OKLAHOMA SOONERS NOTES:
OPENING KICK
Oklahoma (6-6, 3-6 Big 12) takes on No. 13/13/13 Florida State (10-3, 5-3 ACC) in the Cheez-It Bowl on Thursday, Dec. 29 at 4:30 p.m. CT at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla. The game will be televised by ESPN with Bob Wischusen, Dan Orlovsky and Kris Budden announcing.
This marks Oklahoma’s 56th bowl appearance, fourth most nationally. Thirty-nine of those 56 have come in bowls that comprise the current New Year’s Six (Orange [20], Sugar [8], Fiesta [5], Cotton [3], Rose [2] and Peach [1]). The 39 does not include OU’s BCS Championship Game appearance against Florida on Jan. 9, 2009.
OU is making its 24th consecutive bowl appearance, by far the longest streak in school history (the previous record was eight from the 1975-82 seasons under Barry Switzer). Beginning in Bob Stoops’ 1999 debut season as head coach, it is the second-longest active streak in the nation (Georgia; 26) and the longest ever by a current Big 12 program.
The Sooners own a 31-23-1 (.573) bowl record. Their 31 bowl wins are tied for the fourth most nationally.
This marks just the second time since 2014 (other was last season) that Oklahoma did not qualify for a New Year’s Six bowl. OU played in the 2015 Orange, 2016 Sugar, 2017 Rose, 2018 Orange, 2019 Peach and 2020 Cotton bowls, and was a College Football Playoff participant in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019.
A victory over Florida State would result in a winning season for the Sooners. OU is the only Power Five program that hasn’t had a losing season in the 2000s (last one was in 1998).
The Sooners dominated their last two bowl games, beating No. 10 Florida 55-20 two years ago in the Cotton Bowl and No. 15 Oregon 47-32 last year in the Alamo Bowl. Against the Gators, Oklahoma set bowl game program records for points and total yards (684) and averaged a Cotton Bowl-record 10.9 yards per carry. It also registered three first-quarter interceptions. Versus the Ducks, Bob Stoops returned to the sideline in a one-game interim head coaching role and watched his team take a 30-3 halftime lead before notching the 15-point victory. OU’s 564 total yards were its third most in a bowl.
Oklahoma owns a 41-9-1 (.814) record against programs that are current members of the Atlantic Coast Conference. That includes an 8-5 bowl game record.
KEY STORYLINES
Oklahoma will be without the services of four starters in the Cheez-It Bowl due to opt-outs. They are senior running back Eric Gray, junior left tackle Anton Harrison, senior right tackle Wanya Morris and redshirt junior defensive lineman Jalen Redmond. Harrison and Gray were first- and second-team All-Big 12 selections by league head coaches, respectively, while Morris earned second-team AP all-league honors.
As a defensive coordinator, Brent Venables’ Oklahoma (3-0) and Clemson (6-3) teams posted a 9-3 record against Florida State. Venables’ OU teams allowed a total of 32 points in three wins against the Seminoles (13-2 in 2001 Orange Bowl [BCS National Championship], 47-17 in 2010 in Norman and 23-13 in 2011 in Tallahassee). Clemson lost to FSU in each of Venables’ first three seasons there but won the last six meetings and gave up an average of 17.5 points in those six contests.
The Cheez-It Bowl will mark the return of OU quarterback Dillon Gabriel to Orlando, Fla., where he starred for UCF the past three seasons. After coming off the bench in his collegiate debut in the 2019 season opener, Gabriel started the next 25 games for the Knights until a season-ending injury last year on the final play of the season’s third game. He threw for 8,037 yards and 70 touchdowns against 14 interceptions in his 26 games. He guided UCF offenses that ranked second nationally in yards per game in 2019 (540.5) and 2020 (568.1). He holds the UCF career record for yards per pass attempt (8.8) and ranks second in UCF history with his 14.5 yards per completion. The Knights went 18-8 in his 26 games (five of the losses were by three or fewer points).
Since the start of the 2019 season, Gabriel leads the country with his 94 passing touchdowns and ranks third with his 10,957 passing yards (trails the No. 2 spot by 13 yards). That’s despite missing UCF’s final 10 games last season and six-and-a-half quarters this season due to injury. His 296.1 career passing yards per game are the most nationally among players who have played each of the last four seasons.
First-year OU offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Jeff Lebby also returns to Orlando for the Cheez-It Bowl. Lebby spent the 2018 and 2019 seasons on UCF’s staff under head coach Josh Heupel (who was the Sooners’ QB in 1999 and 2000). In 2018, Lebby was the Knights’ quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator and helped them to their second straight undefeated regular season and a berth in the Fiesta Bowl. He coached QB McKenzie Milton, who was named American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year and finished sixth in Heisman Trophy voting. In 2019, as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Lebby helped UCF set a then school record in total offense (540.5 ypg) and rank fifth nationally in scoring offense (43.4 ppg). UCF was one of two teams in the country that season to average more than 300 passing yards and 200 rushing yards per game.
The Sooners lead the Big 12 and rank 13th in the country (seventh among Power Five teams) with their 216.6 rushing yards per game. OU will be without senior running back Eric Gray, who has eight 100-yard rushing games this season, including in five of the last six outings. He ranks second in the Big 12 and 14th nationally with his 113.8 rushing yards per contest and paces the Big 12 and ranks 14th nationally by averaging 6.4 yards per carry. Florida State ranks 61st nationally and ninth in the ACC by allowing 148.3 rushing yards per game and 59th nationally by
allowing 3.9 yards per carry. It allowed a season-high 262 rushing yards on 46 carries in its last outing against Florida (5.7 average). FSU had allowed fewer than 135 rushing yards in its previous four outings (vs. Georgia Tech, Miami, Syracuse and Louisiana-Lafayette).
