OPENING KICK

• Looking to win for the 38th time in 40 games against Big 12 opponents, No. 5/5 Oklahoma (6-0, 3-0) hosts West Virginia (3-3, 1-2) in the Sooners' annual Homecoming game on Saturday at 11 a.m. CT. The game will be televised by FOX with Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt and Jenny Taft announcing.

• OU is the only program West Virginia has not defeated since joining the Big 12 prior to the 2012 season. The Sooners are 7-0 against the Mountaineers during that span and have scored at least 44 points in six of those contests (average score of 47-32 in the seven games), including each of the last five meetings (average score of 53-34). WVU was coached by current Houston head coach Dana Holgorsen in each of the seven games.

• Oklahoma is the nation's only team this year with at least 19 rushing touchdowns (19) and at least 19 passing TDs (20).

• In a stat that speaks to OU's success on both sides of the ball, the Sooners have run one fewer play than their opponents this season (390-391) but have outgained them by a staggering 1,693 yards (3,730-2,037). OU leads the nation in total offense (621.7 ypg) despite ranking 111th in plays per game (just 65.0).

• The Sooners have scored at least 34 points in 15 straight games (longest streak in school history) and in 27 of the last 28. The 15-game streak is tied for the second longest nationally since at least 1980 (Florida State also 16 from 2013-14 and Oregon 23 from 2011-12).

• Oklahoma has scored at least one touchdown in 23 of its 24 quarters. The Sooners scored a TD in each of their first 21 quarters, establishing a school record to start a season (the previous record was first 15 quarters in their 2000 national championship season). Going back to last year, OU has scored a TD in 26 of its last 27 quarters.

• The Sooners have won 19 of their last 20 games the week after playing Texas. The lone loss — to Kansas State in 2014 — was by one point (31-30).

• OU is 27-4-1 overall and 14-1-1 in home games as the No. 5 team in the AP poll. Against unranked opponents, the Sooners are 17-1 (10-1 at home) as the AP's No. 5 squad.

FOR THE FANS

• Approximately two hours before each home game, the Sooners will disembark the team buses immediately west of the intersection of Lindsey Street and Jenkins Avenue for the "Walk of Champions." A pep rally, conducted by OU Spirit, will be held 15 minutes prior to the team's arrival. This week's pep rally will take place at approximately 8:45 a.m. with the team arriving at approximately 9. Fans are encouraged to cheer on the team upon arrival and watch as the squad walks the final yards west along Lindsey Street to their locker room.

• "Party at the Palace, Presented by Allstate" is OU's rebranded pregame event that will be held on the lawn immediately north of Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. It will begin three-and-a-half hours prior to kickoff each week (7:30 a.m. for the West Virginia game) and will include many of the same fan-friendly activities and great food options the former "Sooner Fan Fest" did. Fans will have the opportunity to meet Boomer and Sooner and have their photo taken with the Sooner Schooner, the mascots and members of the OU spirit squads. The GoVision jumbotron, which shows other games across the country is back for 2019, as are the photo booth, face painter, balloon artists and inflatable football toss. Food will be available from trucks representing Midway Deli, The Meating Place and Whole Latte Pie. And the Sooner Radio Network (flagship 107.7 The Franchise) will be broadcasting live from Fan Fest from 9 to 10 a.m. with crew members Toby Rowland, Merv Johnson, Teddy Lehman, Chris Plank, Gabe Ikard and Rufus Alexander on hand.

• 1969 Heisman Trophy winner Steve Owens will sign autographs Saturday morning when the Nissan Heisman House makes a tour stop in Norman. The Heisman House (free admission) will be open from 8 to 11 a.m. and will be located at Niemann Field, which is at the intersection of Jenkins Avenue and 4th Street (just south of the Jenkins Avenue Parking Facility). Owens will appear from 9 to 10:30 a.m., participating in a chalk talk session with ESPN's Mike Golic Jr. and a photo session with fans.

Fans also will have the opportunity to: take a picture with the Heisman Trophy, the most prestigious award in college football; win Heisman-themed prizes by participating in interactive games and sharing the experience on social media; race to the finish line against a Heisman winner in the Nissan Heisman House Dash, a digital game that puts fans in the driver's seat of a Nissan Rogue; strap on a headset in the Armchair Quarterback Virtual Reality Experience, as fans interactively spot their targets to determine the outcome on the game's final drive; watch live interviews between ESPN talent and some of college football's most outstanding players; participate in a photo session with gridiron greats; and customize a Nissan Rogue in their team colors, while exploring the features of Nissan Intelligent Mobility.

