Sooners Look To Record First 5-0 Start In Big 12 Since 2004

OPENING KICK

• No. 16/15 Oklahoma (5-2, 4-0) goes for its 12th straight league win when it hosts Kansas (1-6, 0-4) on Saturday at 6 p.m. CT at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman. OU's homecoming game will be televised by FS1 with Brian Custer and Petros Papadakis announcing.

• OU is 73-27-6 (.717) all-time against Kansas and 37-12-2 (.745) vs. the Jayhawks in Norman (5-0 there under Bob Stoops).

• Stoops is 11-0 vs. the Jayhawks as OU’s coach, with each game being decided by at least 15 points. The Sooners have outscored Kansas in those contests, 451-130 (average of 41-12). The last two games in the series have seen OU win by a combined score of 106-14. KU has been held to seven points in three of the last four meetings (19 in the other). The 11-game series winning streak is OU's second-longest active streak (the Sooners have won 17 in a row against Iowa State).

• Oklahoma is 42-4 (.913) all-time against Kansas when ranked, and 9-0 against the Jayhawks when ranked under Stoops.

• OU is coming off a 66-59 road win over Texas Tech in which the teams set an NCAA record with 1,708 yards of combined total offense (854 each). Baker Mayfield threw a school-record seven touchdowns and finished with 545 passing yards (nine shy of the program record). Joe Mixon became the first Sooner to ever register at least 200 rushing yards (career-high 263) and at least 100 receiving yards (114), and he scored five TDs (most by a Big 12 player this year). Dede Westbrook caught nine passes for 202 yards and two scores.

• Kansas came out on the short end of a 44-20 decision at home against Oklahoma State on Saturday. The Jayhawks, who led 13-10 late in the second quarter, were outgained by a 482 to 454 margin. They got 145 rushing yards from Ke'aun Kinner on just 14 carries (10.4 average). Quarterback Montell Cozart was 24-for-40 through the air for 250 yards and one touchdown with two interceptions. 

FOR THE FANS

• Two hours before each home game, head coach Bob Stoops and the Sooners will disembark from the team buses at the intersection of Lindsey St. and Jenkins Ave for the "Walk of Champions." A pep rally, conducted by OU Spirit, will be held 15 minutes prior to the team's arrival. This week's pep rally will be at 3:45 p.m. with the team arriving at 4 p.m. Fans are encouraged to cheer on the team upon arrival and watch as Coach Stoops and the squad walk the final yards to their temporary locker room facilities. Fans may begin lining up on Jenkins Ave. starting at 3:30 p.m.

• Sooner Fan Fest will be held in the Rhyne Hall parking lot directly east of McCasland Field House. It opens at 3 p.m. off Jenkins Ave. and concludes at 5:30 p.m. Fans will have the opportunity to meet Boomer and Sooner and have their photos taken with the Sooner Schooner, the mascots and members of the OU spirit squads at the OU Marketing trailer. Activities include a live band, a jumbotron showing games from around the country and interactive booths. Burgers, brats and hot dogs from Homeland and Red River Ranch will be available for purchase. And the Sooner Radio Network (flagship 107.7 The Franchise) will be broadcasting live from Fan Fest with Toby Rowland, Merv Johnson, Chris Plank, Ted Lehman and Rufus Alexander.

FIVE TOP STORYLINES

• Oklahoma is looking to start 5-0 in Big 12 play for the first time since 2004 and for the fourth time in school history. On each of those previous three occasions (2000, 2003 and 2004; all under Bob Stoops), OU finished 8-0 in regular season Big 12 play. In two of those years (2000 and 2004), it also won the Big 12 Championship Game.

• OU has won 11 straight regular season Big 12 matchups, good for the third-longest such streak in program history. It won 17 straight Big 12 games between 2003 and 2005, and 13 in a row between 1999 and 2001.

• Oklahoma's Dede Westbrook will be looking to continue the most impressive string of receiving production in school history this Saturday. Over the last four contests, the senior has 776 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns, both OU records for a four-game stretch (the next highest yardage total is 602). His 10 TDs have averaged 46.1 yards (seven have been 40 yards or longer). Only two FBS players have more receiving TDs (11) on the entire season than Westbrook has in the last four outings. His eight catches of at least 40 yards (all in the last four games) are more than 52 teams have on the season.

• Quarterback Baker Mayfield leads the country with his 11.02 yards per pass attempt. Only one other player nationally – Toledo's Logan Woodside at 10.69 – averages more than 10.0 yards per attempt. Mayfield also ranks third nationally and first in the Big 12 in pass efficiency (194.9), completion percentage (.714) and yards per completion (15.45). He ranks sixth in the country with 23 passing TDs and 335.4 passing yards per game, and ninth with 2,348 passing yards and 353.0 yards of total offense per contest.

• The last time Kansas visited Norman two years ago, OU's Samaje Perine amassed an FBS-record 427 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 34 carries. The record still stands. Perine is the only player in FBS history to rush for more than 200 yards in each half of a game (222 in first, 205 in second). He did not play the final 12 minutes of the game, a 44-7 OU win.