Oklahoma ranks fifth in the country (first among Power Five teams) with its 8.2 tackles for loss per game and fourth with its 32.3 TFL yardage per contest. It has registered 31 TFLs over the last three games (10.3 average) for a loss of 126 yards. Florida State ranks 55th nationally by averaging 6.1 tackles for loss (24.3 yards per outing).
The Sooners rank 128th out of 131 FBS teams this season in average time of possession (26:01) and have held a TOP advantage in just one of their 12 games (30:19-29:41 vs. Kansas). Florida State ranks 35th with an average TOP of 31:10. The Seminoles have possessed the ball longer than their opponent in eight of 12 contests, including each of the last five.
Long snapper Kasey Kelleher has played in 64 career games, which is one shy of the OU record held by former linebacker Bryan Mead (2017-21). With the exception of two field goals in 2021, Kelleher has snapped on every OU punt and every field goal and PAT attempt over the last five seasons.
SOONERS 6-1 AGAINST FLORIDA STATE
Oklahoma holds a 6-1 series record against Florida State and has beaten the Seminoles by an average score of 24-14 in those meetings. The Sooners have limited FSU to 17 points or fewer in each of the last six matchups. OU was coached by Bob Stoops in the last three meetings, all Sooner victories.
Oklahoma owns a 3-1 bowl record against FSU. In their most recent bowl meeting to cap the 2000 season, the Sooners posted a 13-2 win in the Orange Bowl (which was also the BCS National Championship Game) to earn the program’s seventh national title in Stoops’ second campaign. OU was quarterbacked by current Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel, and linebacker Torrance Marshall was named the game’s MVP after the Sooners’ defense pitched a shutout.
Brent Venables was on staff for Oklahoma’s three wins over Florida State this century. In addition to the 2000 national title game, the Sooners beat the Seminoles 47-17 in Norman during the 2010 season and won 23-13 the following year in Tallahassee, Venables’ last season as an OU assistant coach.
Under head coach Barry Switzer, the Sooners also won Orange Bowls over FSU in the 1979 and 1980 seasons. No. 5 OU beat No. 4 Florida State 24-7 to cap the 1979 campaign. The next year, the No. 4 Sooners defeated the No. 2 Seminoles by an 18-17 margin. OU scored a touchdown with less than a minute to play and quarterback J.C. Watts completed a pass to tight end Forrest Valora for a two-point conversion and the victory.
In 1976, Switzer’s fourth-ranked Sooners won a 24-9 regular season matchup over FSU in Norman.
Florida State’s lone win in the series came in the Gator Bowl in 1964 (36-19)
NOTING THE OFFENSE
Oklahoma ranks 18th nationally in total offense (472.2 ypg), 13th in rushing offense (216.6 ypg), 45th in passing offense (255.6 ypg) and 35th in scoring offense (32.9 ppg).
The Sooners have logged more rushes than passes in 10 of their 12 games. The lone exceptions were the Kansas State contest when they rushed 34 times and passed 39 times and the Oklahoma State game when they rushed 34 times and threw 40 passes. On the season, OU has 521 rushes and 383 passes (57.6%-42.4%).
OU’s 51 touchdown drives this season have averaged 6.7 plays, 67.4 yards and just 1:59 of game clock. Thirty of the 51 TD drives have taken 2:00 or less, and 43 of the 51 have taken less than 3:00.
Despite ranking 128th nationally in average time of possession, OU is tied for 11th with its 2.9 plays per game of at least 30 yards.
Quarterback Dillon Gabriel has completed 216 of 343 passes (63.0%) this season for 2,925 yards and 24 touchdowns against six interceptions. He has also rushed for 298 net yards and five touchdowns, including a career-long 61-yard score at Nebraska. Gabriel, who exited OU’s game at TCU in the second quarter and missed the entire game against Texas (both due to injury), leads the Big 12 in passing yards per game (265.9), and ranks second in the Big 12 in total offense (293.2 ypg), pass efficiency rating (154.2), yards per completion (13.5), yards per pass attempt (8.5) and passing touchdowns (24).
Gabriel’s 167 pass attempts before his first interception (vs. Kansas in OU’s seventh game) were the most by a player to start an OU career, more than doubling the previous record of 80 set by Jalen Hurts in 2019. The total also represented the third most consecutive passes attempted without an INT in school history (Baker Mayfield had a streak of 200 and Jason White had 194).
OU averages a Big 12-leading 216.6 rushing yards per game, as well as 5.0 yards per carry and 2.1 rushing touchdowns per outing. Eric Gray ranks 14th nationally with his 6.4 yards per carry and second in the Big 12 (14th nationally) with his 113.8 rushing yards per game. He paces the team with his 11 rushing TDs. He ran for 102 yards against UTEP, 113 at Nebraska, 114 against Kansas State, 176 against Kansas, 101 at Iowa State, 106 versus Baylor, 211 at West Virginia and 166 at Texas Tech. Freshman Jovantae Barnes, who missed the Iowa State and Baylor games due to injury, is second on the team with his 411 rushing yards (41.1 per contest) and averages 4.6 yards per carry. He turned in a 100-yard, two-touchdown game at TCU. Gabriel is second on the team with five rushing TDs while Barnes and redshirt junior Marcus Major are tied for third with four rushing scores. Major is averaging 25.2 rushing yards per game and 4.1 yards per rush.
