OKLAHOMA STATE NOTES:
The Basics The Oklahoma State football team (3-1 overall; 0-1 Big 12) travels to Manhattan, Kansas, this week to face Kansas State (3-1 overall; 0-1 Big 12) in the Cowboys’ first conference road game of 2024. Kickoff at Bill Snyder Family Stadium is set for 11 a.m. CT on ESPN. On the Air The game will be televised on ESPN with Bob Wischusen, Louis Riddick and Kris Budden on the call. It 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 outside of the Cowboy Radio Network can listen to the OSU broadcast for free through The Varsity Network app. The game will also be broadcast live on national radio via Westwood One, with Nate Gatter and Derek Rackley on the call. In the Rankings The Oklahoma State football team is ranked No. 20 in the Associated Press poll and No. 20 in the US LBM Coaches Poll. It continues a run of OSU being ranked in every season since 2008. Including the 2024 season, Oklahoma State has been ranked in the top 15 of the Associated Press poll in 15 of the past 17 seasons and has reached the top 10 in 11 of those 17 years. Although the first College Football Playoff rankings won’t be released until November 5, it’s worth noting that OSU has been part of the CFP rankings in eight of the past nine seasons entering 2024. The Cowboys have also been included in 43 of the 60 all-time CFP Rankings, which is tied for the eighthmost appearances in the country. Kansas State is ranked No. 23 in the AP poll and No. 25 in the coaches poll. The Series Saturday’s game marks the 71st overall meeting between Oklahoma State and Kansas State in a series that dates to 1908. The 2024 season also marks the 15th consecutive year the teams have played. OSU holds a 43-27 all-time advantage in the series, including a 19-18 edge in games played in Manhattan. The Cowboys have won 10 of the past 15 meetings in the series, as well as four of the past five. OSU has also won two of the past four games played in Manhattan. Coach Mike Gundy is 10-6 in his career against K-State, while KSU coach Chris Klieman is 1-4 against the Cowboys.
Oklahoma State from a Distance Oklahoma State is 3-1 after its first setback of the 2024 season, falling by three points in a top 15 matchup against Utah last week. Now the Cowboys look to bounce back while facing another AP Top 25 team in their first Big 12 road game of the 2024 season. It marks the first team OSU has faced backto-back ranked teams since the midway point of the 2022 season. The biggest standout of the season so far has been safety Trey Rucker, who leads all Power Conference players in both total tackles (53) and solo tackles (29) and is sixth in that group with two total interceptions. Preseason All-America linebacker Nick Martin ranks sixth among Power Conference players with 6.5 tackles for loss this season and his 39 total tackles are also sixth in that group. They lead an OSU defense that leads the Big 12 in red zone defense, tackles for loss, turnovers gained and interceptions. Nationally, the Cowboys rank 13th, 14th, 15th and 18th in those statistics, respectively. Oklahoma State is led offensively by wide receiver Brennan Presley, who has a receiving touchdown in every game this season; quarterback Alan Bowman, who ranks among the FBS top 15 in passing yards, passing touchdowns and points responsible for; and running back Ollie Gordon II, who won the 2023 Doak Walker Award and received more votes for the Heisman Trophy than any other back last season. As a team, OSU is No. 15 in the FBS in passing offense and No. 6 in sacks allowed with just one. On special teams, kicker Logan Ward is 8-for-10 on field goal attempts this season with a long of 52 yards and his 2.0 made field goals per game rank No. 9 in the nation. Punter Wes Pahl would also rank second in the nation in yards per punt if he had enough punts to qualify for the NCAA rankings. Continued Success • Entering 2024, Oklahoma State has made 18th consecutive bowl appearances and secured 18 consecutive winning seasons, both school-record streaks. OSU’s bowl streak is the sixth-longest active streak in the FBS, and the is longest active streak for any school with the same head coach. • Mike Gundy has coached the Cowboys to five New Year’s Six bowl games since the 2009 season. The Pokes appeared in the 2010 Cotton Bowl, the 2012 Fiesta Bowl, the 2014 Cotton Bowl, the 2016 Sugar Bowl and the 2022 Fiesta Bowl. • Since 2010, Oklahoma State has eight seasons with at least 10 wins, an outright Big 12 title (2011), a share of the Big 12 South title (2010) and two more appearances in the conference championship game. OSU reached the top 10 of the Associated Press poll in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2020, 2021 and 2022. • Oklahoma State is one of only four teams to post a winning season every year since 2010, joining Alabama, Boise State and Wisconsin. It is one of only two Power Five teams with winning seasons each of the past 18 years, joined by Wisconsin. • Including 2024, Oklahoma State has been ranked in the top 15 of the Associated Press poll in 15 of the past 17 seasons and reached the top 10 in 11 of those 17 years. • Entering 2024, OSU has finished in the top three of the Big 12 in four of the past five seasons and has finished in the top three 10 times in the 13 seasons since the conference moved away from divisions.