SCOUTING KANSAS

• Kansas travels to Norman sporting a 1-6 overall record and a 0-4 Big 12 mark. The Jayhawks, who won their season opener against Rhode Island by a 55-6 score, are in their second year under head coach David Beaty. KU finished 0-12 last season.

• Kansas' offense averages 364.7 yards per game to rank 104th nationally and ninth in the Big 12. The Jayhawks are scoring a Big 12-low 21.7 points per game. They have done the most damage through the air, averaging 254.3 passing yards per game (45th nationally, eighth in Big 12), while managing 110.4 yards per contest on the ground (121st nationally, last in Big 12).

• KU has used a pair of quarterbacks this season. Redshirt junior Montell Cozart leads the Jayhawks in passing with 831 yards, completing 81 of his 131 attempts (61.8 percent) with seven TDs and six interceptions. Sophomore Ryan Willis is 72-for -117 (61.5 percent) with three TDs and seven interceptions.

• Sophomore wide receiver Steven Sims leads the Jayhawks with 543 yards (on 37 catches) and five TDs on the year. Senior running back Ke'aun Kinner paces the team in rushing with 409 yards on 69 attempts (5.9 ypc).

• Kansas is tied for 89th nationally in total defense (fifth in the Big 12), giving up 433.0 yards per contest. It allows opponents to score an average of 36.9 points per game. Teams are averaging 201.9 yards on the ground against Kansas and 231.1 yards through the air.

• Senior safety Fish Smithson leads Kansas with 48 tackles. He has also logged 1.0 sack, 1.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions and two forced fumbles. Sophomore defensive end Dorance Armstrong is tied with OU's Ogbonnia Okoronkwo for second in the Big 12 with 7.0 sacks. Armstrong also has 22 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and a forced fumble.

LAST YEAR VS. THE JAYHAWKS

• No. 14/13 Oklahoma outgained Kansas 710 yards to 216 and did not punt for the first time since 1990 in a 62-7 win on Halloween afternoon in Lawrence.

• Baker Mayfield completed 27-of-32 passes for 383 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions in just one half and one possession of work. His 226.2 passer rating still stands as the third best in OU history among quarterbacks who have attempted at least 30 passes in a game.

• Mayfield’s 332 passing yards in the first half were the second most in a half in OU history. The Sooners led 38-7 at intermission.

• Sterling Shepard’s 11 catches and 183 receiving yards were the most by a Sooner last season, and the 183 yards were the ninth most in school history at the time. He had 10 catches for 174 yards in the first half (the 174 yards were the second most in a half in school history; four shy of the record).

• OU ran for 265 yards and averaged 6.5 yards per carry. Running backs Samaje Perine (90 yards; 8.2 per carry; two TDs), Alex Ross (103 yards; 7.4 yards per carry; TD) and Joe Mixon (44 yards; 7.3 per carry) totaled 237 yards and averaged 7.6 yards per rush.

• Reserve tight end Connor Knight and reserve offensive lineman Sam Grant each logged their first career reception, both resulting in TDs. Knight’s catch came from back-up QB and twin brother Trevor Knight in the fourth quarter.

• Charles Tapper recorded his first three sacks of the season and forced two fumbles. It marked the first time since 2011 that an OU defensive lineman had three sacks in a game. Tapper was named Big 12 Co-Defensive Player of the Week.

• Thanks in part to five sacks, the OU defense held the Jayhawks to fewer rushing yards (35) than carries (36). It was the second straight year the Sooners held Kansas to less than 1.0 rushing yard per attempt.

JUST CALL HIM "TD" WESTBROOK

• Senior Dede Westbrook is on a remarkable four-game tear, amassing 35 catches for 776 yards and 10 touchdowns against TCU, Texas, Kansas State and Texas Tech this month. The 776 yards are the most ever by a Sooner in a four-game stretch, as are the 10 receiving TDs.

• Westbrook's 10 TDs over the last four games are six more than he had in the first 16 games of his career. His 10 scores (two at TCU; three vs. Texas; three vs. K-State; two at Texas Tech) came from 67, 40, 71, 42, 47, 26, 8, 88, 49 and 23 yards (an average of 46.1 yards).

• Westbrook's 10 TD catches over the last four games are more than 39 teams (19 Power 5 teams) have on the season.

• Westbrook is the only player in school history to score at least six TDs (rushing or receiving) of 40-plus yards in one season. He has seven.

• Only two FBS players have more receiving TDs this season (11 each) than Westbrook's 10 the last four games, and only 14 FBS players have more receiving yards on the season than Westbrook has in the past four outings.

• In Big 12 play, Westbrook ranks first in the conference in receptions (8.8 per game), receiving yards (194.0 per game) and points (15.5 per game), and ranks second in all-purpose yards (205.5 per game).

• Westbrook's 194.0 receiving yards per Big 12 game are 51 more than the next closest player (Texas Tech's Jonathan Giles; 142.8) and 85 more than the No. 3 player (Texas Tech's Keke Coutee; 109.0).

