It's finally here, it's bedlam week! The Oklahoma Sooners and Oklahoma State Cowboys meet this Saturday in Norman to decide bragging rights in the state and looking to improve their bowl standings. Take a look at the OSU game notes below.

The Oklahoma State Cowboys (9-2/6-1) conclude the 2009 regular season Saturday when they head south to Norman to take on the Oklahoma Sooners. Kickoff is set for 11:40 a.m. with the game selected for a national telecast by FSN. Calling the action will be Bill Land. Dave Lapham will provide analysis and Jim Knox will report from the sidelines. Bob Steinfeld is the producer. OSU will be playing on FSN for the third time this season. Previous appearances in 2009 came vs. Houston and at Texas A&M.

More TV Stuff

The 2009 Oklahoma State football team is the most televised group of Cowboys in program history. On Saturday, OSU will be making its 11th TV appearance of the season. OSU's previous high for TV games was 10 on two occasions. The Bedlam game will be OSU's eighth on national television. The total will rise to nine after the bowl game.

20/16 Vision

When quarterback Alex Cate and receiver Tracy Moore opened in the starting lineup against Colorado, they increased to 36 the number of starters used by Oklahoma State this season. Twenty players have started on offense with only offensive linemen Russell Okung, Andrew Lewis and Noah Franklin starting all 11 games. Sixteen players have started on defense.

What's Already Done

Oklahoma State enters the OU game having already clinched sole possession of second place in the Big 12 South. It will be the best conference finish for the Cowboys in the 14-year history of the Big 12 with a school-record six conference wins already in the bank. A loss by Texas to Texas A&M on Thanksgiving night would give OSU a share of the Big 12 South title, although the Longhorns have already clinched the South's spot in the Big 12 title game. It is the second time in three years that OSU has entered the season finale seeking a share of the division title.

Road Test

Oklahoma State enters the OU game riding one of the best road stretches in program history with four straight road wins, including a 3-0 mark this season. All three road wins in 2009 have come against Big 12 competition. Other road notables:

• OSU is riding its first four-game road winning streak since the 2003-2004 seasons.

• OSU last won five straight road games in the 1943-1946 seasons when the Aggies reeled off a school-record 11 in a row.

• OSU has won four straight conference road games (including the 2008 win at Colorado) for the first time since 1979 and for just the third time in history.

• OSU has never won five straight conference road games.

• The last time OSU registered a perfect road season was in 1945.

• The Cowboys last won four road games in the same season in 1997 when they were 4-1.

Poll Position

Oklahoma State will be entering the Oklahoma game as a member of the AP top 25 for the 12th time. However, Saturday's game marks just the third time in the soon-to-be 104 games between the state schools that OSU enters Bedlam as a ranked team while facing an unranked OU team. The two previous meetings came in 1997 when No. 25 OSU knocked off the Sooners, 30-7. In 1945, No. 6 Oklahoma A&M was a 47-0 winner over unranked OU.

Fast Facts

A couple of items right off the top...

• The Cowboys have won six conference games for the first time ever.

• The OSU defense is just one of eight in the country yet to allow a 100-yard rusher in 2009.

• Last week, Keith Toston became the third different OSU back to rush for 1,000 yards in the last three seasons.

• Keith Toston has the best (206 yards vs. Iowa State) and third best (172 vs. Colorado) rushing games in the Big 12 this season.

• The OSU offensive line is fourth nationally in sacks allowed and in tackles for loss.

• The Cowboys are sixth nationally in time of possession (32:56 per game).

• OSU is No. 4 in the country in rushing defense, allowing 82.6 yards per game.

• The Cowboys have climbed to No. 31 nationally in total defense, allowing 326.5 yards per game.

• Linebacker Patrick Lavine is No. 11 nationally with five interceptions.

• OSU senior Perrish Cox leads the nation with 1.90 passes defended per game (passes broken up plus interceptions).

• OSU has two active players with more than 2,000 rushing yards each in Kendall Hunter and Keith Toston. Zac Robinson could hit 2,000 yards before his career is over.

• Last year OSU allowed 5.6 yards per offensive play by the opponent. This season that number has dropped to 4.8.

• Dan Bailey is perfect in his career on extra points with a school-record 130 in a row.

• Dan Bailey is ninth in OSU history with 220 career points.

• OSU is 19-6 in its last 25 football games with four losses to teams ranked in the top three of the AP poll.

