Oklahoma State University Athletics
Game Notes - Oklahoma State at Texas Tech
November 07, 2011 | Cowboy Football
Nov. 7, 2011
Complete Release in PDF Format 
Nov 12, 2011 :: 11 a.m. CT :: Jones AT&T Stadium (60,454 capacity)
TV: ABC Sports (Bob Wischusen and Bob Davie)
Radio: Cowboy Radio Network (Dave Hunziker, John Holcomb & Robert Allen)
Internet: okstate.com
Satellite Radio: Sirius Channel 85 and XM Channel 85
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The Final Stretch
The Oklahoma State Cowboys hit the road for the final two times of the 2011 season beginning this week in Lubbock. The Cowboys take on Texas Tech Saturday with kickoff set for 11 a.m. OSU will follow the trip south with one north as OSU closes the road schedule at Iowa State on Friday, Nov. 18. The Cowboys enter the Tech game with a 9-0 record overall and a 6-0 conference mark. Texas Tech is 5-4 with losses in two straight games and four of five. The lone win for the Raiders during that stretch came at No. 3 Oklahoma.
9-0
Oklahoma State is 9-0 for just the second time in school history and for the first time since its lone undefeated season in 1945 finished 9-0. That total included a Sugar Bowl victory. The Cowboys are 6-0 in conference play for the first time ever.
The Number Nine
With nine wins already under its belt in 2011, Oklahoma State is already reaching some milestones:
• 2011 is the 11th nine-win season in OSU history.
• OSU has won at least nine games in four straight seasons for the first time ever.
• For just the second time in school history, OSU has won 20 games over a two-year period. The first time came in 1987 and 1988 when the Cowboys were quarterbacked by Mike Gundy and registered two straight 10-2 seasons.
• Mike Gundy becomes the first coach in OSU history to coach four teams that reached nine victories.
Looking For Number Seven
OSU's 6-0 conference record is unprecedented in school history. In fact, Oklahoma State has reached six conference wins just three times ever ... in 2009, 2010 and 2011. It is worth noting that OSU has had eight teams go undefeated in league play, but those squads always played fewer than six games. Another conference win this season would set a school record for league wins in a season.
What 10 Would Mean
A victory Saturday in Lubbock would be another step forward for the Cowboy football program:
• Oklahoma State would have won 10 games in two straight seasons for just the second time ever and for the first time since 1987 and 1988.
• It would be the just the fifth 10-win season in school history with Mike Gundy (as a player or coach) a member of four of those squads (two as the starting quarterback and two as head coach).
• It would be just the second time that OSU would have won 10 games in the regular season. The first time was last year when the Cowboys were 10-1 after 11 games. The three 10-win seasons in the 1980s all included bowl victories.
Television Info
Oklahoma State and Texas Tech will do battle on ABC this weekend. For the second time in three weeks Bob Wischusen will call the action and Bob Davie will provide analysis for a Cowboy game. The same duo was on hand in Stillwater for OSU's win over Baylor.
BCS Update
For the first time ever, Oklahoma State is second in the BCS standings. Prior to 2011, OSU had never climbed higher than sixth in the BCS standings. This season, OSU has never been lower than fourth. OSU has now appeared in the last 28 installments of the BCS standings.
Ballot Box
Oklahoma State is also second in the Associated Press poll for the first time ever. Oklahoma State's previous best was No. 3 last week and in November of 1984.
As The Turnstiles...Um...Turn
Oklahoma State's 2011 season will be a record-breaking one at the box office. The school set a stadium record on Saturday when 58,895 fans attended the Kansas State game. This season, OSU hosted the largest, third (Baylor), fourth (Kansas), eighth (Louisiana) and ninth (Arizona) largest crowds in school history. The last three home games have provided three of the top four home crowds in school history.
Series Stuff
Oklahoma State trails the all-time series with Texas Tech, 21-14-3.
• OSU has won two in a row and three of the last four meetings between the schools.
• Last season's 34-17 win was OSU's first in Lubbock since 1944.
• OSU's victory in 2010 was the first for the road team in eight games of the series.
• The first meeting between the schools took place in 1935.
• Tech holds a 9-6 series advantage during the Big 12 era, based in part on winning six of the first seven Big 12 matchups.
• OSU is 6-4 against the Red Raiders when playing as a member of the AP rankings.
The Texas Streak
Oklahoma State enters the Texas Tech game on a roll against the Texas entries of the Big 12 Conference. The Cowboys have won eight straight games against the Texas foursome of Baylor, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Texas.
• From the beginning of Big 12 play in 1996 through 2006, OSU was 16-28 against the Texas schools.
• Since 2007, OSU is 14-5 against those same schools, including the eight straight wins and 10 victories in 11 games.
• OSU has won four straight vs. A&M, two straight against Texas and Texas Tech and six in a row over Baylor.
Last Year's Game
Oklahoma State was a 34-17 winner last year at Texas Tech.
