Sept. 20, 2009
Complete Release in PDF Format 
Grambling State at No. 16/16 Oklahoma State
Sat., Sept. 26 :: 6 p.m. CT :: Boone Pickens Stadium (60,218 cap.)
TV: None
Radio: Cowboy Radio Network (Dave Hunziker, John Holcomb and Robert Allen)
Internet: okstate.com
Satellite Radio: Sirius Channel 158 and XM Channel 141
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So Long, September
The Oklahoma State Cowboys (2-1) will put the wraps on the month of September when they host the Grambling State Tigers at Boone Pickens Stadium Saturday night. Kickoff is set for 6:05 p.m. At this writing, there is no live television planned for the game.
Getting Series
The Cowboys and Tigers have never met on the football field. In fact, Oklahoma State will be facing a member of the Southwest Athletic Conference for the first time ever. OSU is 2-0 against the Tigers in men's basketball, including a meeting last November in Stillwater. OSU will face another non-conference foe from Louisiana next year when the Cowboys visit Louisiana-Lafayette.
Promotion Motion
Another large crowd is expected for the Grambling State game with several promotions planned as part of the weekend. The annual Parents Weekend will be held and it annually helps draw one of the largest crowds of the season. Grambling State-OSU tickets for parents can be purchased for $30 at www.parents.okstate.edu. The single-game $30 ticket special can also be purchased at www.selloutgrambling.com.
Speaking Of Crowds
A gathering of 51,803 fans were on hand for the Rice-Oklahoma State game. It was the third largest crowd in OSU history and the second largest of the 2009 season. OSU set a record with 53,012 fans for the season-opening win over Georgia. The ninth largest crowd in OSU history was on hand for the Houston game. Due to the promotions surrounding the Grambling State game, the single-game record could be threatened this weekend.
September Setup
Oklahoma State is 21-5 since 2003 when playing in September. Only once during that period (in 2007) has OSU dropped more than one game in September. Under Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State is 15-4 in September.
Non-Con Numbers
Under Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State is 16-5 against non-conference competition, including an 11-1 record in home games. Grambling State marks OSU's final non-conference game of the regular season.
Looking For 30
OSU head coach Mike Gundy will be looking for the 30th win of his head coaching career when the Tigers come to town. The former Cowboy quarterback is 29-24 in his fifth season. His career began with a 4-7 record in 2005 and his 23-game mark stood at 10-13. Since that time, however, OSU is 19-11. The Cowboys are 12-5 over their last 17 games.
More On Mike
With Mike Gundy's next win, he will become the eighth coach in OSU history to reach 30 victories. Only three OSU coaches reached 30 wins prior to 1970. Since that time, however, five of the six coaches preceding Gundy reached the 30-win mark. The fastest to 30 wins was Pat Jones, who picked up win No. 30 in his 42nd game as Cowboy head coach (.714 winning percentage during that process). College football hall of famer Lynn "Pappy" Waldorf ended his Stillwater career with the highest winning percentage of any coach in the program's history at .735. His 30th victory came in his 47th game as the head coach of the A&M Aggies.
Forty Something
Oklahoma State is coming off a 41-24 win over the Rice Owls. It marked the 16th time Oklahoma State reached the 40-point mark under Mike Gundy and the eighth time in the last 17 games. OSU had scored 40 points or more eight times in the previous 34 games.
Eliminating Flag Day
One of the only negatives to come out of OSU's season-opening win over No. 13 Georgia was penalties. OSU committed 15 covering 106 yards. Against Houston, that number dropped to nine penalties for 81 yards. That positive trend continued against Rice with six penalties for 54 yards.
Special Points
Oklahoma State's special teams continue to help generate points for the Cowboys. In the season opener it was a 74-yard return of the second-half kickoff by Perrish Cox that helped OSU to an eventual touchdown. Against Houston, Dez Bryant returned a punt 82 yards for a score. Against Rice, it was Donald Booker's 51-yard touchdown return of an errant Rice snap on a field-goal attempt.
The Auto Extra
OSU junior Dan Bailey has established a new record with 98 straight extra-point conversions in his Cowboy career, breaking the mark held by Cary Blanchard (1987-90). Bailey is perfect in that category for his career. He is now No. 16 all-time at OSU with 158 career points.
