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The OU defense will be tested by a potent Iowa State offensive attack Saturday in Norman.
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Oklahoma-Iowa State Football Notes
No. 2 Sooners host No. 9 Iowa State Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
Oct. 18, 2002
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Oklahoma Sooners (6-0, 2-0) vs. Iowa State Cyclones (6-1, 3-0)
Saturday, Oct. 19, 2002 * 2:30 p.m. * Memorial Stadium * Norman, Okla.
Quickly: It's Homecoming in Norman and, after a two-year hiatus, Oklahoma and Iowa State renew their series in the Big 12 Conference rotation. Both teams own six-game winning streaks. The Sooners have not lost in six outings, while ISU has reeled off six consecutive victories since a tight, season-opening loss to Florida State. Last week, OU won the Red River Shootout with a 35-24 triumph over Texas in Dallas. Iowa State turned back Texas Tech in Ames, 31-17. This is the second of three games OU will play against the Big 12 North. The Sooners prevailed in the first one, winning at Missouri, 31-24. The remaining game against the North is Oct. 26 vs. Colorado in Norman.
The Polls: Oklahoma is No. 2 in the AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches polls. Iowa State is No. 9 and No. 13 in the two polls, respectively.
Series History: Oklahoma leads the series, 63-5-2, including a 32-3-1 advantage in Norman. The Sooners have won the last seven games in the series dating back to 33-31 Iowa State victory in Norman in 1990. OU was ranked No. 16 heading into that game while the Cyclones were unranked.
Last Meeting: Quentin Griffin rushed 11 times for 123 yards and scored one touchdown on the ground and another through the air as Oklahoma beat Iowa State, 31-10, on Nov, 13, 1999, at Ames. The Sooners rolled up a season-high 301 yards on the ground and stymied Iowa State's Darren Davis, who carried 17 times for just 53 yards in his final home game. Reggie Skinner added 116 yards in 11 attempts for Oklahoma, which became bowl eligible with the win.
On the Air: ABC is televising this game. The broadcasters are Brad Nessler, Bob Griese and Lynn Swann. In addition, the game is on radio via the Sooner Network. The broadcasters are Bob Barry, Sr., (play-by-play), Merv Johnson (color) and Mark Rodgers (sideline).
Tickets: Oklahoma fans purchased 65,000 season tickets and for a fourth consecutive season all Sooner home games are sold out.
The Coaches:
Bob Stoops (Iowa ' 83), is 37-7 in his fourth year at Oklahoma and overall. Stoops is 1-0 against Iowa State, 20-5 vs. the Big 12, 9-2 vs. the Big 12 North, 16-2 vs. non-conference foes, 20-1 at home, 11-4 on the road, 6-2 on neutral fields and 2-1 in bowl games. He is the only coach in Oklahoma history to lead his first three teams to bowl games. His .816 winning percentage after three seasons ranked No. 5 for the best head coaching start in NCAA history.
Dan McCarney (Iowa '75) is 35-51 in his eighth season at Iowa State.
Oklahoma-Iowa State Ties
Iowa State Athletics Director Bruce Van De Velde was senior associate athletics director at Oklahoma for two years from 1999-2000.
Dan McCarney was Iowa's DL coach during the player careers of OU coaches Bob Stoops, Mike Stoops, Chuck Long and Jonathan Hayes.
Oklahoma defensive ends coach Bobby Jack Wright and Iowa State offensive coordinator Steve Brickey coached together at Texas from 1987-91.
Iowa State strength and conditioning coach Matt McGettigan was an assistant to OU's Jerry Schmidt when both were at Notre Dame.
Iowa State senior associate athletics director Laird Veatch was a teammate with Oklahoma co-defensive coordinator Brent Venables and OU assistant athletics director Kirby Hocutt at Kansas St.
These Sooners Against Iowa State
Career statistics accumulated by current OU players against Iowa State ...
Games Statistics
Curtis Fagan 1 4 receptions for 53 yards
Quentin Griffin 1 11 rushes for 123 yards and 1 TD,
3 receptions for 28 yards and 1 TD
Antwone Savage 1 3 receptions for 13 yards
Oklahoma's Most Recent Game
OU won the Red River Shootout for a third straight year with last Saturday's 35-24 win over Texas at Dallas ...