• The Cowboys jumped to a 21-0 first-quarter lead on three rushing TDs (once each by Kendall Hunter, Joseph Randle and Jeremy Smith).
• Justin Blackmon set a career high with 207 receiving yards on 10 catches. His 62-yard TD run midway through the third period was one of the decisive plays of the game.
• Brandon Weeden passed for 356 yards on a 24-of-35 effort and Kendall Hunter rushed for 130 yards. Joseph Randle added 95 rushing yards.
• The Cowboys rolled up 581 yards of total offense to Tech's 401 yards.
• The Cowboys held the ball for 34:32 of the game.
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 third 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 - 12
2. Oregon 10
3. Oklahoma State 9
The Big Picture
Overall, OSU has a 10-game winning streak - tied for second-longest in the country behind Stanford's 17.
Longest Active NCAA Win Streaks
1. Stanford - 17
2. Oklahoma State - 10
Boise State - 10
LSU - 10
K-State Recap
Oklahoma State is coming off a 52-45 home win over Kansas State in a game that can only be described as an instant classic. The Cowboys led by 14, trailed by 10 and were down one point with 5:16 left in the game.
• Brandon Weeden engineered two TD drives in the last five minutes of the game that led to the eventual game-winning points. Weeden began the game in rather pedestrian fashion and had thrown two interceptions, including a pick-six, by halftime. In the second half, the 2010 All-Big 12 quarterback displayed his array of talents.
• He was 16-of-19 passing with 254 yards and two scores (on the final two possessions of the game).
• Justin Blackmon had his best game of the season, atoning for OSU's other two turnovers with 205 receiving yards on 13 receptions with touchdown grabs of 11 and 54 yards.
• Joseph Randle scored three more times (two rushing and one receiving) giving him 11 touchdowns over the last three games.
• OSU ran just 63 plays and had the ball just 19:11 compared to K-State's 40:49.
• OSU had six scoring drives of six plays or less, including an 85-yarder, a 65-yarder and a 64-yarder.
• The game was the first that OSU lost the turnover battle since the season opener against Louisiana.
• Weeden broke his own school record by passing for 502 yards.
Leaders Of Men
With an offense that is scoring 50.1 points per game after nine weeks of the season, it shouldn't be a surprise that Cowboys are all over the national leader board.
• Joseph Randle is second in the country in total TDs with 20.
• Randle is second in the country in scoring (13.3 points per game).
• He is fourth in the country with 18 rushing touchdowns.
• Justin Blackmon's 12 receiving TDs lead the country.
• Blackmon is No. 7 in America with 115.4 receiving yards per game.
• Blackmon is sixth nationally with 1,039 receiving yards.
• Brandon Weeden is fourth nationally with 3,212 passing yards.
• Weeden's 356.9 passing yards per game rank fourth nationally.
• Weeden is fourth nationally with 31.3 completions per game.
Defense, Too
OSU also has national leaders on the defensive side.
• Daytawion Lowe leads the Big 12 and is seventh nationally with six solo tackles per game.
• Defensive end Jamie Blatnick is No. 13 nationally and second in the Big 12 with 0.78 sacks per game.
• Brodrick Brown is second in the league and No. 8 in America with 13 passes defended.
• James Thomas, who entered his senior season with one career interception, is No. 12 in the country with four this season. He is tied with teammate Brodrick Brown in that department.
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 nine games, the duo has combined for 1,417 rushing yards with 27 touchdowns and that is with Smith sitting out the K-State game due to injury. They combine to average 6.5 yards per carry.
• They have combined for six 100-yard rushing games (five 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 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 27 TDs this season after running for 26 all of last season.
• The Cowboys have 16 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 915 yards and is just 85 yards shy of reaching 1,000. The Cowboys have had a 1,000-yard runner in each of the last four seasons.
The Big Five
Oklahoma State joins Boise State, Houston, LSU and Stanford as the only undefeated teams remaining at the FBS level as it heads into Texas Tech week.
The Rest Of The Story
The Cowboy defense spends a lot of time answering questions because of statistics. OSU enters the Texas Tech game No. 99 in the country in rushing defense, No. 100 in passing defense and No. 110 in total defense. Here are some other numbers:
• The OSU defense is second in the country with 18 interceptions.
• The OSU defense is also second in the country with 13 fumble recoveries.
• The Cowboys lead the country with 31 forced turnovers.
• The Cowboys are No. 14 nationally in red zone defense after keeping opponents off the scoreboard 10 times.
• OSU is No. 23 in the country in quarterback sacks with 2.67 per game.
• OSU is No. 22 nationally with 7.2 tackles for loss per game.
• Opponents have attempted 22 fourth down conversions against OSU, the most in America.
A High Number Worth Noting
Due to the quick-strike nature of the offense, the Cowboy defense has been on the field for 750 snaps through nine games. To put that number in perspective, the top-ranked Alabama defense has been on the field for 516 plays through nine games. Based on a typical college game, the OSU defense has, in essence, been on the field for almost three games 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 seven games, the defense has forced 28 turnovers, highlighted by 17 interceptions. OSU enters the Texas Tech game leading the nation in turnover margin and forced turnovers (31).