Senior Morning

Twenty-two OSU players will be making their final regular-season appearance as Cowboys when OSU visits OU. That total does not include senior linebacker Orie Lemon, who is expected to return to the squad next year after losing 2009 to injury. The outgoing seniors include 15 starters and eight four-year letterwinners. The Class of 2009 features...

Terrance Anderson, DB - First year as a starter at cornerback, four-year contributor and part-time starter throughout his career

Lucien Antoine, S - First year as a starter and a big part of OSU's 2009 defensive resurgence

Brady Bond, OL - A four-year starter in the offensive line

Donald Booker, LB - Leads the team in tackles as a starter at middle linebacker

Derek Burton, DT - Starter at tackle who made the transition from defensive end during his career

Mark Chesnut, OL - Walkon in the offensive line

DeMarcus Conner, WR - Two-year starter who ranks among the toughest Cowboys, according to coaches

Perrish Cox, DB - A 2008 kick-return All-American and a 2009 semifinalist for the Thorpe Award

Noah Franklin, OL - A fifth-year senior in his first year as a starter for the Cowboy offense

Nathan Gilsleider, WR - Long-time squad member who has seen field action this season

Maurice Gray, DB - Two-year contributor in secondary and on special teams

Beau Johnson, RB - Two-year player who has been a critical contributor in 2008 and '09

Patrick Lavine, LB - A four-year starter who ranks among OSU's all-time leading tacklers

Andrew Lewis, OL - A three-year starter who has started at guard and center in his career

Swanson Miller, DL - A two-year player who has been a starter as a senior

Andrew Mitchell, OL - A junior-college transfer who has been a part-time starter

Russell Okung, OL - Another four-year starter and a likely All-American in 2009

Jermiah Price, DE - A two-year player who has been OSU's top pass rusher the past two seasons

Zac Robinson, QB - School record holder for passing, total offense and touchdown passes

Andre Sexton, LB - Leads OSU in all-time career starts, and ranks among the school's tackles leaders

Walker Smith, S - Walk-on who has earned playing time

Keith Toston, RB - One of the MVPs of 2009 and one of OSU's all-time leading rushers

Class Ranking

This year's senior class of Cowboy football players will rank among the best in the program's history. It will be the first class to appear in four straight bowl games, although a handful of Cowboy individuals with a redshirt year sprinkled in at the right time have accomplished the feat. The win total for this year's class also ranks among the best in OSU history. The current seniors become the eighth in school history to enjoy four straight winning seasons.

Class Notes

Class of 1933 - 30 Victories

Under Hall of Fame coach Lynn "Pappy" Waldorf, the A&M Aggies lost just seven games over four years and did not lose a conference game during that era.

Class of 1945 - 26 Victories

The Class of 1945 claimed Cotton and Sugar Bowl titles and reached the top five of the final AP poll in 1945. The 26 victories came in just 34 games.

Class of 1985 - 32 Victories

Coached by Jimmy Johnson and later Pat Jones, the class of '85 ended their careers with three straight bowl games and were part of team that went 6-0 at home in 1984 (OSU's last team to be perfect at home).

Class of 1986 - 32 Victories

This class enjoyed four straight winning seasons (the last class until 2009 to accomplish the feat), and narrowly missed making four straight bowl appearances when they went 6-5 as seniors.

Class of 1987 - 34 Victories

The seniors in 1987 led OSU to just the second 10-win season in school history and featured future NFL Hall of Famer Thurman Thomas.

Class of 1988 - 34 Victories

The most prolific offensive team in school history was the 1988 squad with Mike Gundy at quarterback, All-American and first-round NFL pick Hart Lee Dykes at receiver and Heisman winner Barry Sanders at running back.

Class of 2009

This class is the first to make four straight bowl appearances. Their conference won-loss record improved every year, including a school record six wins in 2009.

Sweet November

Oklahoma State heads to Norman having won three straight games in November for the first time since 2002. A win at OU would give OSU its first perfect November since 1945 and it would give OSU four November wins for the first time ever.

The Series

Oklahoma leads the series with OSU by a 79-17-7 count. The series dates back to 1904, three years before Oklahoma became a state. There has been no interruption in the series since 1910. Other series notes:

• OSU scored 41 points against OU last season to tie its second best point total in series history.

• OU has won six straight in the series after OSU held a 5-3 advantage over an eight-year period from 1995 through 2002.