Oklahoma did not take the lead until the 13:23 mark of the fourth quarter, but then sprinted to a 35-17 lead before Texas scored late.
Quentin Griffin rushed 32 times for a career-high 248 yards and one touchdown and also caught one pass for three yards and a touchdown. It was a remarkable performance by the OU offense against a Longhorn defense that had given up just 521 rushing yards through its first five games. The Sooners finished with 266.
Texas came into the game averaging 408.2 yards of total offense per game, but could muster barely half of that against OU with 209. The Longhorns were averaging 170.4 rushing yards, but got just 53 on 35 carries. Similarly, UT was hitting on 56.1% of its passes, but connected on only 46.2% (12-of-26) against the Sooners.
Teddy Lehman and Andre Woolfolk both had interceptions for OU. Both players now have two career interceptions -- both against Texas.
On average over the last three games, OU has some within 39 yards of doubling Texas' total yardage -- 1,137 to 588.
A Cold Shower and Strong Coffee
The Red River Hangover is that post OU-Texas game funk that threatens to distract from the next task at hand. During Bob Stoops' run at OU, the malady has been a myth ...
Red River outcome OU's next game
1999 Texas 38, OU 28 OU 51, Texas A&M 6
2000 OU 63, Texas 14 OU 41, Kansas State 31*
2001 OU 14, Texas 3 OU 38, Kansas 10*
* denotes road games
Quent-Essential Information
Quentin Griffin has eight 100-yard games during his career, including four this season.
His best rushing season came in 2001 (12 games) when he picked up 804 yards on 182 carries. Through six games this season, he has 711 yards on 97 carries.
He has logged the four longest runs of his career this season 53 yards vs. Missouri, 50 yards vs. Tulsa, 49 vs. Tulsa, 45 vs. Texas and 44 vs. Tulsa. He had five runs of 20 yards or longer last season, but already has 11 this season.
Griffin is No. 9 on the Big 12's all-time list for all purpose yardage with 3,634 yards.
The senior is No. 4 on the league's career list for rushing touchdowns. While Ricky Williams' 64 are out of reach, it is realistic to expect that Griffin could climb as high as No. 3. At 33, he is one behind Missouri's Corby Jones (1996-98). Eric Crouch is second at 59.
He's the No. 9 receiver in Big 12 history with 126 catches.
Two Tough at Linebacker
Oklahoma's Teddy Lehman and Lance Mitchell may represent the top linebacking duo in the country and are on course to rival some of the best ever to play at Oklahoma ...
By tackles, the top linebacking pair at OU was Jackie Shipp (182) and Thomas Benson (116), who combined for 298 in 1981. They're followed by Daryl Hunt (152) and George Cumby (140), at 292 in 1977 and Hunt (172) and Obie Moore (115) at 287 in 1976. Through six games, Lehman and Mitchell have combined for 138 and are on pace for 276, which would fall next on the list. Last season, Lehman (83) and Butkus Award winner Rocky Calmus (117) combined for 200.
Mitchell is Oklahoma's top tackler with 77. Rod Shoate, a sophomore at the time, is the only first-year player ever to lead OU in tackles. He had 139 in 1972.
The OU record for most tackles by a junior college transfer, of which Mitchell is one, is 97 by Torrance Marshall in 1999.
Lehman and Mitchell have combined for 10 double digit tackle games. Mitchell has five (lone exception was 9 vs. UTEP) and Lehman has four. The two have posted double digit totals in the same game three times. That did not happen once last year.
Both are threatening the OU season record for tackles for loss by a linebacker. Brian Bosworth (1986), Rocky Calmus (2000) and Torrance Marshall (1999) share the mark at 17. Mitchell now has 12 (No. 10 in OU history) and Lehman 10.
The duo has just one interception (Lehman's vs. Texas), but had their hands on 10 footballs. Lehman has two fumble recoveries, one fumble forced, three pass break-ups and one interception, while Mitchell has three break-ups and a forced fumble.
Return Yards "Perk" Up
Last season, OU had six games in which it logged 100 return yards (kickoffs, punts, interceptions and fumbles). This season, the Sooners have 100 return yards in all six games, including a season-high 202 vs. Texas. It can't be blamed on more kickoff returns, usually the biggest return stat, either as the Sooners are on pace for an increase of only three. Antonio Perkins' impact might be better explanation. He has 573 return yards and is triggering an increase in punt return yardage that could amount to as much as 31% over last season at the present rate.