Gray and junior receiver Marvin Mims Jr. rank third and seventh in the Big 12 in all-purpose yards per game with their 132.9 and 98.7 respective averages. Mims is second in the Big 12 with his 83.8 receiving yards per outing. He leads the team with career highs of 52 catches and 1,006 receiving yards, and has six TDs. uMims is tied for second nationally with his five receptions of at least 50 yards this season and his 14 catches of at least 20 yards.
Fifth-year senior tight end Brayden Willis has shown his versatility on the field this season by handling the football in a variety of ways. He leads the team with seven touchdown receptions (tied for fifth nationally among tight ends) and ranks second with 456 receiving yards and third with 35 catches. He has also thrown a touchdown pass and rushed 10 times for 26 yards. Willis has made 68 career receptions for 905 yards and 13 touchdowns (13.3 yards per catch). His 35 receptions, 456 yards and seven TDs this season all represent career highs. His career-long 78-yard reception also came this year, at TCU.
GETTING DEFENSIVE
Oklahoma is ranked fifth nationally (first among Power Five schools) with its 8.3 tackles for loss per game. OU is also tied for sixth nationally with its 388 TFL yardage.
The Sooners’ 99 tackles for loss are their most through 12 games since 2005.
Oklahoma ranks second in the Big 12 with its 21 takeaways.
OU ranks sixth nationally (tied for the Big 12 lead) with its 16 interceptions, and has registered an interception in 10 of its 12 games this season (in each of the first three and the last seven). The Sooners intercepted three passes at Iowa State, their first game with three interceptions since the 2020 Cotton Bowl vs. Florida, and picked off four passes against Oklahoma State, its most interceptions in a game since 2015 vs. Texas Tech. Redshirt senior cornerback C.J. Coldon leads the team with four interceptions while sophomore safety Billy Bowman, sophomore linebacker Danny Stutsman and fifth-year linebacker DaShaun White each have two picks this season.
Stutsman and senior linebacker David Ugwoegbu rank first and fourth in the Big 12 with their 118 (9.8 per game) and 101 (8.4 per game) respective total tackles. Among Power Five players, Stutsman ranks fifth in tackles per game.
In addition to his team-leading 9.8 tackles per game, Stutsman ranks third on the team with 9.5 tackles for loss. He has also notched 2.0 sacks, four pass breakups, four QB hurries and two interceptions. He registered four tackles for loss against Kent State (OU’s most in a game since 2019) and is coming off a career-high 18-tackle effort at Texas Tech. He has recorded at least seven stops in 10 of 12 games and double-digit tackles six times.
Since the start of Big 12 play, Ugwoegbu has averaged 9.1 tackles per game. His career-high 15 tackles against Kansas State were the most by a Sooner since the 2018 season and he followed that output with 10 stops at TCU, 10 against Texas, eight vs. Kansas, nine at West Virginia and 10 vs. Oklahoma State. He has made at least six tackles in every game this season and double-digit tackles four times. Ugwoegbu has also notched 7.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks and four QB hurries.
Bowman set career highs in tackles each of the first two weeks (nine vs. UTEP and 11 vs. Kent State) and has registered at least five tackles in six of his nine full games this season. He registered his first career interception against Baylor and another vs. Oklahoma State. He entered the TCU game ranked fourth in the league with 33 stops, but missed nearly three full games with an injury (he left the TCU game in the first quarter and missed the next two outings).
White ranks third on the team with 81 tackles and leads the squad with six pass breakups. He has also recorded 6.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks. White, who ranks second at OU in career starts among linebackers (48), notched his first career interception in the game against Kansas and set a career high with 14 tackles at Iowa State. He has recorded at least eight tackles in five of OU’s last six games.
Junior defensive end Reggie Grimes and sophomore defensive end Ethan Downs are tied for the team lead with 4.5 sacks. Downs also leads the team and ranks second in the Big 12 with 13.5 TFLs and has registered a team-high nine QB hurries, while Grimes has 7.5 TFLs and six hurries.
MAD RUSH
Since the start of the 2014 season, Oklahoma leads the nation with its 11 individual seasons of 1,000 rushing yards. The next most is eight by Appalachian State, Georgia and Navy (none of those three teams have anyone over 820 rushing yards this season). The 11 1,000-yard rushing seasons have come from RB Samaje Perine (2014-16), RB Joe Mixon (2016), RB Rodney Anderson (2017), QB Kyler Murray (2018), RB Kennedy Brooks (2018-19, 2021), QB Jalen Hurts (2019) and Gray. That’s at least one 1,000-yard rusher in eight of the last nine seasons (none in the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign).
Also since the start of 2014, OU leads the country with nine individual 1,000-yard rushing seasons by running backs. The next most is eight by Appalachian State and Georgia.
With his 211-yard rushing effort at West Virginia on Nov. 12, senior running back Eric Gray eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark for the season. Gray ran for 1,366 yards on the year, making him the 27th Sooner (24th running back) to reach 1,000 yards in a single campaign. Those 27 players have combined for 40 1,000-yard rushing seasons. Gray’s 1,366 rushing yards rank ninth in OU single-season history.
MARVELOUS MARVIN
Through 12 games this season, junior wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. ranks second in the Big 12 (12th nationally) with his 19.4 yards per catch and second in receiving yards (1,006), despite ranking ninth in the league with his 4.3 receptions per game. He also would rank third nationally by averaging 15.2 yards per punt return (137 yards on nine returns) if he met the minimum of 1.2 punt returns per game to qualify in the category.
