Inside The Matchup: OU vs. Iowa State

OPENING KICK

• No. 12/11 Oklahoma (6-2, 5-0) goes for its 13th straight league win when it travels to face Iowa State (1-7, 0-5) on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. CT at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames. The game will be televised by ESPN with Dave Flemming, Jesse Palmer and Laura Rutledge announcing.

• Oklahoma owns a 73-5-2 (.925) all-time record against Iowa State and is 34-2-1 (.932) vs. the Cyclones in Ames. In the Big 12 era, the Sooners hold a 12-0 series advantage (5-0 in Ames). OU has won 22 consecutive games at Iowa State and 33 of the last 34 (ISU's two home wins came in 1960 and 1928 [series first meeting]).

• ISU’s only win against OU since 1961 was a 33-31 victory in 1990 in Norman. The Sooners are 44-1-1 (.967) in the last 46 meetings against the Cyclones.

• Bob Stoops is 11-0 vs. the Cyclones as OU’s coach, with each game being decided by double digits. The average score in those contests has been 41-9. OU has outscored ISU the last three years by a combined 159-40 margin.

• In five road games against Iowa State in the Stoops era, the Sooners have outscored the Cyclones 195-58 (average of 39-12). OU has given up 14 or fewer points in four of those five contests.

• OU is coming off a 56-3 home win over Kansas on Saturday, the Sooners' largest margin of victory in more than a year (55-0 at Kansas State, Oct. 15, 2015). Dede Westbrook finished with 230 all-purpose yards and scored two TDs (one receiving, one punt return) while Baker Mayfield completed 16-of-24 passes for 236 yards and four TDs without an interception in less than three quarters of work. KU's three points were the fewest scored by a Big 12 team this year.

• Despite outgaining Kansas State by a 493-398 margin, Iowa State dropped a 31-26 decision on Saturday. The Cyclones trailed 31-10 through three quarters before outscoring K-State 16-0 in the fourth. ISU backup quarterback Jacob Park threw for 301 yards and two TDs on 19-for-35 passing and had one interception. Allen Lazard caught nine passes for a game-high 134 yards, while two of Deshaunte Jones' five catches went for TDs. Starting quarterback Joel Lanning ran 10 times for a team-high 74 yards and a score.   

FIVE TOP STORYLINES

• Oklahoma has won 17 straight games against Iowa State, good for its longest active winning streak versus an opponent. In those 17 meetings, OU has outscored the Cyclones 616-160. The Sooners have allowed more than 20 points just once during the stretch and have held ISU to 10 or fewer points on 12 occasions.

• An Oklahoma win Thursday would give the Sooners 13 straight Big 12 Conference wins, which would tie for the second longest streak in program history. They won 17 straight Big 12 games between 2003 and 2005 and 13 between 1999 and 2001.

• OU has won its last nine true road games and 20 of its last 22. It is the longest streak of Bob Stoops' career and tied for the fifth-longest in program history. The Sooners have outscored their last nine true road opponents, 469-237 (52-26 average), and have scored at least 30 points in each of their last 14 true road contests.

• Dede Westbrook will be looking to continue the most impressive string of receiving production in OU history this Saturday. Over the last five contests, the senior has 881 receiving yards and 11 receiving touchdowns, both program records for a five-game stretch (the next highest yardage total is 686). His 11 TDs have averaged 45.6 yards (eight have been 40 yards or longer). No FBS players have more receiving TDs (11) on the entire season than Westbrook has in the last five outings. His nine catches of at least 40 yards (all in the last five games) are more than 96 teams have on the season.

• This week's contest will mark the 58th Thursday game in OU history and the 49th in regular season play. OU has a 35-16-7 (.664) all-time record on Thursdays, including a 28-14-6 (.646) mark in the regular season. Under Stoops, OU is 4-2 on Thursdays (1-1 in the regular season; won at Tulsa 62-21 on Sept. 20, 2007, and lost at Baylor 41-12 on Nov. 7, 2013). Adding a 37-0 win at Tulsa on Friday, Aug. 30, 2002, OU is 2-1 under Stoops in the regular season on non-Saturdays.