Truly Special Teams
A look at special teams notes from Bob Stoops' era as OU's head coach ...
There have been 12 special teams touchdowns, six in the last 19 regular season games. Those six came via four different plays -- two punt returns, two faked field goals, a kickoff return and a faked punt .
OU has returned four kickoffs and four punts for TDs during Stoops' tenure.
The Sooners have blocked 10 kicks.
OU's kickoff, kickoff return, punt and punt return units include seven players who also start on either offense or defense.
Here are the special teams touchdowns under during the Stoops era ...
Brandon Daniels 89-yard kickoff return at Notre Dame, 1999
K Tim Duncan 4-yard pass from Patrick Fletcher vs. Texas, 1999 (faked FG)
Jarrail Jackson 70-yard punt return vs. Missouri, 1999
J.T. Thatcher 81-yard punt return vs. Oklahoma State, 1999
J.T. Thatcher 66-yard punt return vs. Arkansas State, 2000
J.T. Thatcher 60-yard punt return vs. Baylor, 2000
Antwone Savage 88-yard kickoff return vs. North Carolina, 2001
Hunter Wall 33-yard pass from Antwone Savage vs. Kansas State, 2001 (faked punt)
K Tim Duncan 10-yard run vs. Texas A&M, 2001 (faked FG)
Antonio Perkins 91-yard punt return vs. Tulsa, 2002
Antonio Perkins 82-yard punt return vs. Texas-El Paso, 2002
Chris Chester 14-yard pass from holder Matt McCoy vs. Missouri, 2002 (faked FG)
AP - All-American?
Antonio Perkins is off to the kind of start that inspires such talk ...
Has two punt returns for touchdowns this season -- a 91-yarder at Tulsa and an 82-yarder against South Florida. Needs one more return for a TD to equal the school record held by Merrill Green (1953) and Jack Mitchell (1946 and 1948).
Ranks No. 2 at OU in punt return yards in a game with 150 vs. USF. That number was just 10 yards shy of the mark set by J.T. Thatcher vs. Arkansas State in 2000.
Perkins is one of only two OU players to have two 100-yard punt return games in the same season. J.T. Thatcher did it in 2000.
Perkins is enjoying the fourth-best season in OU history in punt return yards with 390.
He has five returns of more than 20 yards. The 91-yarder for a touchdown at Tulsa tied for the third-longest punt return in school history, while the 82-yarder against USF stands at No. 8. He is the only Sooner with two returns among the top 10.
Perkins has two interceptions this season. Against UTEP, he returned a pick 50 yards for a touchdown. Against USF, he had a return of 28 yards that set up OU's offense, which later scored, at the Bulls' 45. In addition, he has one fumble recovery and one forced fumble.
Streak Ends, Hybl's Numbers Still Good
Nate Hybl threw four interceptions against Texas last Saturday, but prior to that game had thrown 152 straight without a pick. It was the longest active streak in the nation.
The senior already has completed 11 passes this season that covered at least 30 yards. Hybl has played in 22 games at OU and has at least one 30-yard completion in 11 of those, including 10 of the last 17. Hybl's 21.4-yards per completion figure against UTEP was the second-highest in school history. Garrick McGee posted a 23.0 (12 completions/276 yards) against Syracuse in 1994.
He ranks among the top five in OU history in passing yards, completions, attempts, and touchdown passes.
Young Kickers Enjoy Banner Day in Dallas
True freshman kicker Trey DiCarlo and sophomore punter Blake Ferguson enjoyed their best combined day at the Red River Shootout ...
DiCarlo was 2-of-2 on field goals (37, 29) made all three PAT tries and booted two of his seven kickoffs for touchbacks.
Ferguson averaged had a season-best average of 43.2 with three of his six punts downed inside the 20 (1, 2, 11). The only punt returned amounted to five yards.
End Zone a Popular Place
Fourteen Sooners have scored a touchdown. Last season, in 12 games, 17 OU players crossed the goal line.
Opponents Not Getting The Point(s)
Oklahoma had shutouts in two of its first three games. That hadn't happened since the 1987 season when the Sooners blanked North Carolina (28-0) and Tulsa (65-0) in games two and three, respectively. OU hasn't had three shutouts in the same season since 1986 when it posted five.