Mims is one of 11 players nationally and one of three true juniors (see chart on page 4) who led their team in receiving yards in 2020 and 2021 and are doing it again this season. In his 36 career games (23 starts) he has 121 receptions for 2,321 yards (to rank eighth in program history) and 20 touchdowns (to rank 10th), as well as and 35 rushing yards on five carries. Mims has also returned 30 punts for 359 yards (12.0 average) and four kickoffs for 108 yards (27.0 average). He has six career games with two TD receptions, including Sept. 10 vs. Kent State and Nov. 26 at Texas Tech.
Mims ranks third in school history with 18 career receptions of at least 40 yards, including six this season (he registered a 42-yard catch in the season opener against UTEP, a 58-yard TD reception against Kent State, a 50-yard TD against Kansas State, a 63-yard TD against Baylor, a
67-yard reception at West Virginia and a 77-yard TD at Texas Tech). He trails only CeeDee Lamb (21 40-yard catches from 2017-19) and Marquise Brown (20 from 2017-18). Mims also has 12 career receptions of 50 or more yards, 10 of which have gone for touchdowns.
Mims registered 32 receptions for 705 yards and five TDs as a sophomore last season. As a freshman in 2020, he led the team with 610 yards and nine touchdowns on 37 receptions. His nine TD catches tied for most in the Big 12, matched the Big 12 record for a true freshman and established a school freshman record. He also became the first OU wide receiver to earn FWAA Freshman All-America honors.
Mims set the Texas high school state record for receiving yards in a career (5,485) and in a season (2,629 to go along with 32 touchdowns on 117 catches as a senior). He played at Lone Star High School in the city of Frisco.
TOUCH OF GRAY
Senior running back Eric Gray, who opted out of the Cheez-It Bowl, ranks 14th nationally by averaging 6.4 yards per carry. He also ranks 14th nationally (second in Big 12) by averaging 113.8 rushing yards per game and 14th with his 1,366 rushing yards. Also a receiving threat, he caught 33 passes (tied for fourth most on team) for 229 yards (6.9 average). His 132.9 all-purpose yards per game rank as third most in the Big 12 and 18th most nationally.
Gray eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards (1,366) this season for the first time in his career. Over OU’s last six games, he rushed for 847 yards and eight touchdowns on 136 carries (6.2 average).
Gray reached 1,100 rushing yards in 10 games, the fastest by a Sooner since 2004 when Heisman Trophy runner-up Adrian Peterson did it in eight outings.
Gray is tied for seventh nationally (leads Big 12) with his 43 carries of at least 10 yards and is tied for eighth with his 14 carries of at least 20 yards this season. Thirty-six of his 10-plus-yard carries came in the last nine games.
In 25 games at Oklahoma, Gray rushed for 1,778 yards and 13 touchdowns on 291 carries (6.1 average) and notched 458 yards and two scores on 56 receptions. For his his career, which includes 1,311 rushing yards and eight TDs and 369 receiving yards and three TDs over 22 games at Tennessee, Gray totaled 3,089 rushing yards, 827 receiving yards and 26 total touchdowns (21 rushing, five receiving).
TURK’S KEY LEG
Punter Michael Turk transferred to OU from Arizona State in August 2021 and did things last season no other punter in program history had. 2022 has been just as successful for the repeat first-team All-Big 12 selection, who leads the conference this year and ranks third nationally with his 46.7 yards per punt. He has 20 punts of at least 50 yards, including seven 60-yarders (long of 67). Forty-eight of his punts have not been returned (80%) and the 12 returns have averaged only 2.8 yards per return (long of 13 yards).
In his first year at OU in 2021, Turk set a single-season school record by averaging 51.2 yards per punt, smashing the previous mark of 47.8 yards by Jack Jacobs in 1940. In fact, entering 2021, the NCAA single-season record for punting average (min. 30 punts) was 51.0 by Texas A&M’s Braden Mann in 2018. Turk surpassed that figure in 2021, but at 51.17 yards per punt he finished just behind San Diego State’s Matt Araiza, who averaged 51.19 yards per punt on the year.
Combining his time at ASU and OU, Turk is averaging 46.1 yards per punt (11,065 yards on 240 punts). The FBS career record (min. 150 punts) is 46.3 yards by West Virginia’s Todd Sauerbrun (1991-94).
Despite playing in just 23 games as a Sooner, Turk is tied with Jacobs for second in program history with his 14 punts of at least 60 yards. He is two shy of Tress Way’s record of 16 60-yarders.
Twenty of Turk’s 35 punts in 2021 (57.1%) went at least 50 yards, and eight went at least 60. His 85-yarder vs. Texas was the FBS’ second longest of the season and tied for the fourth longest over the last 10 years, and tied for the third longest in Oklahoma history.
Turk holds five of the top 14 and five of the top 20 single-game punting averages (min. three punts) in OU annals, including the best and third-best marks (59.7 vs. TCU and 58.0 vs. Texas last season).
The 2019 and ’20 first-team All-Pac-12 selection averaged 46.2 yards per punt over his two seasons at ASU and totaled 28 boots that went at least 50 yards. In 2019, he set the FBS single-game record by averaging 63.0 yards (on five punts) vs. Kent State in the season opener.
EXTRA POINTS
Oklahoma is 3-4 in bowl games when unranked in the AP poll and 2-2 when unranked playing a ranked opponent. OU’s bowl wins over ranked opponents when unranked itself came in the 2005 Holiday Bowl over No. 6 Oregon (17-14) and in the 2009 Sun Bowl over No. 19 Stanford (31-27). The Sooners lost under the circumstance in the 1994 Copper Bowl to No. 23 BYU (31-6) and in the 2014 Russell Athletic Bowl to No. 19 Clemson (40-6). Current OU head coach Brent Venables was Clemson’s defensive coordinator.