KEY STORYLINES

• Former Oklahoma quarterback Austin Kendall has started every game for West Virginia this season. Kendall, who was Baker Mayfield's backup in 2016, redshirted in 2017 and was Kyler Murray's backup last season, transferred to WVU in January and has completed 66.0% of his passes (126 of 191) for 1,247 yards (207.8 per game) and nine touchdowns while throwing seven interceptions. Kendall was injured on the Mountaineers' opening possession in Saturday's 38-14 home loss to Iowa State and did not return. He was replaced by Jack Allison, who was 18 for 24 through the air for 140 yards, a touchdown and an interception vs. the Cyclones. In his two years of action at OU, Kendall played in seven games and completed 28 of 39 passes (71.8%) for 265 yards and three TDs without a pick.

• OU quarterback Jalen Hurts recorded a passing efficiency rating of at least 245.0 in each of his first four games this season and is the only FBS player since at least 1996 to record more than two such outings (min. 18 attempts) in a season. He ranks second nationally with his 215.9 season pass efficiency rating and owns four of the nation's top 13 figures this year (253.6 vs. South Dakota, 251.3 vs. Houston, 249.0 vs. Texas Tech and 245.9 at UCLA). Hurts also leads all quarterbacks with his 105.0 rushing yards per contest (next most among those who have played at least five games is 73.5 by Georgia State's Dan Ellington).

• Oklahoma is averaging a nation-leading 621.7 offensive yards per game, which is 61 yards more than the next highest average (561.0 by LSU). Making that even more impressive is the fact the Sooners rank 111th out of 130 teams by averaging just 65.0 plays per game. OU averages 9.6 yards per play, which is 1.5 yards more than the team with the second-highest average (8.1 by Alabama). Last year, OU set the FBS single-season record by averaging 8.6 yards per play.

• The Sooners led the nation last year in both yards per pass attempt (11.3) and yards per rush (6.6). So far this season, they are doing it again. OU ranks first nationally (among teams attempting at least 10 passes per game) with its 12.0 yards per pass attempt and with its 7.7 yards per rush (next highest average is 6.9).

• Under the direction of first-year defensive coordinator Alex Grinch, OU has forced six turnovers, seven turnovers on downs and 34 punts through six games, while registering 49 tackles for loss and 22 sacks. It has also forced 21 three-and-outs (14 before halftime).

• After ranking 118th nationally last year in defensive third-down conversion percentage (46.4%), OU ranks ninth nationally this season (27.8%; 22 for 79). Conversely, the Sooners are 28 for 57 on the year offensively for 49.1% (12th nationally). They are one of only three teams in the country to rank in the top 12 in both categories (Ohio State and Wake Forest are the others).

HOME IS WHERE THE "W" IS

• Oklahoma has won two more Big 12 championships over the last 20 years (12) than it has lost home games. OU is 116-10 (.921) at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium since the start of the 1999 season, with all 126 of those games sellouts. It is the best home winning percentage among Power Five schools over the last 20 seasons (Ohio State is next at .889). OU has outscored its opponents by an average of 43-17 in those games. No school has won more than two Big 12 titles since the Sooners won their first in 2000.

SCOUTING WEST VIRGINIA

• West Virginia has lost its last two games (42-31 to Texas at home and 38-14 to Iowa State at home) after winning 29-24 at Kansas to open Big 12 play. Head coach Neal Brown, who went 35-16 the last four years at Troy, is in his first season at WVU.

• The Mountaineers average 24.2 points and 326.2 total yards per game (94.3 rushing, 231.8 passing), and allow 30.3 points and 382.5 total yards per contest (174.8 rushing, 207.7 passing). WVU is minus-four in turnover margin, converts 39 percent of third downs (while allowing 42 percent conversion rate) and has totaled 17 sacks and 38 tackles for loss.

• West Virginia's top receiving targets are Sam James and T.J. Simmons. James has 359 yards and two touchdowns on 37 catches (59.8 yards per game) while Simmons has 335 yards and a pair of scores on 25 catches (55.8 yards per game, 13.4 per catch). George Campbell has a team-high three TD receptions on four catches, totaling 100 yards. Kennedy McCoy leads WVU with 187 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 62 carries, and Leddie Brown has carried 35 times for 156 yards and a score.