• OSU's current three-game losing streak in Norman is short compared to the rest of the Big 12. OSU is the only conference team to have won in Norman (2001) since Bob Stoops became the Sooner head coach in 1999. OU has lost just twice at home under Stoops overall.

• Oklahoma State and Texas are the only two schools in the Big 12 that have knocked off OU in consecutive seasons since Stoops arrived in Norman. OSU accomplished the feat in 2001 and 2002.

• OSU won just once in Norman from 1966 to 1994. Beginning with 1995, OSU has won three times at OU (1995, 1997 and 2001).

Last Year In Stillwater

The Sooners put away a back-and-forth game with a 24-15 advantage in the fourth quarter for a 61-41 win. Perrish Cox returned a kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown with 10:33 left in the game to cut OU's lead to 44-41. But a Sooner scoring drive and an ensuing Cowboy turnover clinched the outcome. It was a dizzying game that saw both teams score in every quarter. The teams combined for 1,009 yards of total offense (557-452, OU). Zac Robinson rushed for 90 yards and a score and threw for 254 yards and three more touchdowns. Dez Bryant had 91 receiving yards with two scores and a two-point conversion while Kendall Hunter had 84 rushing yards and 46 receiving yards, including a TD.

The Big 12 Count

Oklahoma State is 6-1 in conference play heading into the season finale. It's a milestone for OSU as the Cowboys had never recorded six conference wins in a season prior to 2009. OSU's best Big 12 record was 5-3 on four occasions, including last year. OSU's current 11-4 record in its last 15 conference games is the best for the school since joining the league. In fairness to Cowboy teams past, the advent of the "super conference" has helped increase win totals. Eight OSU teams have gone undefeated in conference play, but did not play enough league games to reach six victories.

The South Side

Oklahoma State will be looking to reach yet another milestone on Saturday. OSU has never won four games against the Big 12's South Division. OSU is 3-1 against its division in 2009. Last week's 31-28 win over Colorado clinched OSU's second straight 3-0 record against the Big 12 North.

The Seventh Signs

Another first for OSU - the Cowboys have won at least seven games in four straight seasons for the first time in school history. OSU is also enjoying its seventh, seven-win season in the same decade for the first time ever. OSU has won 67 games since 2000, make the current decade the second winningest 10-year period in OSU history. The Cowboys won 71 games under Jimmy Johnson and Pat Jones in the 1980s.

Totaling The Wins

Some quick points regarding OSU's 18-game win total over the last two seasons to date:

• OSU has won eight games in a season for the 16th time in school history and OSU has accomplished the feat in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2002 and 2003.

• OSU has won eight games in consecutive seasons seven times in the history of the program.

• The Cowboys are currently 9-2. OSU has nine nine-wins seasons, including each of the last two years.

• Only once before has Oklahoma State won nine games in consecutive seasons. That achievement was first reached by Pat Jones and the 1987 and 1988 Cowboys, who carved out two straight 10-2 seasons.

• Jones and Gundy are the only two coaches in OSU history with multiple nine-win seasons to their credit. Jones had three 10-win seasons as the Cowboy boss.

Most Wins In A Two-Year Period

Years Wins

1987-88....20

2008-09....18

1983-84....18

1984-85....18

1931-32....17

1944-45....17

2002-03....17

The Nine-Game Winners

1932 9-1-2 Pappy Waldorf

1945 9-0-0 Jim Lookabaugh

1976 9-3 Jim Stanley

1984 10-2 Pat Jones

1987 10-2 Pat Jones

1988 10-2 Pat Jones

2003 9-4 Les Miles

2008 9-4 Mike Gundy

2009 9-2 Mike Gundy

Another Win...

One more victory by the Cowboys this season would clinch the fourth 10-win season in Oklahoma State history and the first since 1988. OSU has never won more than 10 games in a season.

Number Nine The Hard Way

Oklahoma State is coming off an interesting win over Colorado, 31-28, on Nov. 19. OSU lost the turnover battle, 4-1, and allowed a touchdown on a kickoff return. The Cowboys had just 126 yards of offense at halftime and started the second half with a quarterback who was listed third on the depth chart. However the victory materialized because:

• OSU got a 67-yard punt return for a score by Perrish Cox.

• The Cowboys got two touchdowns, 170 rushing yards and 45 receiving yards from Keith Toston.