INT Streak
The Rice game marked the fourth straight in which the Cowboys have intercepted a pass, including the 2008 Pacific Life Holiday Bowl. The latest pick came courtesy of Andre Sexton, whose 36-yard return set up a Cowboy touchdown. Last season, OSU did not pick up its first interception until the fourth game of the year vs. Troy.
Andre And Pat
Both Andre Sexton and Patrick Lavine, two four-year starters on the Cowboy defense, rank high among the NCAA's active leaders in tackles. Entering the Grambling State game, Sexton is No. 12 in the country with 264 career tackles. He is fourth with 176 career solo stops. Lavine is No. 19 among NCAA players with 144 solo tackles.
The Dez Effect
Dez Bryant is coming off a game against Rice that saw him catch nine passes for 161 yards with two touchdowns -- and it hardly raised an eyebrow. The receiving total ranks No. 20 in OSU history but only fifth on the Dez Bryant chart:
• He now has nine 100-yard receiving games in his career, including six of the top 21 games in OSU history.
• He is now No. 11 all-time at OSU with 194 career points.
• He remains fourth all-time at OSU with 2,425 receiving yards.
• He remains fourth all-time at OSU with 147 career receptions.
• He is third all-time at OSU with 29 touchdown receptions, and just one catch shy of second.
• He is tied with Darrent Williams and Barry Sanders with three career punt returns for touchdowns.
Dez And The English Speaking World
It is stating the obvious to say that OSU junior receiver Dez Bryant is one of the college game's brightest stars. His name is all over the OSU record book. However, a bigger gaze shows that Bryant is firmly entrenched on several NCAA career charts. He enters the Grambling State game...
• Leading the nation with 29 career touchdown receptions
• Leading the nation in career yards per catch at 16.5
• Leading the nation with 86.6 receiving yards per career game played
• Third in the nation with three career punt returns for scores
• Sixth in the nation with 2,425 career receiving yards
• Ninth in the nation with 548 punt return yards in his career
• Ninth in the nation with 5.2 catches per career game played
• Tenth in the nation with 32 career touchdowns
• In the "this doesn't count" category, Bryant's 2009 average of 37 yards per punt return would rank second nationally if he had enough attempts to qualify for the NCAA stats in that category. Bryant's average is on three returns.
Dez And Zac
Zac Robinson and Dez Bryant combine to form the most effective touchdown combo in the country with 29 pass-catch scores in their careers.
Zac's New Mark
Zac Robinson moved to the top of a new chart against Rice. His two touchdown passes increased his career total to 56, inching him past Josh Fields (2001-2003) for a new OSU record. Speaking of Zac Robinson...
• He remains second all-time to Mike Gundy with 6,835 career passing yards.
• He is OSU's all-time leader in total offense with 8,463 yards.
• He is currently sixth among active NCAA players with a career passing efficiency mark of 154.60, including 148.04 this season.
• He is No. 17 all-time at OSU with 1,628 rushing yards.
• He now has 20 career rushing touchdowns to rank No. 10 all-time at OSU. He is just one touchdown behind Kendall Hunter in that category and just three ahead of Keith Toston. The only quarterback to rank ahead of him is Tony Lindsay, who ran for 23 touchdowns from 1997 through the 2000 season.
• He is No. 22 all-time at OSU with 120 career points.
• During his career, he has now accounted for 76 touchdowns as a passer or a runner
Sharp Start
One of the 2009 question marks entering the season was redshirt freshman Quinn Sharp stepping in to replace OSU's 2008 Ray Guy Award winner Matt Fodge. Three games into his career, Sharp has answered lots of questions.
• He is currently second in the country with an average of 50.5 yards per kick.
• Sharp has punted 12 times with six of those covering at least 50 yards, including a 61-yarder against Georgia and Rice.
• Of his 12 punts, six have been downed inside the opponent's 20 (with only one touchback).
• Oklahoma State is third nationally in net punting with a 43.58-yard average.
• While handling Cowboy kickoff duties, Sharp has recorded nine touchbacks on 19 tries. OSU had 13 touchbacks all of last season on 96 kickoffs.