SCOUTING IOWA STATE

• Iowa State enters the week with a 1-7 overall record and a 0-5 Big 12 mark. Its lone win came at home over San Jose State (44-10) in the season's fourth game. Four of the Cyclones' losses have come by seven points or less.

• Matt Campbell, the youngest head coach at a Power Five school at 36 years old, is in his first year at ISU. Campbell spent the previous five years at Toledo, where he led the Rockets to four bowl appearances and logged the school's third-best winning percentage (.700) in history. He was the 2015 MAC Coach of the Year.

• The Cyclones rank eighth in the Big 12 in total offense at 392.8 yards per game (80th nationally) and ninth in the league by scoring an average of 24.0 points per game (97th nationally). Iowa State has been most successful through the air, ranking 47th nationally and eighth in the Big 12 with an average of 252.4 passing yards per game. On the ground, the Cyclones average 140.4 yards per contest to rank seventh in the league and 103rd nationally.

• ISU has used a rotation at the quarterback position. Junior Joel Lanning has thrown for a team-high 1,224 yards on 59-percent passing (95-for-160) with nine touchdowns and three interceptions. Sophomore Jacob Park has thrown for 770 yards on 55-percent passing (60-for-109) with six TDs and three interceptions. Park was the star for ISU last week against Kansas State. He was 19-for-35 for 301 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a 31-26 home loss.

• Sophomore running back Mike Warren leads ISU in rushing with 530 yards on 124 attempts (4.3 yards per carry). The Lawton, Okla., native led all freshmen in rushing last year with 1,339 yards. He was a freshman All-American and the Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year.

• The Cyclones rank sixth in the Big 12 in scoring defense by giving up 32.4 points per game (98th nationally). They allow opponents an average of 453.0 yards of total offense per game, a mark good for eighth in the Big 12 and 107th in the nation. ISU's pass defense ranks as the second best in the Big 12 this season, giving up just 219.4 yards per game (52nd nationally).

• Sophomore linebacker Willie Harvey leads the ISU defense with 48 tackles on the year. He is one of 10 Cyclones who have at least 30 tackles. Senior defensive end Jhaustin Thomas has a team-high 3.0 sacks.

LAST YEAR VS. THE CYCLONES

• No. 15/14/13 Oklahoma outgained Iowa State by 310 yards (684 to 374) in posting a 52-16 home win on Nov. 7, 2015. Five of OU’s seven touchdown drives took less than a minute, and all seven TDs were scored by a different player. It was OU’s 11th win in 11 tries against the Cyclones under Bob Stoops (all by double digits).

• Quarterback Baker Mayfield completed 74 percent of his passes (23-of-31) for 342 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 27 yards, including a 17-yard score. Two of his TDs went for 75 yards (to Dimitri Flowers) and 74 yards (to Sterling Shepard).

• The Sooners ran for 279 yards (fourth straight game over 230; 7.2 per carry on the night) behind 95 by Samaje Perine and 88 by Joe Mixon. Perine averaged 7.3 yards per carry while Mixon averaged 11.0. Each scored a TD (8-yarder by Perine and 57-yarder by Mixon). None of the 28 carries by OU running backs went for a loss.

• Durron Neal totaled 75 receiving yards on a career-high 10 catches. Shepard finished with four catches for a team-high 94 yards, while Dede Westbrook nabbed three balls for 60 yards and a 27-yard score. Mark Andrews caught a 55-yard TD from backup quarterback Trevor Knight.

• Iowa State entered the game averaging 225.0 rushing yards over its previous six contests, but OU limited it to 114 yards on 38 carries (3.0 per rush). The Sooners held running back Mike Warren, who entered the day averaging a Big 12-high 160.0 yards per league game, to 43 yards on 18 carries (2.4 average).

• Ahmad Thomas led OU with 10 tackles and Dakota Austin recorded nine stops and his third career interception.

