboys are 34-10. That win total is the best ever for OSU over a three-year-plus period and the Cowboys are No. 9 nationally (tied) in wins during that time.
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 52-29 and clearly building a sustained period of success at OSU.
• OSU was 12-15 under Gundy after 27 games, but has gone 40-14 since, including a 34-10 record over the last 44 games and 25-6 over the last 31.
• Gundy's 52 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 .642 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 Associated Press 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 Texas game will mark OSU's 15th straight as a member of the Associated Press top 25.
• Including this week, OSU has been ranked by the AP 37 times in its last 41 games, including 23 games as a member of the top 15.
• Oklahoma State began the 2009 season No. 9 in the AP for its highest preseason ranking ever. OSU tied that preseason ranking in 2011. 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 that 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 came in the second week of 2009 when OSU reached No. 5 in the AP. OSU tied that high-water mark in 2011, checking in at No. 5, after the win at Texas A&M, but dropped to No. 6 during its open week.
• Under Gundy, OSU is 26-10 as a member of the top 25.
• Under Gundy, OSU has spent 15 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 22-9 when ranked in the top 10.
• Under Mike Gundy, OSU has cracked the Associated Press top 10 in four straight seasons, which had never happened at Oklahoma State.
• The Texas game will mark OSU's sixth straight as a member of the AP top 10 - a first for OSU.
Streaking in Stillwater
OSU will carry several team and individual streaks into the Kansas game:
• Brandon Weeden has tossed at least one touchdown pass in 18 straight games.
• Josh Cooper has at least one catch in 22 straight games.
• Safety Markelle Martin has started 29 straight games to lead the team.
• Sophomore running back Jeremy Smith has rushed for a touchdown in nine straight games.
• OSU has completed a pass of at least 31 yards in 13 straight games.
Back in Blackmon
To say that Justin Blackmon continues to be a problem for opposing defenses is an understatement. He continued to add to his NCAA record against Arizona with his 14th straight game with at least 100 receiving yards with his 128-yard, two-TD effort against Arizona. That streak ended with his seven-catch, 57-yard, one-TD night against Tulsa. A quick look at Blackmon over the last 17 games of his career (since the beginning of the 2010 season):
• He has 26 receiving TDs over the last 17 games, along with a special teams touchdown and a rushing TD.
• He has a reception of at least 20 yards in 17 straight games.
• Fourteen of his 26 TD catches have covered at least 20 yards.
• On eight occasions he has reached double figures in catches.
• In seven of the 17 games he has reached at least 140 yards in receiving.
• He has 148 catches over the last 17 games.
Blackmon In 2011
Oklahoma State has played five games in 2011 and in four of those games OSU has been on cruise control. In fact Justin Blackmon played less than two full quarters against Kansas. He still enters the Texas game averaging 106 receiving yards per game and he is fifth nationally with 9.2 receptions per game.
Weeden Watching
Oklahoma State's Brandon Weeden is the reigning first-team All-Big 12 quarterback and his play over the last two weeks 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 16-2 as a starter, including 8-0 away from Boone Pickens Stadium. Some Weeden numbers:
• He is second nationally with 376 passing yards per game and 33.2 completions per game.
• He is third nationally in total offense (362.6 yards per game).
• He is fourth nationally with 1,880 passing yards and he has played one less game than all three players in front of him.
• He is seventh nationally with 15 touchdown passes.
• He is No. 12 nationally in passing efficiency (165.03).
Two-Game Totals
Brandon Weeden may have been the nation's best quarterback over the past two weeks. Take a look at his two-game totals from contests against Texas A&M and Kansas. It should be noted that he set OSU single-game records against Texas A&M for attempts (60), completions (47) and passing yards (438). Against Kansas, he set the school record for single-game completion percentage (85.7).
Weeden Streaks
• He has thrown at least one touchdown pass in 18 straight games (all 18 of his career starts).
• He has at least two TD passes in 16 of his 18 starts.
• Three times in his career he has tossed at least five touchdown passes
• He cracked the 6,000-yard mark in career passing against A&M and now has 6,413 for his career.
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.
The New J.R.
A year ago, then-freshman running back Joseph Randle was intriguing. As a backup to All-American Kendall Hunter, he was almost as effective in the passing game (427 receiving yards) as he was rushing the ball (452 yards). Against Arizona, he nearly made history with that versatility. Randle rushed for 121 yards and two scores (with an 8.1-yard average). He also caught nine passes for 99 yards, including a 63-yarder. He would have joined Gerald Hudson as the only OSU players to reach 100 yards in rushing and receiving in the same game.
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 hasn't punted enough times to qualify for the NCAA statistical rankings, but his average of 49.2 yards would lead the nation.
• He is No. 9 nationally in field goals, having converted 9-of-10, including a 46-yarder against Louisiana.
• He leads the nation with 27 touchbacks on kickoffs. He has led the country in that category each of the past two seasons.
• Sharp is No. 7 nationally in scoring with 11.8 points per game and set a school record by going 10-for-10 on extra point tries against Kansas.
Gilbert is Gaining
Sophomore Justin Gilbert gave the Cowboys their first lead at Tulsa with a 96-yard first-quarter kickoff return for a score. In his first 17 college games, he had three kickoff returns for touchdowns to rank fourth among all active NCAA players (he is the highest ranking sophomore on that list). Another return for a touchdown will tie him with Perrish Cox for the OSU career record.
What Brown Can Do
Brodrick Brown continues to display an all-conference level of play through five 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. 9 nationally and leads the Big 12 with eight passes defended this season, and he is ninth nationally and second in the league with his three 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 Bullies The Jayhawks
Senior defensive end Jamie Blatnick had his way with Kansas, even though the Jayhawks entered the OSU contest with the nation's No. 26 offense. Blatnick had a quarterback sack, a fumble recovery, an interception, four tackles and a quarterback hurry against Kansas.
The Wilson Award
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.
300-100-100-100
Oklahoma State's offensive numbers in the Louisiana game were highlighted by the combination of a 300-yard passer, a 100-yard rusher and two 100-yard receivers for just the third time in school history - all in the last 13 games. Against Louisiana, Brandon Weeden passed for 388 yards (the ninth best game in OSU history), Joseph Randle rushed for 129 yards, Justin Blackmon had 144 receiving yards and Tracy Moore had 112 receiving yards. The previous 300-100-100-100 combos came in 2010 against Troy and Nebraska and featured Weeden, Blackmon, Josh Cooper and Kendall Hunter accomplishing the trick.
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.
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
• OSU completed passes to 12 different receivers against Kansas.
• OSU is fifth nationally and tops in the Big 12 in offense third-down conversion efficiency (56.25 percent)
• In the red zone this season, OSU has 13 rushing touchdowns and 13 passing touchdowns.
• OSU has drawn three of the seven largest home crowds in school history in 2011.
• The Kansas game marked the first career start for center Casey LaBrue and the first playing time for freshman running back Herschel Sims.
• Linebacker Tyler Johnson saw his first action of the season against Kansas and led OSU with seven tackles, and he led OSU with two tackles for loss.
• Eleven Cowboys have scored this season.
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.