• Brandon Weeden came off the bench to pass for 168 yards and two scores in the second half. He engineered three scoring drives of more than 70 yards.

• The OSU defense limited Colorado to 251 yards of total offense and just 13 rushing yards (the 14th lowest total by an opponent in OSU history).

• The Cowboys rallied from a halftime deficit for the second straight week and trailed 21-10 in the third quarter.

On The Charts

The final week of the season is the perfect time to check the current Cowboys and where they rank on the OSU's single-season lists.

• Zac Robinson has 1,922 passing yards to rank ninth. He already holds down the second and third best seasons in OSU history.

• Robinson's 15 TD passes to date tie him for the ninth. He also holds the second and fourth spots on the top 10 list.

• Keith Toston has rushed for 1,130 yards to rank No. 14.

• Toston's 11 rushing touchdowns are good enough for No. 11.

• Hubert Anyiam needs one more reception to reach 40 and No. 22 on the single-season list in that category.

• Dan Bailey's 84 points are tied for the 15th best season total at OSU. His 110 points last season rank No. 4.

• Bailey's PAT season makes him one of eight kickers without a miss.

• Freshman Quinn Sharp's punting average of 43.7 yards currently ties him for the eighth best season average.

• Perrish Cox has 601 kick return yards, already good enough for fifth. He has the top two single-season totals in OSU history.

You Can't Make This Stuff Up

The balanced offense philosophy is verbalized all across the country. However, absolutely no one takes it more literally than Oklahoma State. The Cowboys enter the final week of the season averaging 203.5 rushing yards per game and 197 passing yards per game. Those balanced numbers in '09 come on the heels of the past three years in which OSU was almost 50-50. In fact, in 2007, OSU ended the season with a perfect pass/run balance.

Chalk Talks

In its last game, OSU rallied from a 14-10 halftime deficit to pick up the win over Colorado. It marked the seventh time since the beginning of the 2007 season that OSU rallied for a victory from a halftime tie or deficit. It was third victory this season in which OSU trailed at the half. The Cowboys trailed at Texas A&M, 15-14, but won 36-31, trailed 10-7 vs. Texas Tech but won 24-17, and then registered the 31-28 win over CU.

The Turnover Thing

The Oklahoma State defense is continuing to develop a taste for the turnover. The Cowboys enter the CU game No. 20 nationally having intercepted 14 passes. The Cowboys picked off 12 all of last season. OSU is No. 32 overall in turnovers forced with 23. OSU has at least one interception in nine of the 11 games this season and the Cowboys picked off three passes in wins over Missouri, Iowa State and Tech.

Historic Numbers

The Cowboys enter the OU game allowing just 82.6 rushing yards per game and just 2.9 yards per attempt by the opposition. Oklahoma State has not had a defense end the season allowing less than 100 yards per game on the ground since 1982 when the Leslie O'Neal-led Pokes yielded a school record low of 99.2 yards per game. The Cowboys are fourth nationally in rush defense and second in the Big 12 behind Texas. OSU is one of just eight defenses in the country yet to allow a 100-yard rusher in 2009.

Below Par

OSU has held every Big 12 opponent below its season rushing average and the 13 rushing yards gained by Colorado represents the 14th lowest total by an opponent in Cowboy history.

Totally Speaking

Oklahoma State enters the Oklahoma game No. 31 nationally in total defense, allowing 326.5 yards per game. It has been 10 years (1999) since OSU ended the season allowing less than 326.5 yards per game. That '99 squad yielded 297.5 yards per game. The Cowboy defense has especially hit its stride down the stretch as OSU has limited its last eight opponents, including every Big 12 opponent, below its season average in total offense. Three of the last four opposing offenses have been limited to less than 300 yards.

The Tangibles

Oklahoma State has recorded 24 quarterback sacks in '09 compared to a 2008 13-game total of 15. It is the most sacks by the Cowboys since 2006 when OSU recorded 37 in 13 games. OSU also has 14 interceptions to top last season's total of 12. O-State has forced '09 opponents to punt 64 times through 11 games, compared to 52 forced punts in 13 games last season.

The Rush Party

A big improvement in the OSU pass rush over the past season has come from the defensive front. As a group, the linemen had 10 sacks all of last season. This season that group, with most of the same players, has 14 sacks.

