Oklahoma State vs. Kansas Postgame Notes

Postgame Notes

• Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy pulled the starters with just under two minutes remaining in the first half. The Cowboys held a 38-0 lead at that point.
• The 52-point margin of victory was Oklahoma State’s largest since a 61-7 win over Southeastern Louisiana in 2016 (54 points).
• 55 points scored were the most for Oklahoma State since a 56-14 win over McNeese in 2019. It was the most against a Big 12 opponent since a 58-17 win over Kansas in 2017.
• Saturday marked just the fourth time since 2010 that Oklahoma State held its opponent to three points or fewer in a game and the first since a 42-3 win over Baylor last year.
• The Cowboys held Kansas to 143 yards of total offense, 44 passing yards, 99 rushing yards and seven first downs. 143 yards of total offense were the fewest for an Oklahoma State opponent since Texas State had 141 in 2000. 44 passing yards were the fewest for an OSU opponent since Missouri State had 23 in 2008. 99 rushing yards marked the fourth time this season that the Cowboys have held the opposition below the century mark. Seven first downs were the fewest for an OSU opponent since
• Oklahoma State held a 38-0 lead at halftime. It was the most points scored in a half for OSU since the Cowboys scored 38 points in the first half against Oklahoma in 2017. It was OSU’s largest halftime lead since holding a 44-0 advantage over Louisiana at halftime on Sept. 15, 2012.
• The Oklahoma State defense limited Kansas to zero first downs and just 49 yards of total offense in the first half (10 passing, 39 rushing). It marked the sixth time this season that OSU has held an opponent under 100 yards of offense in a half.
• Kansas did not record a first down until the 9:16 mark of the third quarter when Oklahoma State’s starters had already been pulled from the game. While the record for fewest first downs allowed in a half is not immediately available, other standout performances since 2000 include the following:
• One first down for Kansas State in the first half in 2019
• Two first downs for Baylor in the first half in 2021
• Three first downs for Savannah State in the first half in 2012
• Four first downs for Kansas in the second half in 2015
• Four first downs for Texas in the second half in 2021
• The Oklahoma State defense held Kansas to 0-for-13 on third down in the game. The last time OSU held an opponent without a successful third-down conversion was against Tulsa in 2020 when the Golden Hurricane went 0-for-12 on third down.
• The Oklahoma State defense held Kansas quarterback Jason Bean to 0-for-3 passing and two interceptions in the first quarter for a minus-133.3 passer rating at the end of the opening stanza. At halftime, Bean was 3-for-10 with 10 yards and two interceptions for a minus-1.6 rating.
• The Cowboys intercepted three passes in the game, their most since picking off three passes against Kansas in 2019.
• Kansas’s five first quarter drives yielded three three-and-outs and two turnovers. The Cowboy defense limited the Jayhawks to 23 yards of total offense – all of which came on the ground – in the first quarter.
• Oklahoma State did not commit a turnover, marking the second straight turnover-free game for OSU. The last time the Cowboys did not commit a turnover in consecutive games was November of 2019.
• Quarterback Spencer Sanders completed 12-of-19 passes for 157 yards and two touchdowns and rushed seven times for 53 yards and a touchdown before he was pulled with the game already decided in the second quarter. On Brennan Presley’s second-quarter rushing touchdown, Sanders threw the key block when he barreled through Kansas safety Ricky Thomas at the three yard line to pave the way for Presley.
• Jason Taylor II had a first-quarter interception. Taylor remains a big-play threat on the Oklahoma State defense. Just this season alone, he blocked a crucial fourth-quarter field goal attempt to preserve OSU’s win at Boise State and scored on a pick-six to flip momentum in favor of OSU in the Cowboys’ road win at Texas.
• Later in the first quarter, Kolby Harvell-Peel recorded his third interception of the season and the 10th interception of his career. Entering the game, Harvell-Peel’s nine career interceptions ranked sixth among all active players in the FBS.
• Game captains for Oklahoma State were Brennan Presley, Danny Godlevske, Malcolm Rodriguez and Kanion Williams.

The Oklahoma State win ...

• Marked 12 straight wins vs. Kansas, setting a school record for consecutive wins against one opponent. OSU's initial record 11-game streak was set vs. Kansas State from 1947-62, while the active 12-win streak vs. KU began in 2010.
• Gave it five straight wins in games following a loss.
• Gave it a six-game winning streak in Boone Pickens Stadium.
• Gave it wins in 17 of its past 18 matchups with the Jayhawks.
• Gave it six straight home wins over KU and wins in eight of the past nine games played in Stillwater.
• Made it 7-1 or better for the first time since 2017 and for the seventh time in the Mike Gundy era.
• Made the Cowboys 41-29-2 all-time vs. Kansas and 18-14-1 vs. KU in Stillwater.
• Improved Mike Gundy's career record vs. Kansas to 13-1.
• Improved Mike Gundy's record in Big 12 games to 87-56.
• Gave it wins in nine of its past 10 games and 15 of its past 19 games, dating back to the 2020 season.
• Made it 143-67 in its history when playing as an AP-ranked team.
• Made it 131-38 in its history when playing as a higher AP-ranked team than its opponent.
• Made it 78-17 in its past 95 games vs. opponents outside of the AP Top 25, dating back to 2010.
• Improved its all-time record in Homecoming games to 56-38-6. The Cowboys have now won five of their past six and 11 of their past 14 on Homecoming.

Notable Streaks and Trends Through the Kansas Game

• Including Saturday’s game, OSU's defense has allowed fewer than 100 yards of offense in a half in six of its last seven games. The Cowboys limited Baylor to 99 yards in the first, Tulsa to 89 yards in the first, Boise State to 64 yards in the second, K- State to 84 yards in the second, Texas to 92 yards in the second and Kansas to 49 yards in the first.
• OSU has held its opponent scoreless on its game-opening drive in 20 of the past 25 games.
• OSU has held its opponent to less than a 50 percent third down conversion rate in 19 straight games.
• OSU has held its opponent to fewer than 20 first downs in seven straight games.
• OSU has held 17 of its past 19 Big 12 opponents under their season scoring average.
• OSU has won 75 consecutive games when holding its opponent to fewer than 20 points, dating back to Sept. 13, 2003  – the longest active stretch of time in the FBS and longest since at least 1980.
• OSU is 36-6 in its past 42 games when leading at halftime, dating back to Sept. 17, 2016.
• Dating back to 2005, OSU is 42-4 when not committing a turnover.
• Dating back to 2008, OSU is 68-8 when winning the turnover battle.
• OSU has forced 21 turnovers in its past 12 games.

Shutdown Defense

Oklahoma State is limiting opponents well under their scoring average this season. A look:

                                    PPG Entering            vs.

                                    OSU Game                OSU

Boise State                  42.5                          20

Kansas State                31.0                           20

Baylor                          42.8                          14

Texas                           44.5                          24

Iowa State                   33.7                           24

Kansas                         17.6                           3