Shutout irony ... the only Bob Stoops-coached Oklahoma team that did NOT log a shutout was the 2000 club that won the national championship. OU won the national title game by a 13-2 count over Florida State and held three other teams to single digits.
Since Stoops took over at OU, the Sooners have five shutouts. The opponents failed to score more than seven points in 15 of the 44 games (36% of the games).
Jones Among the Best for Early TDs
Redshirt freshman Kejuan Jones has seven touchdowns. He is No. 12 for most points scored by a freshman with 48. K Trey DiCarlo, a true freshman, is No. 13 with 44. The school record for points by a freshman belongs to kicker R.D. Lashar, who scored 89 in 1987. The mark for most points scored by a freshman non-kicker is held by RB Buddy Leake and Marcus DuPree with 78 in 1951 and 1987, respectively.
Numbers That Define a Defense
The OU defense has forced at least one turnover in 40 of the last 44 games and at least one interception in 29 of the last 33.
OU has scored a defensive touchdown in nine of the last 21 regular season games.
Sooner opponents have completed 50% of their passes just 15 times in the 44 games coached by Bob Stoops. During that same span, OU foes have scored 14+ points just 16 times.
Lots of Ways to Skin a Touchdown
Last year, OU found seven different routes to the end zone -- rushing, passing, kickoff return, interception return, fumble return, faked punt and faked FG. Already this season, the Sooners have found six ... rushing (Tulsa, Alabama, UTEP, Missouri, Texas), passing (Tulsa, Alabama, UTEP, Missouri, Texas), punt return (Tulsa), interception return (vs. UTEP), fumble return (Alabama) and a faked FG (vs. Missouri).
Weekend Warriors
WR Antwone Savage and TE Trent Smith lead this team in total games played at 44. Next in line are WR Curtis Fagan with 43, OL Mike Skinner (39), DB Andre Woolfolk (37) and RB Quentin Griffin (37).
Streaks
OU has not allowed 300 yards rushing since Nebraska eclipsed that figure in 1997 (56 games).
RB Quentin Griffin has at least one reception in a school-record 33 straight games.
Griffin also has the longest string of consecutive starts on the team at 33. The next longest string belongs to CB Derrick Strait at 32.
OU has scored at least one TD in 45 consecutive games. During that same span, the Sooners held the opponent out of the end zone eight times.
OU has sold out its last 21 home games, every game of Bob Stoops' tenure.
Four For the Receiving Record
Eddie Hinton's OU record for receptions in a career (114) stood from 1968 until this year's opener when FL Antwone Savage bettered the mark. He's now at 128. RB Quentin Griffin eclipsed Hinton in the Alabama game and now has 126. TE Trent Smith passed Hinton in the South Florida game and now has 121, while WR Curtis Fagan moved past Hinton at Missouri and now has 118. Before this barrage, only two OU players had logged 100 career receptions -- Hinton and current San Diego Chargers tight end Stephen Alexander, who had 104.
This Date in Sooner History
The Sooners are 10-5 in games played on Oct. 19. Two of those wins came over Iowa State -- 42-7 in 1968 and 16-0 in 1935.
Sooner Summation
Oklahoma is 6-0 for the 17th time in school history.
QB Jason White was lost for the season when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during the first quarter of the Alabama game. He missed the last five games of the 2001 season after tearing the ACL in his left knee. Against Alabama, he was making just his fourth career start. Neither time was the injury the direct result of contact with another player.
Oklahoma has 100 scoring drives of two minutes or less over the last four seasons.
OU has held a double digit lead in 38 of the 44 games under Bob Stoops.
Special teams and/or defense have at least one TD in 17 of Bob Stoops' 44 games.
As part of the OU's $100 million Great Expectations: The Campaign for Sooner Sports, Memorial Stadium will be upgraded. The $65 million project will renovate facility structures and amenities, replace current seating, and add new seating - including 2,200 club seats and 27 sky suites to bring capacity to more than 80,000. Work began after the 2001 season and be complete in time for the 2003 season.
The largest gift in the history of OU athletics - a $12 million from Edward L. Gaylord on behalf of the Gaylord family of Oklahoma City - has been presented to complete the $75 million expansion and restoration of Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. The gift pushed OU's Great Expectations Campaign, which began in January of 1999, beyond its $100 million goal to $102 million.
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