Game Notes - OSU Hosts UTSA - Oklahoma State University Athletics

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Up Next For Cowboy Football
UTSA
2:30 p.m. CT | Sept. 19, 2015 | Boone Pickens Stadium (60,218)

TV: FS1 (Justin Kutcher and Steve Hutchinson)
In Stillwater - Suddenlink 505, DirecTV 219, Dish 150, U-verse 652
In OKC - Cox 67/HD 728, DirecTV 219, Dish 150, U-verse 652/HD 1652
In Tulsa - Cox 1312, DirecTV 219, Dish 150, U-verse 1652
Radio: Cowboy Radio Network (Dave Hunziker, John Holcomb & Robert Allen)
National Radio: None
Satellite Radio: Sirius channel 108, XM channel 199
Internet Radio: http://okla.st/osutunein
Live Stats: okstate.com
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The Basics
                Oklahoma State (2-0 overall; 0-0 Big 12) welcomes UTSA (0-2 overall; 0-0 Conference USA) at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Boone Pickens Stadium.

On the Air
                The game will be televised by FS1 with Justin Kutcher and Steve Hutchinson calling the action. The contest will also be carried live on the Cowboy Radio Network, with Dave Hunziker handling play-by-play, John Holcomb providing analysis and Robert Allen reporting from the sideline. Fans can listen to the game online at http://okla.st/osutunein.

In the Polls
                Oklahoma State is ranked No. 25 in both the Associated Press and the Amway Coaches Polls. UTSA is unranked in both polls. Since 2008, Oklahoma State has been ranked in the Associated Press poll in 68 of its last 93 games played.

Oklahoma State From a Distance
                Two weeks into the season, Oklahoma State has shown itself as a very good defensive squad that is also effective in the passing game and in punt coverage. Youth, balance and speed rank among OSU's primary traits.
                Offense: The Cowboys rank in the top 25 nationally in passing offense, pass efficiency, passing yards per completion and fewest turnovers lost. The Pokes piled up 578 yards of total offense and 25 first downs last week. Sophomore quarterback Mason Rudolph ranks 10th nationally with 333.5 passing yards per game and has completed 67.2 percent of his passes this season.
                Defense: OSU ranks in the top 25 nationally in scoring defense, rushing defense, tackles for loss and sacks. The Cowboys have defended 24 possessions this season, with 17 of those 24 possessions resulting in punts, two resulting in turnovers and two resulting in the end of a half. Just two weeks into the season, preseason All-America defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah 3.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and six quarterback hurries. Fellow defensive end Jimmy Bean has 4.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks and two quarterback hurries. Sophomore defensive tackle Vincent Taylor ranks second on the team in tackles (notable for a defensive tackle), and has 3.5 tackles for loss and a sack to his credit.
                Special Teams: Oklahoma State ranks fifth in the nation in net punting and is 21st nationally in kickoff returns. How good has the OSU punt coverage unit been to this point? OSU has punted 10 times, with the opponent only able to return one of those punts, and that one return was for minus-three yards. Redshirt freshman punter Zach Sinor ranks 17th nationally with 45.1 yards per punt. Half of his 10 punts have been downed inside the 20 yard line. True freshman running back Jeff Carr ranks 23rd nationally by averaging 26.5 yards per kickoff return. If there is an area for improvement, however, it's placements, where OSU is 3-for-5 on field goals and 5-for-7 on PATs.

An Oklahoma State Win Would...
• Improve the Cowboys to 3-0, marking the seventh time in 10-plus years under Mike Gundy that OSU would have a perfect record after three games.
• Be the Cowboys' fifth consecutive win, dating back to last season.
• Improve the Cowboys to 21-3 in their last 24 non-conference games.
• Improve the Cowboys to 7-0 against Conference USA opponents during the Mike Gundy era.
• Improve the Cowboys to 40-5 in their last 45 games against unranked opponents, dating back to 2010.

Notable Streaks Entering the UTSA Game
• Oklahoma State has won its last four games, dating back to last season.
• Under Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State has never lost to a current member of Conference USA (6-0).
• Oklahoma State has won 39 of its last 44 over unranked opponents.
• Jimmy Bean and Ryan Simmons have both started 28 consecutive games, which equates to starting every game since the start of the 2013 season.
• Defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah has at least one sack in eight of the last 10 games.
• Dating back to 2005, the Cowboys have won 22 consecutive games when not committing a turnover.
• Dating back to the 2008 season, the Cowboys have won 39 of their last 41 games when winning the turnover battle.

The Series
                Oklahoma State and UTSA have met each of the past two seasons, with the Cowboys taking a 56-35 win in San Antonio two years ago and a 43-13 victory in Stillwater last year. Those are the only two meetings between the two schools.

Strong Starts Under Gundy
                Since Mike Gundy took over as head coach at Oklahoma State in 2005, the Cowboys have compiled a 32-7 record in the month of September (82.1 pct).

Oklahoma State in Non-Conference Games
                Oklahoma State is 20-3 in its last 23 non-conference games, dating back to the start of the 2010 season. Included in those 20 wins are victories over Stanford, Arizona (twice), Washington and Washington State from the Pac-12, Mississippi State from the SEC and Purdue from the Big Ten.

Oklahoma State vs. Unranked Opponents
                Since the start of the 2010 season, Oklahoma State is 39-5 against teams not ranked in the Associated Press Top 25. The Cowboys have won 27 of their last 28 home games over unranked opponents. The only unranked team to beat OSU in Boone Pickens Stadium since 2010 was Texas last season.
                Starting with the Cowboys' 2012 Heart of Dallas Bowl win over Purdue, OSU has won 15 of its last 17 overall against unranked opponents.

Gundy-Coker Connection
                Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy faces one of his mentors in UTSA coach Larry Coker. Coker coached at OSU from 1983-89 and served as offensive coordinator for some of the most potent offenses in school history. Gundy was his quarterback from 1986-89.

Oklahoma State's Connection to San Antonio
                The Oklahoma State roster is dotted with players from Central Texas and, more specifically, the San Antonio area. In fact, nine Cowboys who are gameday contributors went to high school just a short drive from UTSA. Included on that list are linebacker Ryan Simmons and safety Jordan Sterns (both of whom played for Cibolo Steele HS), defensive tackle Vincent Taylor (James Madison HS in San Antonio), receiver Austin Hays (Ronald Reagan HS in San Antonio), safety Tre Flowers (Judson HS in Converse) and punter Zach Sinor (Medina Valley HS just west of San Antonio).

Red River Powerhouse
                Oklahoma State is 22-6 in its last 28 games against teams from the state of Texas, dating back to 2009. The Cowboys have won eight of their last 10 against teams from the Lone Star State, dating back to 2013.

Game Notes - OSU Hosts UTSA

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Jimmy Bean

Jeff Carr

Tre Flowers

Austin Hays

Emmanuel Ogbah

Mason Rudolph

Ryan Simmons

Zach Sinor

Jordan Sterns

Vincent Taylor

Oklahoma State University Athletics