JUST CALL HIM "TD" WESTBROOK

• Senior Dede Westbrook is on a remarkable five-game tear, amassing 40 catches for 881 yards and 11 touchdowns against TCU, Texas, Kansas State, Texas Tech and Kansas in October. He also returned a punt 71 yards for a score Saturday against KU. The 881 yards are the most ever by a Sooner in a five-game stretch as are the 11 receiving TDs.

• Westbrook's 12 total TDs over the last five games are eight more than he had in the first 16 games of his career. His 11 receiving scores (two at TCU; three vs. Texas; three vs. K-State; two at Texas Tech; one vs. Kansas) came (in order) from 67, 40, 71, 42, 47, 26, 8, 88, 49, 23 and 41 yards (an average of 45.6 yards).

• Westbrook's 11 TD catches over the last five games are more than 38 teams (18 Power 5 teams) have on the season.

• Westbrook is the only player in school history to score more than five TDs (rushing or receiving) of 40-plus yards in one season. He has eight. He is also the only Sooner to record five straight 100-yard receiving games in one year.

• No FBS player has more receiving TDs this season than Westbrook's 11 in the last five games, and only 11 FBS players have more receiving yards on the year than Westbrook has in the past five outings. Westbrook has more receiving yards the in last five games than Army, New Mexico and Tulane each have on the season.

• Only two FBS players have scored double-digit touchdowns since Oct. 1: Westbrook (12) and Louisiana Tech's Carlos Henderson (10).

• In Big 12 play, Westbrook ranks first in the conference in receptions (8.0 per game), receiving yards (176.2 per game), points (14.8 per game), and all-purpose yards (210.4 per game).

• Westbrook's 176.2 receiving yards per Big 12 game are 60 more than the next closest player (Texas Tech's Jonathan Giles; 116.2) and 85 more than the No. 3 player (Oklahoma State's James Washington; 91.6).

• Westbrook's 1,778 career receiving yards are the most ever by an OU player in their first 21 games. The second-year Sooner already ranks 10th in school history in receiving yards.

MAYFIELD ON FIRE

• Junior quarterback Baker Mayfield has been as effective in 2016 – if not more – as he was in 2015 when he finished fourth in Heisman Trophy voting and was named national player of the year by Sporting News. Mayfield, who completed 68.1 percent of his passes for 3,700 yards and 36 touchdowns against only seven interceptions (5.1 ratio) last year, is 168-for-237 (career-high 70.9 percent) this season with 27 TDs and five picks (5.4 ratio). He ranks first nationally in yards per pass attempt (10.9; only one other player is above 10.0) and passing efficiency rating (195.8; NCAA single-season record is 191.8), second in yards per completion (15.4) and fifth in passing TDs (27) and completion percentage.

• Mayfield has been especially effective in Big 12 play, leading the league in passing TDs (20; Texas Tech's Patrick Mahomes ranks second with 14), completion percentage (.743; Mahomes is next at .659) and pass efficiency rating (212.8; Baylor's Seth Russell ranks second at 157.2). He has thrown for 358.2 yards per league contest and has also run for 135 yards and three scores during the stretch.

• Mayfield's 15 TD passes the last three games are the most ever by a Sooner in back-to-back-to-back outings. He has thrown one interception during the span.

• Mayfield is the only player in OU history to register at least 5,000 passing yards (6,284) and at least 500 rushing yards (544) in a career.

• Mayfield has accounted for 73 touchdowns as a Sooner, the most by a player in the first 21 games of an OU career. His 63 TD passes are also a record for the first 21 games (one more than Sam Bradford; see chart on page 3).

• Mayfield ranks first at OU in career completion percentage (.691; Bradford ranks second at .676) and career passing efficiency (181.77; Bradford ranks second at 175.62).

• Mayfield owns a 5.3 touchdown-to-interception ratio as a Sooner (63 to 12).