An Oklahoma State Win Would … • Give it wins in 13 of its past 17 and in 26 of its past 33 games following a loss. • Mark Mike Gundy’s 41st career win vs. an AP Top 25 opponent. No other active coach has more. • Make it 3-2 in its past five road games against AP-ranked teams. • Make it 11-7 in its past 18 road games. • Make it 4-1 or better for the seventh time in the past eight years and for the 14th time in the Mike Gundy era. • Give it wins in 12 of its past 15 games. • Make it 11-5 in its past 16 and 20-10 in its past 30 games vs. AP-ranked teams. • Make it 11-7 in its past 18 games when both teams are ranked in the AP Top 25. • Make it 161-75 in its history when playing as an AP-ranked team. • Improve Mike Gundy’s record in September games to 59-15. • Improve Mike Gundy’s record in Big 12 games to 103-64 and move him to one game away from tying Bill Snyder for the second-most Big 12 wins in conference history. • Improve its all-time record vs. Kansas State to 44-27 and its record vs. KSU in Manhattan to 20-18. • Give it wins five of the past six and 11 of its past 16 games against K-State. • Give it wins in three of its past five trips to Manhattan. • Improve Mike Gundy’s record against Kansas State to 11-6. • Make it 35-13 in its past 48 games overall, dating back to the 2020 season. Notable Streaks and Trends Entering the Game • Brennan Presley has one receiving touchdown in every game this season. • Brennan Presley has multiple catches in 34 straight games, the second longest active streak in the FBS. • Trey Rucker has recorded at least 14 tackles in three of four games this season. • Oklahoma State is 4-for-4 on two-point conversion attempts this season and the four successful twopoint conversions are more than any other team in the FBS. • Ollie Gordon II has rushed for more than 100 yards in 10 of the past 15 games. • OSU and Georgia Tech are the only Power Conference teams who have allowed fewer than two sacks in 2024. • OSU’s offensive line has not allowed a sack in nine of its past 14 games. • OSU is 13-1 in the past 14 games when winning or tying the turnover battle. • OSU has held 35 of its past 44 Big 12 opponents under their season scoring average entering the game. • OSU has won 86 consecutive games when holding its opponent to fewer than 20 points, dating back to Sept. 13, 2003 – the longest active period in the FBS, the longest since at least 1980, and likely the longest in college football history. Including games when opponents have scored 20 points or fewer, the streak begins on the same date and includes 94 games. • OSU has held its opponent scoreless on its game-opening drive in 44 of its past 62 games. • OSU has held its opponent to less than a 50% third down conversion rate in 50 of its past 56 games. • OSU is 40-17 in its past 57 games decided by fewer than 10 points. • OSU is 51-8 in its last 59 games when leading at halftime, dating back to Sept. 17, 2016. • Dating back to 2005, OSU is 49-4 when not committing a turnover. • Dating back to 2008, OSU is 82-9 when winning the turnover battle. • OSU has won five of its past seven overtime games. • Over the past 53 games, OSU has held opponents to 264-for-835 (31.6%) on third down.
KANSAS STATE NOTES:
THE TOP 5 K-State is looking to bounce back from a tough road defeat at BYU as the 23rd-ranked Wildcats return home to face No. 20 Oklahoma State on Saturday inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium. The Wildcats’ Big 12 home opener will kick at 11 a.m., and be broadcast on ESPN with Bob Wischusen (play-by-play), Louis Riddick (analyst), and Kris Budden (sideline) on the call. 1 During his first season as the starting quarterback, Avery Johnson has completed 61.1% of his passes (58-of-95) for 620 yards and six touchdowns. He has rushed for 261 yards on 39 carries, including a 110-yard effort against Arizona. He was the fifth sophomore signal caller – and just the second true sophomore – to start a season opener since 1990 when he did so against UT Martin. 2 Alongside Johnson in the backfield is running back DJ Giddens, who has rushed for 417 yards and a touchdown on 68 carries to go along with seven receptions for 69 yards and another score. Sophomore Dylan Edwards has also burst onto the scene, averaging 8.5 yards per carry on 21 attempts. Edwards has two rushing touchdowns, one receiving score, and a 71-yard punt return score in four games. 3 The experience of the Wildcats resides on defense as the unit brought back eight starters from last year, including five of its top six tacklers from a year ago. Ten Wildcats have recorded 10 or more total tackles through four games led by Austin Romaine’s 27. Brendan Mott has 4.0 sacks to tie for 12th nationally and second in the Big 12. As a unit, the Cats have 31 tackles for loss and 12 sacks on the year. 4 Kicker Chris Tennant is back for his senior campaign and enters this week’s contest in the top 10 in school history in six career categories. The Wildcats’ new punter, Simon McClannan, has averaged 43.4 yards per punt this season and landed three inside the 20-yard line. Additionally, a plethora of options are available at both kickoff and punt return, including Edwards.