Venables owns a 17-12 bowl record as a full-time coach, which includes 10 College Football Playoff games at Clemson. His Kansas State teams were 1-2, his Oklahoma squads were 7-6 and his Clemson teams were 9-4.
The Sooners have scored at least 30 points in 21 of their 55 bowl games. Nine of those 30-point efforts have come in their last 13 bowls and five have come in their last six. OU is averaging 41.2 points over its last six bowl games.
Twenty-two players on OU’s bowl roster have earned their undergraduate degrees (list on page 6).
In his first season as OU’s placekicker, redshirt sophomore Zach Schmit is 11 for 16 on field goal attempts and his 50 PAT attempts are the second most in the Big 12 without a miss. He scored a touchdown on a fake field goal Oct. 29 at Iowa State and totaled 15 points in the game (made field goals of 41 and 34 yards and converted all three PATs).
OU has won 82 of its last 83 games when holding opponents to 23 or fewer points. The one exception was a 23-20 loss at West Virginia on Nov. 12.
Since the start of the 2012 season, OU is 84-7 when scoring at least 35 points and 73-4 when scoring at least 40.
The Sooners rank fourth with their four College Football Playoff appearances (2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019). Until this season, they were the only Big 12 program to qualify for the CFP.
Oklahoma is tied for the national lead with five No. 1 overall NFL Draft picks. OU has produced three No. 1 overall picks in the last 13 years alone. No other school has produced more than one during that period.
FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES NOTES:
NOTES TO KNOW
Florida State is making its 49th bowl appearance and has 29 bowl victories all-time. Since 1980, FSU’s 39 seasons with a postseason appearance and 26 seasons with a bowl win are the most in the nation.
The Seminoles have won five straight games, the longest active streak in the ACC and tied for the 7th-longest active streak nationally. Florida State’s five-game winning streak is its longest since 2016, and the Seminoles have scored at least 38 points in each game, the longest stretch with at least 38 points scored since the first 11 games of the 2013 season.
FSU has an ACC-best five 30-point victories this season, which trails only Ohio State and Tennessee among P5 programs. The Seminoles are one of three P5 teams with two 30-point wins on the road and one of only five P5 programs with three 30-point victories in conference play.
During its current five-game winning streak, Florida State has outscored its opponents 218-77 while outgaining them 2,453-1,363 in total offense. The Seminoles are averaging 236.6 rushing yards and 254.0 passing yards per game while holding opponents to 136.2 rushing yards and 136.4 passing yards per game. Florida State is 26-of-28 on red zone opportunities in that stretch.
Florida State is the only team in the country ranked in the top-10 in yards per play on offense and defense. The Seminoles are 9th nationally with an average of 6.86 yards per play and 10th allowing an average of 4.73 yards per play.
Florida State is 1st in the ACC and 3rd in the country in pass defense, holding opponents to an average of 158.9 yards per game through the air, and also are 1st in the ACC and 6th nationally holding opponents to an average of 5.9 yards per pass attempt.
FSU has rushed for at least 200 yards in a school-record-tying seven straight games, the longest streak in the nation in 2022 and the program’s longest streak since seven straight in 1987. The Seminoles lead the ACC in yards per rush and rushing offense, with their average of 5.50 yards per rush 10th nationally, and their average of 217.8 rushing yards per game 12th.
The Seminoles rank 1st nationally in explosive play rate differential (+7.59), with an offense explosive play rate of 16.83 percent that ranks 3rd in the country and a defense explosive plays allowed rate of 9.24 percent that is 11th-lowest in the nation. FSU ranks 2nd in the nation with seven touchdown drives of 90+ yards and with 15 touchdown drives of 80+ yards this season (via ESPN Stats & Info).
FSU is one of four teams in the nation that ranks in the top-20 in total defense, scoring defense, total offense and scoring offense. The Seminoles are 14th in the country allowing an average of 307.3 yards per game on defense, 16th with an average of 19.7 points allowed per game, 13th with 475.7 yards of total offense per game and 17th scoring 36.2 points per game.
FSU is one of five teams in the country, and the only team in the ACC, averaging at least 250 yards of passing offense and at least 210 yards of rushing offense per game this season. Of the three ACC teams averaging better than 250 yards of passing offense, the next-closest rushing offense is North Carolina’s 156.3 yards per game.
Florida State has scored on 17 of 24 first drives of a half this season, with 15 touchdowns on those 17 scoring drives for a total of 109 points. The Seminoles lead the ACC and are 3rd in the country with a 62.5 percent touchdown rate on opening drives of a half (via ESPN Stats & Info).
Florida State is one of two teams in the country that is ranked in the top-30 in kickoff return average, punt return average and punt return defense. FSU is 7th in the country and 4th in the ACC with an average of 24.77 yards per kickoff return, is 3rd in the conference and 24th in the nation with an average of 10.81 yards per punt return and is 3rd in the conference and 29th nationally allowing an average of 4.45 yards per punt return.
Florida State’s defense has held opponents to an average of 141.5 yards of total offense in the first half, with opponents gaining only 62.5 yards rushing and 79.0 yards passing in the first 30 minutes. The Seminoles are outscoring opponents 251-108 in the first half and have held eight opponents to three or fewer first-half points.