MAYFIELD ON FIRE

• Junior quarterback Baker Mayfield is 152-for-213 (career-high 71.4 percent) this season with 23 TDs and five interceptions. He ranks first nationally in yards per pass attempt (11.0; only one other player is above 10.0), third in pass efficiency rating (194.9), third in completion percentage and fourth in yards per completion (15.5).

• Mayfield has been especially effective in Big 12 play, leading the league in passing TDs (16; Texas Tech's Patrick Mahomes ranks second with 12), completion percentage (.758; Mahomes is next at .667) and pass efficency rating (214.4; Baylor's Seth Russell ranks second at 166.2). He has thrown for 388.8 yards per league contest and has also run for 119 yards and three scores during the stretch.

• Mayfield's 11 TD passes the last two games are the most ever by a Sooner in back-to-back outings.

• Mayfield is the only player in OU history to register at least 5,000 passing yards (6,048) and at least 500 rushing yards (528) in a career.

• Mayfield has accounted for 69 touchdowns as a Sooner, the most by a player in the first 20 games of an OU career. His 59 TD passes are tied with Sam Bradford for the most through the first 20 games (see chart on page 3).

• Mayfield ranks first at OU in career completion percentage (.692; Bradford ranks second at .676) and career passing efficiency (180.88; Bradford ranks second at 175.62).

NOT YOUR AVERAGE JOE

• For his career, redshirt sophomore running back Joe Mixon is averaging 6.69 yards per carry, most in the 18-year Bob Stoops era among players with at least 100 attempts.

• Mixon leads the Big 12 and ranks second nationally with his 207.0 all-purpose yards per game this season. He is averaging a team-high 105.6 rushing yards per game (ranks second in Big 12), 46.0 receiving yards per contest (ranks second on team), 25.9 yards per kickoff return (ranks second in Big 12) and 6.2 yards per punt return.

• Saturday at Texas Tech, Mixon become one of only two FBS players since 1996 to register three receiving TDs and two rushing TDs in one game (Air Force's Tim McVey did it last year against New Mexico).

• Mixon has accounted for 10 touchdowns on the season in four different fashions. His scoring pass to Dede Westbrook two weeks ago vs. Kansas State made him the first player in school history and only FBS player this year to register TDs via pass, rush, reception and kickoff return in the same season.

• Over the last two games, Mixon has accounted for 559 all-purpose yards and has accounted for seven TDs (four receiving, two rushing, one passing).

EXTRA POINTS

• Oklahoma is 98-9 (.916) at home under Bob Stoops, with all 107 of those games sellouts. It is the best home winning percentage among Power 5 schools during the time period (Ohio State is next at .879). OU has outscored its foes by an average of 42-16 in those games.

• In Big 12 play, OU leads the league in scoring offense (50.2), total offense (642.5), pass efficiency (217.8) and sacks allowed per game (0.75). It ranks second in passing offense (395.2), rushing offense (247.2), first downs per game (27.0) and third-down conversion percentage (55.8).

• The Sooners, who rank second in the Big 12 and 37th nationally in rushing defense (133.3 yards per game), have held five of their seven opponents to 120 or fewer yards on the ground (89 by Houston, 78 by ULM, 65 by TCU, 110 by Texas and 120 by Texas Tech).

• OU has 19 plays from scrimmage this year that have resulted in at least 40 yards. Only Alabama, which has played one more game, has more (20).

• The Sooners lead the country with 14 offensive touchdowns of at least 40 yards. The next highest total nationally is 10.

• OU has registered more than 500 yards of total offense in 12 of its last 14 regular season games (averaging 582.6 yards in those 14 contests). It has won all 12 of those games that it reached 500 yards (averaged 52.0 points in the 12 victories).

• The Sooners are 48-6 (.889) since the start of the 2010 season against teams unranked in the AP Top 25 Poll.

• Stoops' 11-0 mark against Kansas ties his 11-0 mark against Iowa State for his most wins without a loss against another program.

• OU's 73 wins vs. Kansas are tied as its third most against another program (Oklahoma State 85, Kansas State 74, Iowa State 73).

• Cornerback Jordan Thomas ranks second in the nation with his 1.6 pass breakups per game. Seven of his 11 pass breakups on the year have come in the last three games and nine have come in the last four (two at TCU, four vs. Texas and three vs. Kansas State).

• Inside linebacker Jordan Evans ranks fourth in the Big 12 with his 7.7 tackles per contest.

• Of all active FBS players with at least 10 career TD receptions, Mark Andrews has the best TD-to-catch ratio at 29.7 percent (11 TDs on 37 catches). The next closest players are Toledo's Michael Roberts (15 TDs on 52 catches; 28.9%), Pitt’s Scott Orndoff (10 on 40; 25.0%), North Carolina's Mack Hollins (20 on 81; 24.7%) and Michigan State’s Josiah Price (19 on 84; 22.6%).