BIG 12 HOME OPENERS • K-State holds a 17-11 record all-time in its initial Big 12 home game of the season. • Under head coach Chris Klieman, K-State is 3-2 in Big 12 home openers, including wins in each of the last two seasons. • Last year in its Big 12 opener, running back DJ Giddens ran for 207 yards and four touchdowns in addition to catching eight passes for 86 yards in K-State’s 44-31 victory over UCF. A WINNING TRADITION • Kansas State has totaled 139 Big 12 victories since the conference’s formation in 1996, which stands as the most among active Big 12 programs. • The Cats are also second among active Big 12 members in winning percentage since non-divisional play began in 2011. They sit at 59.3% (70-48), trailing only Oklahoma State (65.2%; 77-41). • During that stretch, the Wildcats are 39-20 (66.1%) at home in Big 12 play and 31-28 (52.5%) on the road.
TOTAL OFFENSE • K-State has totaled at least 375 yards of offense in 25 of the last 31 games dating back to the beginning of the 2022 season. During that stretch, the Cats held a 10-game streak against Big 12 foes with 375 or more yards, the longest in school history. TWENTY-EIGHT IS GREAT • K-State had scored 28 or more points in 11 straight games dating back to last season prior to last week’s loss at BYU. It was the longest streak of 28-point games since the 1998-99 seasons when the Cats did so in 16 consecutive games. RUSHING ATTACK • Kansas State is averaging 240.3 yards per game on the ground this season, a figure that ranks 15th nationally and second in the Big 12 Conference. • The Cats have rushed for 215 yards or more in each game this season, including 283 yards in the opener against UT Martin. • Four players have had at least 10 rushing attempts and each average at least 5.0 yards per carry.
LAST MEETING:
STILLWATER, Okla. – Kansas State knew it would be a tough challenge going into Boone Pickens Stadium. But the Wildcats didn’t know that Oklahoma State would save one of its best efforts this season for a Friday night game. Will Howard rushed for 104 yards and one touchdown, DJ Giddens added 65 rushing yards and Treshaun Ward had 59 on the ground, but K-State suffered a 29-21 loss at Oklahoma State in front of a sellout crowd of 53,855. The Wildcats, who sought their first win in Stillwater since 2017, kept things close for a majority of the first half and came back from a 26-7 deficit to make things interesting down the stretch. Howard, who passed for 152 yards, accounted for two scores, including a brilliant 70-yard rush to the 1-yard line to set up a touchdown pass to Ben Sinnott to make it 10-7 in the second quarter. Then he rushed for a six-yard score that pulled K-State to within 29-21 with 8 minutes, 56 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. But K-State struggled to extend drives. That became troubling down the stretch when the Wildcats had a chance. Oklahoma State got tricky as quarterback Alan Bowman appeared to speak with coaches on the sideline and tight end tight end Josiah Johnson took the snap on fourth-and-1, but the Wildcats stiffened and the offense regained possession at the K-State 40 with 5:17 left. However, the Wildcats, who went just 6-for-16 on third down and 1-for-4 on fourth down, were unable to turn another possession into any points. After the K-State defense forced a punt, the offense regained possession with 3 minutes to go and needed a touchdown and a 2-point conversion to tie the game. However, Oklahoma State linebacker Collin Oliver knocked down Howard’s final pass attempt on fourth down and the Cowboys drained the clock. Howard completed 15-of-34 passes for 152 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. Sinnott had four catches for 39 yards and one touchdown and Giddens had four catches for 28 yards. Although Oklahoma State outgained K-State 412-372, the Wildcats’ defense allowed just one rushing touchdown and forced Oklahoma State place-kicker Alex Hale to make field goals of 43, 34, 53, 31, and 25 yards. Although K-State thumped Oklahoma State 48-0 in Manhattan last season, the Wildcats had difficulties throughout the contest on Friday. Already playing without starting cornerback Jacob Parrish, the Wildcats suffered another key loss when Will Lee III, their other starting cornerback, went down while making a tackle in the second quarter. K-State faced a 20-7 halftime deficit, which only grew when Hale drilled a 53-yard field goal and a 31-yarder in the third quarter. But K-State didn’t quit. It scored its second touchdown of the game when Ward took the ball 11 yards. Howard ran in a 2-point conversion to make it 26-15 at the end of the third quarter. Hale’s 25-yard field goal gave the Cowboys a 29-15 advantage with 11:31 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter before the Wildcats mounted a comeback that fell just short.