SERIES HISTORY
Oklahoma leads the all-time series 6-1, including 3-1 in bowl games. Pro Football Hall of Famer Fred Biletnikoff set then-school records with 13 catches for 192 yards and four TDs to lead FSU to a 36-19 win in the Gator Bowl on Jan. 2, 1965.
CHEEZ-IT BOWL VS. OKLAHOMA
NO. 13 NOLES, SOONERS MEET IN FIFTH BOWL GAME
No. 13 Florida State was selected for the 49th bowl game in program history and will face Oklahoma in the Cheez-It Bowl in Orlando on December 29, 2022. The game will air on ESPN at 5:30 p.m.
The Seminoles are 29-17-2 all-time in bowl games, including 3-0 in what is now the Cheez-It Bowl (1990 Blockbuster, 24-17 vs. Penn State; 2008 Champs Sports, 42-13 vs. Wisconsin; 2011 Champs Sports, 18-14 vs. Notre Dame).
This will be the fifth bowl game between Oklahoma and Florida State, with FSU winning the Gator Bowl following the 1964 season and OU winning the Orange Bowl after the 1979, 1980 and 2000 seasons.
FSU’s three wins in the Cheez-It Bowl are tied for the most in the bowl’s history, and the three wins without a loss are the most.
GROUND GAME PACES FSU OFFENSE
Led by second-team All-ACC running back Trey Benson, Florida State has rushed for over 200 yards in seven consecutive games, the longest streak in the country this season and tied for the longest in school history. FSU ran for 227 yards and five touchdowns (Benson 3, Jordan Travis 2) against Florida, the most Florida has allowed against any opponent since 1997.
The Noles have eight 200-yard rushing games this season, including a season-high 406 yards against Duquesne that is the 5th-most for any Power 5 team this season. FSU leads the ACC with 217.8 rushing yards per game and 5.5 yards per carry.
Benson leads FSU with 965 yards and nine rushing touchdowns, in the top-20 in FSU single-season history for both. With 35 more rushing yards, he will be the 9th 1,000-yard rusher in program history.
Benson ranks 5th in the country with an average of 6.84 yards per carry.
Benson was a four-time ACC Running Back of the Week – all coming over the last five weeks of the season – and was the first player in ACC history to win the award outright in three consecutive weeks.
The Greenville, Mississippi, native ran 20 times for 111 yards and a career-high three touchdowns against Florida. All three of Benson’s touchdowns broke a tie, including the game-winning 17-yard score with four minutes remaining in the game. It was the first three-rushing TD game for a Seminole since 2020. He added two catches for a team-high 51 yards, both career highs; his 45- yard run and 34-yard catch were also career bests.
Benson ran for over 100 yards and set a career high in three consecutive games after rushing for 163 yards on 18 carries (9.1 ypc) at Syracuse. It was the most rushing yards for a Seminole in an ACC road game since Dalvin Cook’s 225 at Syracuse in 2016 (Cook was also the last player with three consecutive 100-yard rushing games). Benson’s 163 yards were the most for an ACC player on the road this season.
On November 5, Benson ran for 128 yards and two touchdowns at Miami; against Georgia Tech on October 29, Benson had 111 rushing yards and two touchdowns in his first career start. » Benson’s five 100-yard games are the most for a Seminole since Cam Akers had six in 2019. Travis and Benson each had multiple touchdowns against the Gators, the second straight week that two Noles had multiple rushing touchdowns (Travis and Treshaun Ward, two each vs. Louisiana). Before the UL game, FSU had not accomplished the feat since 2017.
FSU is the only team in the ACC and one of just four nationally (No. 1 Georgia, No. 6 Tennessee and No. 17 LSU) to have four players score at least five rushing touchdowns this season (Benson – 9; Travis – 7; Lawrance Toafili, Ward – 5).
Benson’s 14 runs of 20 or more yards are 2nd-most in the ACC and tied for 7th in the country.
In his FSU debut, Benson ran for 105 yards on 11 carries (9.5 ypc) against Duquesne, one of three Seminoles with over 100 rush yards against the Dukes, a first in FSU history.
Benson has twice scored three touchdowns in a game – against Florida and Boston College, when he returned a 93-yard kickoff return to open the game and scored two rushing touchdowns. Benson’s 177 all-purpose yards against the Eagles is a career high.
Benson’s kickoff return touchdown against BC was FSU’s first since the 2013 BCS National Championship Game against Auburn (Kermit Whitfield). It was Benson’s first career kickoff return and he is one of 27 players with a kick return touchdown this season
The return was just the third in school history on the opening kickoff and first opening kickoff return TD in the 73-year history of Doak Campbell Stadium. Eddie McMillan and Tamarick Vanover both took the opening kickoff back at Miami in 1971 and 1992, respectively.
On offense, Benson carried the ball 10 times for 78 yards, with touchdown runs of 15 and 36 yards. He is the first player in FSU history with a kickoff return touchdown and two offensive touchdowns in the same game. He finished with 177 all-purpose yards against the Eagles – 93 KO return, 78 rushing and 6 receiving.
In the season opener against Duquesne, Ward (127), Benson (105) and Toafili (101) became the first trio of Seminoles to rush for 100 yards in the same game. Ward scored two touchdowns, while Benson, Toafili, true freshman Rodney Hill and Travis also scored on the ground. » Travis ran for 108 yards at No. 14 NC State, his fifth career 100-yard rushing game. It is just the fifth time in school history – and first since having five players in 2012 – that FSU has four different players have at least one 100-yard rushing game in a single season.
