Game Notes - Oklahoma State Hosts Central Michigan - Oklahoma State University Athletics

Saturday, September 10

Stillwater, OK

11 a.m. CT

Oklahoma State University

Central Michigan

Barry J. Sanders vs. Southeastern Louisiana

Photo by: Bruce Waterfield

Game Notes - Oklahoma State Hosts Central Michigan

September 05, 2016 | Cowboy Football

Complete Release in PDF Format

Central Michigan
11 a.m. CT | Sept. 10, 2016 | Boone Pickens Stadium (60,218)

TV: FS1 (Justin Kutcher, Steve Sarkisian and Petros Papadakis)
In Stillwater: Suddenlink 37/237, DirecTV 219, Dish 150, U-verse 652/1652
In OKC: Cox 67/728, DirecTV 219, Dish 150, U-verse 652/1652
In Tulsa: Cox 1312, DirecTV 219, Dish 150, U-verse 652/1652
Radio: Cowboy Radio Network (Dave Hunziker, John Holcomb & Robert Allen)
National Radio: None
Satellite Radio: Sirius 136, XM 199
Internet Radio: http://okla.st/osutunein
Live Stats: okstate.com
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The Basics

The Oklahoma State football team (1-0 overall) hosts Central Michigan (1-0 overall) at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 10 in Boone Pickens Stadium. The two teams met in Mount Pleasant, Mich., last season, with the Cowboys claiming a 24-13 win over the Chippewas that day.

Ticket Information

Tickets are available for Saturday's game starting as low as $35. Fans can purchase tickets by visiting okstate.com/tickets, by contacting the Oklahoma State ticket office at 877-ALL-4-OSU or by emailing tickets@okstate.edu. On Twitter, the Oklahoma State ticket office is @OSUFanEx.

On the Air

The game will be televised by FS1 with Justin Kutcher, Steve Sarkisian and Petros Papadakis on the call. 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.

Oklahoma State From a Distance

    With 18 starters returning from last year's Sugar Bowl team that climbed to as high as No. 4 in the nation, Oklahoma State's roster is loaded with players who have substantial experience. In fact, according to Phil Steele, the Cowboys boast the most experienced team in the Big 12 and the sixth-most experienced team in the nation. Among power five conferences, Steele says only Tennessee returns more experience than Oklahoma State.
    In junior Mason Rudolph (13-3 career record as a starter), the Cowboys have a proven performer at quarterback. Junior James Washington is the only returning 1,000-yard receiver in the Big 12 and senior safety Jordan Sterns is among the most productive defensive players in America.
    Among Oklahoma State's signature traits this decade are the ability to force turnovers and to score non-offensive touchdowns. In fact, the Cowboys lead the nation with 39 non-offensive touchdowns since 2010 and are third in America with 179 turnovers forced since 2010. Only Houston and Oregon have forced more during that time span.
    An explosive aerial attack has also been at the core of Oklahoma State's identity this decade, with the Cowboys ranking in the top 10 nationally in passing yards per game four times since 2010. Only Texas Tech and Washington State can claim more than Oklahoma State during that time span.

Central Michigan From a Distance

    Similar to Oklahoma State, Central Michigan has an NFL prospect at quarterback and distributes its rushing load among a handful of backs. The Chippewas return eight starters and 22 letter winners from a defense that ranked 16th nationally in total defense in 2015. CMU tied for the MAC West division title a year ago and boasts perhaps the best defense in the league this season.
    Senior quarterback Cooper Rush ranks as the No. 7 quarterback prospect for the 2017 NFL Draft, according to CBSSports.com, which projects him as a fourth-round pick. He engineers the Chippewa offense behind a starting group of offensive lineman composed exclusively of juniors and seniors and he distributes the ball to a veteran group of receivers.
    Defensive standouts include senior safety Tony Annese, 310-pound senior defensive tackle Kelby Latta, senior linebacker Nathan Ricketts and junior cornerback Amari Coleman. In their season-opening 49-3 win over Presbyterian, Central Michigan limited the Blue Hose to 126 yards of total offense and six first downs.
    CMU relies heavily on home-grown talent, as 83 Chippewas hail from the state of Michigan.

An Oklahoma State Win Would...

• Improve the Cowboys to 2-0 all-time over Central Michigan
• Improve the Cowboys to 6-0 all-time over teams currently playing in the Mid-American Conference.
• Improve the Cowboys to 23-4 in their last 27 non-conference games.
• Improve the Cowboys to 48-5 in their last 53 games against unranked opponents, dating back to 2010.
• Bring Mike Gundy to within four victories of the 100-win mark for his career.

Notable Streaks Entering the Central Michigan Game

• Oklahoma State has won 15 consecutive non-conference games played in Boone Pickens Stadium, dating back to a 2009 loss to Houston. The Cowboys are 25-1 in non-conference home games under Mike Gundy (2005-present).
• Oklahoma State has won 47 of its last 52 over unranked opponents.
• Oklahoma State has won 13 of its last 16 games overall, dating back to the end of the 2014 season.
• Dating back to 2005, the Cowboys have won 25 of their last 26 games when not committing a turnover.
• Dating back to the 2008 season, the Cowboys have won 45 of their last 48 games when winning the turnover battle.
• Quarterback Mason Rudolph has thrown 14 touchdown passes against just two interceptions in his last eight games, dating back to the 2015 season.

The Series

Oklahoma State and Central Michigan have met just once, and it was last year's 24-13 OSU victory at CMU. The Cowboys are 5-0 all-time against teams from the Mid-American Conference.

Oklahoma State vs. Unranked Opponents

    Since the start of the 2010 season, Oklahoma State is 47-5 against teams not ranked in the Associated Press Top 25. The Cowboys have won 31 of their last 32 home games over unranked opponents. The only unranked team to beat OSU in Boone Pickens Stadium since 2010 was Texas in 2014.
    Starting with the Cowboys' 2012 Heart of Dallas Bowl win over Purdue, OSU has won 23 of its last 25 overall against unranked opponents.
    Dating back to a 2013 win over Kansas State, the Cowboys have won their last 15 games when playing as a ranked opponent facing an unranked opponent.

Strong Starts Under Gundy

Since Mike Gundy took over as head coach at Oklahoma State in 2005, the Cowboys have compiled a 35-7 record in the month of September.

Connections

• Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy and Central Michigan's John Bonamego share a bond in that they both serve as head coach at their respective alma mater. Gundy is a 1990 Oklahoma State graduate, with Bonamego earning his degree from Central Michigan in 1987. Gundy and Bonamego are two of 18 FBS head coaches currently serving in the lead role at their alma mater.
• Oklahoma State linebacker Devante Averette hails from Detroit, Mich., which is about 155 miles southeast of Central Michigan.
• Central Michigan offensive coordinator Morris Watts coached at Broken Arrow HS from 2007-08.