Oklahoma vs. Houston: Doing the Math on This Week 1 Showdown
By Chip Rouse
Can you believe it, the day has finally come – well, almost. We are under 48 hours away from the full onslaught of another wall-to-wall college football opening weekend, and for the Sooner Nation that means No. 3 Oklahoma vs. Houston, ranked No. 15.
Here is a numerical preview of what Sooner fans and the rest of the country can look forward to in the nationally televised broadcast (ABC):
4 – Oklahoma’s national scoring rank last season, averaging 43.5 points per game.
15 – Number of Oklahoma wins in 17 season openers under Bob Stoops.
21 – Turnover margin (+21) for Houston in 2015, second best in the country.
24-3 – The combined records of Oklahoma (11-2) and Houston (13-1) last season. That is the best 2015 combined record of any of the two teams that will play each other on opening weekend of the 2016 college football season.
36 – Passing touchdowns by Baker Mayfield in 2015, sixth best in the nation. By comparison, Houston’s Greg Ward Jr. threw for 2,000 yards and 17 TDs last season. Mayfield totaled 3,700 passing yards a year ago.
40 – When the Sooners score 40 or more points in a game, their record under Bob Stoops is 96-1.
40.4 – Houston’s scoring average in 2015, 10th best in the nation.
50.4 – Third-down success rate by Houston in 2015, third best in the nation.
63-13 – The score the last time OU and Houston played each other, in 2004. The Sooners are 2-0 all-time vs. the Cougars.
66 – Oklahoma’s winning percentage (55-28) under Bob Stoops against opponents ranked in the Associated Press Top 25.
85 – Oklahoma’s winning percentage all-time as the No. 3 team in the AP poll.
92.1 – Percentage of Oklahoma’s total offense that returns in 2016.
122 – Number of times OU has been ranked in the AP top five in Bob Stoops’ 17 years as head coach. That is more than any other team during that period. Alabama is next with 114.
108.9 – Rushing yards per game allowed by the Houston defense a year ago. This ranked ad the eighth best in the nation among FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) teams.
308.2 – Average rushing yards per game by Oklahoma in 2015, 22nd best in the country.
500 – Yards of total offense by Oklahoma in the final seven games of the regular season a year ago. The Sooners are 73-3 under Bob Stoops when they exceed 500 yards of total offense.