Against Duquesne, Ward – making his first career start – needed just 14 carries to rush for a career-best 127 yards and two touchdowns, also a career high. He averaged 9.1 yards per carry after rushing for 6.36 yards per carry in 2021, the highest average in the ACC for players that averaged at least four carries per game.
The former walk-on – and 2022 Burlsworth Trophy semifinalist – has a pair of 100-yard rushing games – 127 vs. Duquesne and 126 at Louisville. He ran for 547 yards with five touchdowns in nine games to earn All-ACC Honorable Mention.
Ward had 87 yards on 13 carries vs. Wake Forest (6.7 per rush). His 16-yard run in the second quarter pushed him past 1,000 for his career and he enters the Cheez-It Bowl with 1,160 career rush yards. Ward needed just 10 carries to rush for 126 yards at Louisville, breaking off runs of 25, 28 and 46 yards.
Ward tied his career high with two rushing touchdowns against Louisiana, the first on a 36-yard wildcat-formation draw. It was Ward’s longest career touchdown.
Toafili ran for 101 yards on 13 carries and also had a touchdown against Duquesne. It was Toafili’s second career 100-yard rushing game after he ran for 117 yards as a true freshman against Duke.
Toafili scored two touchdowns against Georgia Tech – a six-yard run and a 62-yard reception – to become the first Seminole since Akers in 2019 with a receiving and rushing touchdown in the same game. Toafili set a career high with 84 receiving yards against the Yellow Jackets and had a 33-yard run against Louisiana, his longest of the season.
Toafili caught a 65-yard pass at Miami to set up a field goal at the end of the first half. Toafili’s two 60-yard catches this season are the most for a running back in the country and tied with Johnny Wilson and three others for the ACC lead. Toafili led FSU with three receptions and 75 yards against the Hurricanes.
Redshirt freshman CJ Campbell made his Florida State debut against Georgia Tech, rushing three times for 23 yards and a seven-yard touchdown to cap a season-long 97-yard drive. At Miami, Campbell set career highs with eight rushes, 28 yards and scored his second touchdown. He also caught his first pass, for three yards.
EXPERIENCED OFFENSIVE LINE SHOWS OUT
Offensive line coach Alex Atkins – now in his third season on the Florida State staff – was promoted to offensive coordinator in the offseason. His offensive line has helped FSU rank 1st in the ACC in yards per play (6.86), total offense (475.67), yards per rush (5.50), rush yards per game (217.8) and pass yards per completion (13.94), 2nd in the ACC in scoring offense (36.17 ppg) and sacks allowed (18) and 3rd in passing offense (257.83).
FSU has started seven different linemen through 12 games: D’Mitri Emmanuel and Dillan Gibbons have started all 12; Maurice Smith has started 11, Robert Scott Jr. 10, Jazston Turnetine 8, Darius Washington 6 and Bless Harris started the opener. Those seven players have made 169 career starts.
The Seminoles won four ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week awards – RG Emmanuel against Georgia Tech, LG Gibbons against Miami and C Smith against Syracuse and Florida. It was the first time since 2000 that a team had three different players earn the award in consecutive weeks and was FSU’s most in a season since 2014. Trey Benson was the ACC Running Back of the Week in all four linemen’s award weeks.
Led by Gibbons on the first team, four linemen earned All-ACC honors: Scott on the second team, Emmanuel on the third team and Smith as an honorable mention. Gibbons was also named the Jim Tatum Award winner, presented to the top senior scholar-athlete in the conference; and the winner of the Wuerffel Trophy and captain of the Allstate Good Works Team, which recognize the top community service athletes in the country.
The Seminoles have scored at least 38 points in five straight games, the longest streak for FSU since 2013; FSU’s five-game winning streak is the team’s longest since 2016.
Florida State has run for over 200 yards in seven consecutive games, the longest streak in the country this season and tied for the longest in school history (1987). » Miami entered the game allowing 113.5 rush yards per game and allowed 229; No. 14 NC State and No. 4 Clemson were both Top 16 in the nation in rushing defense and FSU ran for 206 yards against both. Louisiana ranked 31st with 123 yards allowed before FSU ran for 251; the Noles ran for 164 yards in the first quarter alone.
In the first half, FSU outscored Syracuse 24-3 and outgained the Orange 236-61. Syracuse entered the game 15th nationally with 18.4 points allowed per game and total defense of 306.9 yards per game. For the game, FSU outgained the Orange 420-160. Benson ran for a career-high 163 yards, the most on the road for an ACC player this year.
Washington started at right tackle at Miami, at Syracuse and vs. Louisiana, his third different starting position this year (center and left tackle). For his career, Washington has 15 starts at left tackle, 10 at right tackle and 1 at center.
The Seminoles allowed just 18 sacks, the 2nd-fewest in the ACC. FSU gave up no sacks against LSU, Boston College and Louisiana – just the 13th, 14th and 15th times in the past 10 seasons that FSU has not surrendered a sack.
The last time FSU allowed 0 sacks in three games during the regular season was 2012; the last time FSU allowed 0 sacks in three games – all against FBS opponents – was 2009 (4 times in the regular season and vs. West Virginia in the Gator Bowl).
Against No. 4 Clemson, FSU ran for 206 yards and passed for 254 yards versus a Clemson defense that was No. 2 in the country with 62.2 rush yards allowed per game. The last time an opponent had 200 yards passing and rushing against the Tigers was the 2020 CFP Semifinal against Ohio State. FSU averaged 6.1 yards per rush against Clemson, the most since Alabama in the 2016 National Championship Game.
Quarterback Jordan Travis rushed for 108 yards against the Wolfpack, his fifth career 100-yard rushing game.
