The No. 15-ranked Baylor Bears (3-0) and the Oklahoma State Cowboys (2-1) are set to clash in their Big 12 openers on Saturday evening at 6:30 p.m. CT in a game which will be broadcasted live nationally on FOX.
OKLAHOMA STATE SERIES HISTORY
This is the 35th meeting between Baylor and Oklahoma State. The Cowboys lead the all-time series 19-15 after Baylor won 45-35 last year in Stillwater - its first win at OSU since 1939. However, the Bears hold a 8-7 advantage when the series is in Waco and won 49-28 when the two teams met at McLane Stadium in 2014. The Bears and Cowboys first met Oct. 25, 1914, with OSU blanking Baylor 60-0. The Bears won the next nine meetings (1915-42) before a 20-7 OSU victory in 1972. The teams have met once in the postseason, a 24-14 OSU victory, in the 1983 Bluebonnet Bowl at the Astrodome in Houston. BU will be looking for three-straight victories against OSU for the first time since that string of nine in a row. As Big 12 foes, the Cowboys lead the series 16-4, but the Bears have won three of the last four meetings.
OFFENSIVE STANDOUTS
• In his first three games back from an injury in October 2015, QB Seth Russell, a senior, has thrown for 761 yards and 9 TDs on 62-of-105 passing.. Russell improved to 11-0 in his career as a starter with the win over Rice. In his 11 career starts, Russell has thrown 43 TD passes (3.9 TD passes/game) and only 9 interceptions. The Garland, Texas, product is the Baylor career leader in pass efficiency (169.6) and total offense yards/play (8.865). He also ranks: second in passing yards/attempt (9.460), yards/completion (16.06), third in TD/interception ratio (3.8) and passing TDs (49), fifth in interception percentage (.0300), sixth in completion percentage (.590) and 12th in passing yards (4,096) for his career.
• Senior RB Shock Linwood is a Maxwell, Doak Walker, Earl Campbell Tyler Rose, Senior Bowl and Rotary Lombardi watch list member. He is a veteran with 40 games played (third-most on squad) and 27 career starts (second-most on team). The Linden, Texas, native became BU’s all-time leading rusher in win over Rice and now has 3,675 yards, which is third-most among active FBS players.
• Senior C Kyle Fuller has garnered a place on the Rimington Trophy, Outland Trophy, Senior Bowl and Rotary Lombardi watch lists in 2016. He has played 42 career games (most on team) and started 29 (most on squad). The Wylie, Texas, product is a three-year starter and helps anchor a young o-line that has allowed only one sack in the first three games.
• Junior WR KD Cannon is on watch lists for the Biletnikoff and Tyler Rose awards. He is the most experienced receiver on the squad and ranks third all-time on school's career yards-per-game (77.59) and seventh in yards-per-reception (17.04) lists, while being eighth in TDs (18) and yards (2,250). The Mount Pleasant, Texas, product has a 29-game reception streak (every game of career), which is tied for the 12th-longest active streak.
DEFENSIVE STARS
• DE K.J. Smith is a fourth-year junior lineman. He is a technically sound veteran with 14 career starts and 29 games played on a young defensive line. He has played in every game over the past two seasons, including eight starts in 2014 as a redshirt freshman. He has 12 tackles, 1.5 sacks and 3.0 TFLs in the first three games.
• Senior NB Travon Blanchard suffered a knee injury during fall camp and missed the first two games of the year. He started all 13 games a year ago earning honorable mention All-Big 12 honors from the league’s coaches. The Orange, Texas, native is a quick, rangy, playmaker at hybrid linebacker/safety spot. He made his return against Rice and delivered 9 tackles (7 solo), 1 sack, 3 TFLs and a PBU.
• Junior LB Taylor Young has been recognized on watch lists for the Bednarik, Butkus and Rotary Lombardi awards this fall. He is a returning All-Big 12 linebacker and starting WLB in 12 of 13 games in 2015. The DeSoto, Texas, product is a powerful, compact, leader with 23 starts and 28 games played. He was the 2014 Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year. Young has 13 tackles, 1 sack and 5.0 TFLs in the three opening games.
• DB Ryan Reid was recently selected to the Senior Bowl watch list. He is a fifth-year senior cornerback. The Dallas, Texas, native is a veteran with 26 career starts (third-most on team) and 34 career games played (sixth on squad). He was named preseason All-Big 12 by Lindy's. Reid suffered an injury early in the SMU game and missed the Rice game.