The Unit

Oklahoma State's senior crew of linebackers might rank among America's most productive. The trio of Donald Booker, Patrick Lavine and Andre Sexton are 1-2-3 on the OSU tackle chart and lead in other categories as well. With Sexton spending much of his time covering receivers, Booker and Lavine have had the opportunity to record big defensive numbers. Booker is No. 8 in the Big 12 with 80 tackles.

Lavine And The INT

Senior linebacker Patrick Lavine picked off his fifth pass of the season against Tech and returned it 21 yard for a touchdown. He now has eight career interceptions, two of which he returned for scores (the first time was vs. Texas A&M in 2007). Lavine is No. 11 nationally with his five picks. He is tied for the lead in that category among linebackers and is second in the Big 12 only to Texas defensive back Earl Thomas. Perrish Cox checks in at No. 25 nationally with his four interceptions.

Reaching 50

Andre Sexton will reach a milestone in the season finale when he becomes the first OSU player to start for the 50th time in his career. Russell Okung will start his 46th game, all in a row. Patrick Lavine will also start No. 46, including 35 in a row. Andrew Lewis has started 37 straight and Perrish Cox will be making the 36th start of his career.

LBs Move Up

Four-year starters Andre Sexton and Patrick Lavine continue to climb the OSU and NCAA career record charts. Sexton is fourth in the NCAA with 208 career solo tackles and No. 18 in total tackles with 304. At OSU, Sexton is No. 12 all-time in total tackles. Lavine is No. 15 all-time at OSU with 288 tackles.

Back On Familiar Turf

Following a three-game total of 814 yards vs. Iowa State, Texas Tech and Colorado, Oklahoma State is back in familiar territory. The Cowboys lead the Big 12 in rushing with an average of 203.5 yards per game. OSU has won the Big 12 rushing title each of the past three years. Prior to 2006, OSU had never led its conference in rushing. The rushing average in 2009 illustrates the evolution of the Cowboy offense. Three games into the season, OSU averaged 158 rushing yards per game. In conference games only, Oklahoma State is averaging 204 yards per game to lead the league by 26 yards.

The Protectors

The Oklahoma State offense line continues to be among the nation's best in the tangible categories of protection. OSU has allowed just eight sacks this season to rank No. 4 nationally in that category. Oklahoma State is also No. 4 in fewest tackles for loss allowed (3.55 per game). It continues a trend for the Cowboys under Mike Gundy and offensive line coach Joe Wickline. OSU is looking to finish among the top five nationally in fewest sacks allowed for the second time in three years and among the nation's top 20 in that category for the fourth straight year.

Records In Progress

Senior quarterback Zac Robinson enters the Oklahoma game holding several OSU records but the three most prestigious are the career marks in total offense, passing yards and touchdown passes. The last of those to fall was passing yards when Robinson moved past Mike Gundy in the road win at Ames. Robinson is 24-10 as OSU's starting quarterback, including 19-6 over the last 25 games.

OSU Career Records

Total Offense Yards

1. Zac Robinson 10,010*

2. Mike Gundy 7,749

Passing Yards

1. Zac Robinson 8,155

2. Mike Gundy 7,997

Touchdown Passes

1. Zac Robinson 66*

2. Josh Fields 55

*Eighth in Big 12 history

Zac's Other Marks

Other notables for OSU's senior quarterback:

• He is No. 22 all-time at OSU with 1,855 rushing yards.

• He has 22 career rushing touchdowns to rank No. 9 all-time at OSU. The only quarterback ahead of him is Tony Lindsay, who ran for 23 touchdowns from 1997 through the 2000 season.

• He is No. 21 all-time at OSU with 132 career points.

• His 88 touchdowns responsible for are No. 10 among active NCAA players.

• His career passing efficiency of 151.93 is seventh in the NCAA.

• His 7.4 yards per play in his career are sixth nationally.

Record Breaker

Zac Robinson had a record-breaking performance at Baylor. Against the Bears, the senior signal caller completed 23 of his 27 passes for a completion percentage of 85.2. The old record for completion percentage in a game with more than 20 attempts was 77.1 (27-of-35) set by Mike Gundy against Kansas in 1989.

Another One To Watch

Zac Robinson set a school record last year by completing 65.0 percent of his passes to edge out Mike Gundy's mark of 64.8 percent in 1988. Through 10 games played (he sat out Colorado, ending a string of 34 straight starts) of his senior season, Robinson is completing 63.5 percent of his passes (158-of-249).

