The only two numbers you need to know about the Oklahoma football victory over Kansas State on Saturday are 702 and 245.
The Sooner offense continues to move up and down the field with little resistance, and against K-State on Saturday the Sooners enjoyed their biggest offensive output of the season, rolling up 702 yards, equally divided between the ground and the air. Likewise, the oft-criticized Oklahoma defense put together its best performance of the season, holding Kansas State to just 245 yards of total offense.
When you combine OU’s offensive dominance on Saturday with an exceptional defensive effort, it spells a 51-14 rout that actually was more one-sided than the final score indicated. The Sooners moved the ball at will on offense, even in the final quarter when most of the starters were watching from the sidelines.
Kansas State scored a touchdown on its third possession of the game. With the Sooners leading 17-0 after one quarter, the Wildcats marched 75 yards in 14 plays to cut the OU lead to 10 points early in the second quarter. Oklahoma scored the next 34 points to take a commanding 51-7 advantage before K-State managed a second scoring drive in the final quarter against Sooner defensive backups.
There aren’t many more superlatives to describe how well the Oklahoma offense is playing behind dual-threat quarterback Kyler Murray. Now with the defense having put together two consecutive strong outings after Ruffin McNeill replaced Mike Stoops as defensive coordinator following after the disappointing loss to Texas, the Sooners have taken on a different, even more dangerous identity.
And Oklahoma is going to need all of that going for it heading into the most difficult part of its schedule in the championship month of November.
Here are some more notable numbers from Game 8 in the 2018 season against Kansas State:
1 — Number of punts in the game by Oklahoma. By contrast, Kansas State punted seven times.
2 — This is only the second time in the last eight meetings between OU and Kansas State that the home team has won. The Sooners were the home team on both of those occasions (2016 and 2018).
2 of 16 — Number of possessions out of the last 16 than an OU opponent has scored against the Sooner defense.
9 of 10 — Oklahoma scored on eight of its nine possessions in the game (6 touchdowns and 3 field goals).
10.3 — Average yards per play by the Oklahoma offense in 68 plays against Kansas State.
12 — Number of Sooners who caught a pass in Saturday’s homecoming game with Kansas State.
20 — Oklahoma scored 34 points in the opening half against K-State. The Sooners have scored 20 or more points in the first half 19 times in the past 22 games.
86 — Kennedy Brooks’ 86-yard touchdown run on the Sooners’ first possession of the second half was the longest rushing play of the season by an OU player.
160 – Receiving yards by sophomore receiver CeeDee Lamb on Saturday on just four catches. It was a season high for Lamb and the second most receiving yards on four or fewer catches in Sooner history.
700 — Number of times in OU football history the Sooners have gained at least 700 yards of offense in a game, and the fifth time since 2015 (when Lincoln Riley joined the OU coaching staff).
Statistical information in this article was sourced, in part, from the Oklahoma Football Postgame Notes published by the OU athletic department.