NOTING OU'S DEFENSE

• Oklahoma ranks 93rd out of 128 teams in total defense by allowing 437.6 yards per contest, but it has faced five of the nation's top offenses in its eight games. Texas Tech ranks second nationally in total offense at 600.3 yards per game, Ohio State ranks 20th at 492.9 yards, TCU ranks 24th at 487.8, Texas 26th at 486.4 and Houston 33rd at 470.8. The Sooners held three of those five teams to yardage totals below their current average. Three of OU's final four foes also rank in the top 35 in total offense (Baylor is No. 4, West Virginia No. 18 and Oklahoma State No. 35).

• Due mainly to injuries, 22 different Sooners have started on defense through eight games. In Saturday's win over Kansas, four freshmen and a first-year junior college transfer were among OU's starters.

• OU, which ranks second in the Big 12 and 24th nationally in rushing defense (122.8 yards per game), has held six of its eight opponents to 120 or fewer yards on the ground (89 by Houston, 78 by ULM, 65 by TCU, 110 by Texas, 120 by Texas Tech and 49 by Kansas).

• Cornerback Jordan Thomas ranks second in the nation with his 1.6 passes defended per game. Nine of his 13 passes defended on the year have come in the last four games and 11 have come in the last five.

• Outside linebacker Ogbonnia Okoronkwo is tied for first in the Big 12 and ninth nationally with his 1.0 sack per game. He has registered 5.0 sacks over his last four games (did not play vs. Kansas). His 7.0 sacks are fourth most in a season by an OU linebacker.

• Inside linebacker Jordan Evans ranks fifth in the Big 12 with his 8.0 tackles per contest.

EXTRA POINTS

• In Big 12 play, OU leads the league in scoring offense (51.4), total offense (623.6), pass efficiency (208.2), sacks allowed per game (0.8) and punt return average (15.4). It ranks second in passing offense (371.4), rushing offense (252.2), first downs per game (26.6) and third-down conversion percentage (53.1).

• OU leads the nation with its 22 plays from scrimmage of at least 40 yards.

• The Sooners lead the country with 15 offensive touchdowns of at least 40 yards. No other team has more than 13.

• Oklahoma has won each of its five Big 12 games despite losing the turnover battle in three of those contests. OU has eight turnovers during its winning streak compared to seven takeaways.

• OU has registered more than 500 yards of total offense in 13 of its last 15 regular season games (averaging 579.6 yards in those 15 contests). It has won all 13 of those games that it reached 500 yards (averaged 52.3 points in the 13 victories).

• Oklahoma is 48-1-1 (.970) all-time against Iowa State when ranked and 10-0 against ISU when ranked under Bob Stoops.

• The Sooners are 49-6 (.891) since the start of the 2010 season against teams unranked in the AP Top 25 Poll.

• OU is 53-12 (.815) under Stoops in the month of November and has won six straight November games dating to last season (and nine of the last 10).

• Of all active FBS players with at least 10 career TD receptions, Mark Andrews has the best TD-to-catch ratio at 30.0 percent (12 TDs on 40 catches). The next closest players are Toledo's Michael Roberts (15 TDs on 56 catches; 26.8%), North Carolina's Mack Hollins (20 on 81; 24.7%), Pitt’s Scott Orndoff (10 on 42; 23.8%),  and Washington’s John Ross (16 on 71; 22.5%)

• Three of OU's five interceptions this season have come in the last two games (Steven Parker, Jordan Thomas and Jordan Evans). Last year OU ranked second in the Big 12 and eighth nationally with 20 interceptions (1.5 per contest). Iowa State also has five interceptions this year.

• Quarterback Austin Kendall has played in just two games (Sept. 10 against ULM and Saturday vs. Kansas) and has already set the OU single-season record for most yards (143) and most completions (16) by a true freshman in the Stoops era. Kendall's two touchdowns are also tied for most in a season by a true freshman in the Stoops era. Paul Thompson completed 12 passes and threw for two TDs in five games as a true frosh in 2002. Other true freshman QBs to play under Stoops were Jason White in 1999 (3 games; 1 for 2 passing; 9 yards; 0 TDs) and Keith Nichol in 2007 (3 games; 2 for 7 passing; 15 yards; 0 TDs).