The New Targets

While playing without consensus All-American Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State has been developing a youthful receiving corps on the fly.

• Against Baylor, OSU got touchdown receptions from sophomore tight end Will Youman (the first of his career), freshman tight end Cooper Bassett (the first of his career) and sophomore transfer Dameron Fooks (the third of his career).

• Fifteen Cowboys have caught passes in 2009, including six players who had never caught a pass at OSU.

• True freshman Tracy Moore is averaging a whopping 17.7 yards per catch with three TDs on his 10 catches.

• Sophomore transfer Dameron Fooks has three touchdowns on his 10 career catches.

• Twelve different Cowboys have a reception of at least 19 yards.

• Eight Cowboys have touchdown catches this season. Five caught scoring passes all of last season.

The Kiddie Corps

Of Oklahoma State's 172 pass receptions this season, 103 have been made by freshmen or sophomores. Those same two classes have accounted for 14 of OSU's 19 touchdown receptions. Despite not playing since the Rice game, Dez Bryant still leads the team with four TD catches.

From Backup To Bright Lights

Running back Keith Toston spent the bulk of his Cowboy career as an understudy, first to all-Big 12 selection Dantrell Savage, and then to All-American Kendall Hunter. However, as a senior, Toston's number has been called (very often) with Savage in the NFL and Hunter sidelined for most of the 2009 season. Not only has he answered the challenge, but he appears to be setting himself up for postseason accolades.

• Over the last nine games, Toston has rushed for 1,001 yards for an average of 111.2 yards per contest

• His season total of 1,130 yards already ranks No. 14 on OSU's single-season chart. He is authoring the 18th 1,000-yard season in OSU history.

• His 2009 numbers are more impressive when considering he had just 21 carries for 121 yards with a touchdown after the first two games while serving as Hunter's backup.

• He now has 2,637 rushing yards to rank No. 10 in OSU history.

• For his career, Toston averages 5.82 yards per carry.

• He is No. 14 all-time at OSU with 188 points.

The Conference Charts

In Big 12 games only, Keith Toston has a healthy rushing lead. He is averaging 121.4 yards per game for a 17.4-yard per game lead over any other Big 12 back.

History Being Made

Despite OSU's deep tradition at running back, only twice in its history had the school produced a 1,000-yard rusher in three straight seasons before 2009. Never before had three different running backs reached 1,000 yards in three straight seasons. Keith Toston helped OSU accomplish the feat. In 2007, OSU got 1,272 yards from all-Big 12 running back Dantrell Savage. In 2008, the Cowboys got 1,555 yards from all-Big 12 and All-America running back Kendall Hunter with Toston completing the trifecta with his 1,130 yards to date. The last time OSU had three straight 1,000-yard runners was in 2002-03-04. Tatum Bell reached the mark the first two years, followed by Vernand Morency in 2004.

Two For 2,000

Keith Toston (2,637 career rushing yards) joins Kendall Hunter (2,518 career rushing yards) as current Cowboy running backs to have eclipsed the 2,000-yard mark. Toston and Hunter are the first duo in Oklahoma State history to have played together with over 2,000 rushing yards apiece in tow. For good measure, quarterback Zac Robinson has rushed for 1,855 yards.

Hunter Season

For Cowboy fans, it has been a happy November with the return of All-America running back Kendall Hunter to action. At Iowa State the junior saw his first extensive action since the Houston game. The 2008 first-team All-American (FWAA) ran for 47 yards on nine carries. He also had a 12-yard reception and definitely provided a spark for the OSU offense. He followed that up with 68 yards rushing and 28 receiving against Texas Tech. Against Colorado he chipped in 47 rushing yards and an eight-yard reception. Hunter's 2,518 career rushing yards are good for No. 11 in OSU history.

OL-OVE

Russell Okung is putting the finishing touches on a career that will probably see him become the most decorated offensive lineman in OSU history. Rated as a high first-round draft pick and listed as the nation's top offensive lineman by at least three services, Okung has now started 45 straight games for OSU as he joined the first team midway through his true freshman season. Twice in his career, Okung has tossed a shutout against the NCAA's sack leader. Texas A&M's Von Miller entered the OSU game as America's top pass rusher with nine sacks. Against Okung, he did not record a sack and had five tackles. In the 2007 Insight Bowl, Okung held Indiana's Greg Middleton, another NCAA sack leader, without a tackle of any kind. Okung was the only offensive player among the 12 semifinalists for the Lombardi Award.