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 seven games, OSU has won the turnover battle 28-10. Over those games (Tulsa, Texas A&M, Kansas, Texas, Missouri, Baylor and K-State), OSU has scored 122 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-of-50 passing with the two picks and a TD. His completion percentage was his lowest of the season.
The Turnover Trio
Three Cowboys have led OSU's turnover assault on the opposition with a total of 14 between them.
• Junior CB Brodrick Brown has intercepted four passes and recovered two fumbles and broken up nine passes.
• Sophomore DB Justin Gilbert has three interceptions and a fumble recovery.
• Senior linebacker James Thomas has four interceptions, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble.
Defensive Footnotes
• Oklahoma State's defensive statistics reveal a unit that is a victim of the Cowboys' success. Statistically speaking, the Cowboys only rank 110th in total defense and No. 77 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 Turnover Margin Leaders
1. Oklahoma State - 1.89
2. LSU - 1.67
3. Cincinnati - 1.63
Team Speak
Some national numbers to mull over as OSU prepares for Texas Tech:
• Oklahoma State is second in the country in scoring at 50.1 points per game.
• Oklahoma State is third nationally in total offense with 557.3 yards per game.
• The Cowboys are second nationally in passing offense at 387.6 yards per game
• OSU is fifth nationally with 27.2 first downs per game.
• OSU is sixth nationally with a third-down conversion percentage of 51.5.
Building a Tradition
Under Mike Gundy, OSU continues to grow as a program. Since the opening of the 2008 season, the Cowboys are 38-10. 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.
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 56-29 and clearly building a sustained period of success at OSU.
• OSU was 12-15 under Gundy after 27 games, but has gone 44-14 since, including 38-10 over the last 48 games, 29-6 over the last 35 and 20-2 over the last 22.
• Gundy's 56 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 .659 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 four 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 Texas Tech game will mark OSU's 19th straight as a member of the Associated Press top 25.
• Including this week, OSU has been ranked by the AP 41 times in its last 45 games, including 26 games as a member of the top 15.
• Oklahoma State began the 2009 and 2011 seasons ninth in the AP poll. Those 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 the No. 2 spot that the Pokes hold this week.
• Under Gundy, OSU is 30-10 as a member of the top 25.
• Under Gundy, OSU has spent 19 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 26-9 when ranked in the top 10.
• Under Gundy, OSU has cracked the Associated Press top 10 in four straight seasons -an OSU first.
• The Texas Tech 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.
Ranked Repercussions
Kansas State became the third member of the AP top 25 to lose to Oklahoma State this season. It's the first time OSU has won three games over ranked opponents in the same season since the 1976 Big Eight championship team knocked off four ranked opponents.
Streaking in Stillwater
OSU will carry several team and individual streaks into the Texas Tech game:
• Brandon Weeden has tossed at least one touchdown pass in 22 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 33 straight games to lead the team.
• OSU has completed a pass of at least 31 yards in 17 straight games.
Back in Blackmon
Justin Blackmon is flashing his Biletnikoff Award-winning form. Over the last two games, Blackmon has 26 catches covering 377 yards and four touchdowns. He now has 32 touchdown catches in his last 21 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 10 occasions he has reached double figures in catches.
• He has 198 catches over the last 21 games.
Three on the Charts
At Missouri, the OSU receiving corps took some bumps and bruises and at times kept three of the most productive receivers in OSU history on the bench. Justin Blackmon, Josh Cooper and Hubert Anyiam are all 1,000-yard receivers in their careers and rank among OSU's all-time leaders.
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 20-2 as a starter, including 10-0 away from Boone Pickens Stadium.
Weeden Milestones
• He has thrown at least one touchdown pass in 22 straight games (all 22 of his career starts).
• He has at least two TD passes in 19 of his 22 starts.
• Three times in his career he has tossed at least five touchdown passes.
• He has now passed for 7,745 yards in his career.
• Weeden's 3,212 passing yards in 2011 already rank as the second best single-season total in OSU history, behind only his 4,277 yards last year.
• His 26 TD passes in 2011 rank as the third 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 three times in the last 12 months, including the single-game high last time out vs. Kansas State.
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 would lead the nation in punting if he had enough attempts to qualify with an average of 47.8 yards.
• Sharp has 15 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 15 of his 17 attempts.
• He leads the nation with 40 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 11.22 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 21 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. 25 nationally with an average of 26.9 yards per return in 2011.
What Brown Can Do
Brodrick Brown continues to display an all-conference level of play through nine 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. 6 nationally with 13 passes defended this season, and he is 12th 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. 12 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 15 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.
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 has 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
• Nineteen Cowboys have a tackle for a loss this season.
• Thirteen 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 four so far this season.
• 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 132-36 in the first quarter.
