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Oklahoma football: Numbers to know for Sooners’ season opener

By Chip Rouse

STILLWATER, OK - NOVEMBER 04: Oklahoma Sooners fans during the game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Boone Pickens Stadium on November 4, 2017 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Oklahoma defeated Oklahoma State 62-52. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images) *** Local Caption ***
STILLWATER, OK - NOVEMBER 04: Oklahoma Sooners fans during the game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Boone Pickens Stadium on November 4, 2017 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Oklahoma defeated Oklahoma State 62-52. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** /
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Finally, we’re down to one,  one day to go on the eve of the 2018 Oklahoma football season.

The Sooners are hosting Florida Atlantic in the 2018 season opener, a team that most OU football fans know very little about. I can assure you, though, that football fans in southeastern Florida know a lot about OU’s opponent this weekend, and come midday on Saturday, I’m sure Sooner fans will realize that the Owls are no season-opening pushover.

Florida Atlantic won 11 of 14 games a year ago, including its last 10 after opening the season 1-3, and was champion of Conference USA.

Oklahoma is 76-15-4 in home openers at Gaylord Family — Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. The last time the Sooners lost a home opener was 13 years ago, in 2005, a 17-10 defeat to TCU.

Here are some other notable numbers you should know heading into the 2018 curtain opener:

1 — Jersey number of Kyle Murray, the OU starting quarterback to begin the 2018 season. It is the first time Oklahoma has had someone other than Baker Mayfield in the starter’s role since the 2014 season.

5 — Saturday’s game with FAU is the first of five games Oklahoma will play in the month of September this season. The Sooners have played five games in September just one other time (in 2007, when they went 4-1 to open the season).

8.29 — Oklahoma lead the nation last season, averaging 8.29 yards per offensive play a year ago.

11 — Florida Atlantic returns 11 starters on offense, including Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year Devin Singletary. Singletary rushed for 1,920 yards last season and 32 touchdowns and caught another 19 passes for nearly 200 yards.

12 — Oklahoma has been victorious in it last 12 opening games at home.

15 — The Sooners are the only NCAA Division I school to post double-digit wins in 15 seasons since 2000.

21-0 — Oklahoma is 21-0 all-time against teams currently in Conference USA. This is the first meeting between the Sooners and Florida Atlantic.

23-2 — Oklahoma is 23-2 all-time when ranked as the No. 7 team in the Associated Press poll. The Sooners have won the last seven times they have been ranked 7th nationally.

30 — The Sooners have scored at least 30 points in 23 of their last 24 games. They have won 22 of the 24.

67 – Neither Oklahoma or Florida Atlantic were stellar on defense last season. The Sooners ranked 67th in the FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) a year ago, while FAU was 63rd.

124 — This is the 124th season of Oklahoma varsity football. The Sooners all-time record is 884-323-53. That is a winning percentage of .723, which is tied with Alabama for fourth all-time. Michigan (.729), Notre Dame (.729) and Ohio State (.725) are the only major schools with a better all-time winning percentage than OU.

86.112 – The Florida Atlantic game is sold out, the 117th consecutive sellout at Gaylord Family — Oklahoma Memorial Stadium since 1999.

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