Continuing The Climb

Under Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State has been on a steady climb up the Big 12 South ladder. Gundy's first team finished with a 1-7 Big 12 record in 2005. Since that time, the Cowboys have improved to 3-5 in 2006, 4-4 in 2007 and 5-3 in 2008. Last year's five-win total was OSU's best conference showing since the 2003 team also went 5-3. The Pokes have already won a school-record six conference games under Gundy this year.

The Rankings

Oklahoma State enters the Colorado game ranked No. 11 in the AP poll. OSU has now appeared in the poll for 25 straight weeks. It is the Cowboys' longest stint in the balloting since the 1987 and 1988 seasons when OSU was ranked for 26 straight weeks. It is OSU's third longest stay in the polls in school history.

Consecutive Weeks

29 - Sept. 11, 1984 through Dec. 10, 1985

26 - Oct. 6, 1987 through Jan. 3, 1989

25 - Sept. 28, 2008 - current

Polling Numbers

Facts and figures regarding the Cowboys and the Associated Press poll:

• The Cowboys were ranked in the AP's preseason poll for the first time since 2003 when Les Miles' eventual Cotton Bowl team was No. 24.

• OSU's debut position of No. 9 was an all-time best for the school in the preseason polls, besting the 1985 team, which was ranked No. 16.

• When OSU reached No. 5 in the polls (Sept. 8) it was the school's highest ranking since 1985.

• Under Mike Gundy, the Cowboys are 14-6 when playing as a member of the AP top 25. Five of the six losses have come against ranked opponents and four of the five losses came to teams ranked higher than OSU Four of the six losses came to teams ranked in the top three of the AP poll at the time of the OSU game.

The More Orange The Better

OSU has put the wraps on its most successful season ever at the ticket office. OSU has

• Set a new school record with 45,694 season tickets purchased.

• Set a new school record with more than, 11,400 student season tickets purchased.

• Set a new single-game attendance record vs. Georgia with 53,012 fans in attendance.

• Set another new single-game attendance record with 56,901 fans on hand for the Grambling State game.

• OSU added to the single-game record again against Texas with 58,516 on hand.

Top Single-Season Attendance Averages

Year Average

1. 2009 53,719

2. 1983 48,788

3. 1985 48,333

4. 2008 48,261

5. 1981 47,483

Bookend Returns

It was a fitting Senior Night for OSU's Perrish Cox. The Waco product began his true freshman season by returning the season's opening kickoff for a 96-yard touchdown against Missouri State. In the final home game of his senior season, Cox returned a punt 67 yards for a touchdown. He is completing a career that will rank him among the top return men in Big 12 history.

• In his career, Cox has returned four kickoffs and two punts for touchdowns.

• He holds the Big 12 career record with 2,756 kickoff return yards. That total is second among all active NCAA players.

• His four kickoff returns for scores is third in the NCAA.

• His two career punt returns for scores rank him No. 11.

• He is currently No. 22 in 2009 with an average of 11.3 yards per punt return. Cox spent little time returning punts in 2008 and early in 2009 while Dez Bryant fulfilled those duties.

• He has 10 career kickoff returns of more than 50 yards, including a 74-yarder vs. Georgia this season

• He is No. 10 in the NCAA with 688 career punt return yards

• Cox is a semifinalist for the Thorpe Award, presented annually to the nation's top defensive back

Sharp Start

One of the 2009 question marks entering the season was redshirt freshman punter Quinn Sharp stepping in to replace OSU's 2008 Ray Guy Award winner Matt Fodge. As his freshman season winds down, Sharp has answered lots of questions.

• He enters the OU game No. 16 nationally with a punting average of 43.67 yards.

• He has 14 punts in excess of 50 yards, including a pair of 61-yarders (vs. Georgia and Rice).

• Of his 45 punts, 18 have been downed inside the opponent's 20 (with only three touchbacks).

• Oklahoma State is No. 28 nationally in net punting with a 37.5-yard average.

• He has been named a mid-season All-American by Rivals.com

• While handling Cowboy kickoff duties, Sharp has recorded 33 touchbacks on 67 tries. OSU had 13 touchbacks all of last season on 96 kickoffs.

• Sharp leads the country in touchbacks on kickoffs.

Compiled by Gavin Lang

Oklahoma State Media Relations

Okstate.com