FSU ran for five touchdowns in the 45-38 win vs. Florida, with three from Benson and two from Travis. It was the most rushing touchdowns allowed by Florida since 1997, and FSU’s 45 points were the second-most for the Noles in series history. The offense’s 497 total yards were FSU’s most vs. Florida since 1994.
FSU now has 18 200-yard rushing games under Atkins, with eight coming this year. FSU’s 642 yards of total offense vs. Georgia Tech were the Noles’ most since 2016 against Syracuse (654).
Travis set a career high with 396 passing yards against Georgia Tech, and for just the third time in school history FSU had a 375-yard passer (Travis), a 100-yard rusher (Benson, 111) and a 100-yard receiver (Johnny Wilson, 111).
FSU’s 406 rushing yards vs. Duquesne were the most for the Seminoles since 2016 against USF, and the 33 first downs were the most since 2016 against Syracuse. It is the 5th-most rushing yards for any Power 5 team this season, and one of just two 400-yard rushing, 200-yard passing performances this season.
Against Duquesne, the line blocked for three players – Ward, Benson and Toafili – that ran for over 100 yards, the first time in school history FSU had three players run for at least 100 yards in the same game. Against Boston College, that trio combined for four touchdowns, the second time this year that all three have scored a touchdown.
For the first time since 2014 and just the fourth time overall in a road ACC game, FSU had a 125- yard rusher and receiver at Louisville. Ward ran 10 times for 126 yards (one shy of his career high), while Wilson caught seven passes for 149 yards and two touchdowns (all career highs).
Under Atkins, FSU’s offensive line has blocked for 18 games of at least 200 rushing yards and 18 games with at least 400 yards of total offense, including six with more than 500 yards and two 600-yard games.
DEFENSE DOMINANT AT END OF REGULAR SEASON
Florida State won four consecutive games by at least 25 points, the longest streak for the Seminoles since a school-record nine straight games in 2013.
The Noles lead the ACC in passing yards per game allowed (158.9, 3rd nationally) and total defense (307.2, 14th nationally) and are 2nd in scoring defense (19.7 ppg, 16th nationally).
The Seminoles outscored Louisiana (49-17), Syracuse (38-3), Miami (45-3) and Georgia Tech (41-16) to the tune of 173-39. FSU allowed exactly three points in the first half of each game, leading 24-3 against Georgia Tech and Syracuse; 31-3 at Miami; and 35-3 vs. Louisiana.
Over those four games, opponents had 26 first-half drives: 19 punts, 4 made field goals, 1 interception, 1 missed field goal and 1 turnover on downs.
FSU held Miami (62) and Syracuse (65) to the two lowest passing totals for an ACC team this year. FSU is the first team to hold consecutive FBS teams to 65 or fewer passing yards since Appalachian State in 2019; it was FSU’s first time holding consecutive opponents under 200 total yards since 2012 (three games); and the first time since 2013 that FSU held consecutive opponents to three or fewer points.
For the season, FSU’s defense is holding opponents to an average of 141.5 yards of total offense in the first half, with an average of 62.5 rushing yards and 79.0 passing yards in the first half of games this season; Florida State is outscoring its opponents 251-108 in the first half and have held eight opponents to three or fewer first-half points (Duquesne, LSU, Boston College, NC State, Georgia Tech, Miami, Syracuse, Louisiana).
Before the Ragin’ Cajuns scored a fourth-quarter touchdown with Florida State leading 49-3, FSU’s defense had not allowed a touchdown in 32 consecutive drives.
VANCE LEADS FSU IN TAKEAWAYS
Florida State has 15 takeaways this season, including a season-high four at Miami (two interceptions, two fumbles). It was the first time since 2020 against Duke that FSU forced four takeaways in a game and the first time since beating No. 3 Clemson in 2013 that FSU had multiple fumble recoveries and multiple interceptions in a game.
Greedy Vance Jr. is the only Seminole with multiple takeaways this year – interceptions against Boston College and in back-to-back games at Miami and Syracuse. Vance is tied for 3rd in the ACC with three interception this year.
Azareye’h Thomas had his first career interception against the Hurricanes, and Jared Verse and Malcolm Ray recovered the first fumbles of their careers. Ray’s fumble was forced by Patrick Payton, his first collegiate forced fumble.
Shyheim Brown fell on a fumble forced by Fabien Lovett vs. Louisiana, the first of both players career. Jarrian Jones intercepted a Florida pass, his first of the season and second of his career.
The Noles fell on both of LSU’s muffed punts in the 24-23 win in the Superdome. Wyatt Rector and Brendan Gant recovered one each in the Red Zone, the first of their careers.
FSU’s defense forced three takeaways at Louisville – two more fumble recoveries and an interception. It was the first time since 2014 against NC State and Wake Forest that FSU recovered multiple fumbles in consecutive games.
Derrick McLendon II and Tatum Bethune recovered the fumbles against the Cardinals, while DJ Lundy forced the first of his career.
On Louisville’s final snap of the game, Kevin Knowles II intercepted Malik Cunningham to seal the 35-31 victory. It was Knowles’ first career interception and the first for FSU this season.
Omarion Cooper and Vance intercepted Boston College in the first half. It was Cooper’s third career interception and first of 2022. Cooper’s interception was on the Eagles’ opening drive, FSU’s first takeaway on an opening drive in 12 games (week 3, 2021 at Wake Forest), and led to a touchdown.
Jammie Robinson picked off NC State in the first half, leading to an FSU touchdown. Robinson leads active Seminoles with five career interceptions at FSU.