• Linebacker Josh Chandler leads the Mountaineers with 45 tackles and has tallied 2.0 tackles for loss, two pass breakups and a fumble recovery. Defensive linemen Darius Stills (8.5 TFLs) and Dante Stills (6.5 TFLs) set the pass rush pace with 4.0 sacks apiece. Cornerback Keith Washington has collected three of WVU's four interceptions and joins cornerback Hakeem Bailey (34 tackles) with six pass breakups apiece.

LAST YEAR VS. THE MOUNTAINEERS

• In the third-highest-scoring game in school history (115 points), No. 6/6/6 Oklahoma outlasted No. 13/12/12 West Virginia 59-56 last Nov. 23 to record its 20th consecutive true road win and secure a berth in its 10th Big 12 Championship Game. The Sooners finished with 668 total yards and averaged 10.3 yards per play in moving to 7-0 against WVU since it joined the Big 12 Conference. The win was OU's 17th straight in the month of November dating back to 2014.

• Quarterback Kyler Murray completed 20 of 27 pass attempts for 364 yards and three touchdowns, and rushed nine times for an OU-career-high 114 yards (12.7 average) and a 55-yard score. It was his second game this year to throw for at least 300 yards and rush for at least 100, and ninth to throw for at least three touchdown passes. Murray was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week for the fifth time of the year.

• Marquise Brown caught 11 passes for 243 yards, the second-highest yardage total in school history. He caught touchdown passes of 25 yards and 45 yards, and added non-scoring receptions of 26, 30 and 65 yards. Brown joined Ryan Broyles and Dede Westbrook as the only Sooners with multiple 200-yard career receiving games (two each).

• Running back Kennedy Brooks rushed 21 times for a career-high 182 yards (8.7 average), and scored on a 68-yard run in the second quarter to give OU a 28-21 lead. It marked his third straight game with at least 165 rushing yards, and fifth time of the season to break the century mark. Brooks was named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week for the third time.

• OU's first two defensive touchdowns of the season proved huge. Caleb Kelly, who finished with a career-high 14 tackles, sacked WVU's Will Grier, forced a fumble on the play and returned it 10 yards to put the Sooners ahead 35-21 with 3:06 left in the first half. Fellow linebacker Curtis Bolton recovered a fumble forced by Kenneth Mann and returned it 48 yards for a 59-49 advantage with 9:58 to go in the fourth quarter. It was Bolton's third touchdown of the year (two on blocked punts). The game marked OU's first since 2011 against Texas that it scored two defensive TDs.

• Trey Sermon (1-yard rush) and Grant Calcaterra (2-yard reception) scored OU's other two touchdowns.

DEFENSE ON THE RISE

• Hired in January, coordinator and safeties coach Alex Grinch has overseen major improvement on the defensive side of the ball through six games this season.

• Oklahoma ranks ninth nationally in third-down conversion percentage (27.8; last year ranked 119th at 46.4), 11th in sacks per game (3.7; last year ranked 49th at 2.1), 15th in tackles for loss per game (8.2; last year ranked 57th at 5.6), 31st in scoring defense (20.3 ppg; last year ranked 101st at 33.3), 37th in passing defense (199.8 ypg; last year ranked 130th at 294.0), 41st in total defense (340.3 ypg; last year ranked 114th at 453.8) and 51st in rushing defense (140.5 ypg; last year ranked 59th at 159.8).

• In Big 12 play, the Sooners rank first in passing defense efficiency (122.9), second in passing defense (187.3 ypg), scoring defense (21.0 ppg) and sacks (4.3 per game), third in total defense (328.0 ypg), and fourth in rushing defense (140.7 ypg).

• OU is one of seven teams nationally that has not permitted a touchdown this season on the possession following a turnover. The Sooners have allowed two field goals following their six turnovers.

• Six Sooners rank in the top 15 in sacks per game in Big 12 play.

300-300 RARE FOR EVERYONE BUT THE SOONERS

• In their history, the Sooners have rushed for 300-plus yards and passed for 300-plus in a game 14 times. Amazingly, eight of those occasions have come in the last 20 games (since the start of last season), and OU has accomplished the feat seven times in the last 13 contests (including each of the first three games this season). Only three other programs (UCF [three times] and Cincinnati and Louisiana [twice each]) have registered more than one such performance since the start of the 2018 season.

BIG-PLAY SOONERS

• Despite ranking 104th out of 130 FBS teams last season in offensive plays per game (just 66.3), Oklahoma led the country in plays of at least 20 yards (111) and at least 30 yards (59), and ranked second in plays of at least 40 yards (34; Clemson had 35 in one more game).

• So far this season, the Sooners have picked up where they left off in 2018. They lead all teams in number of plays per game of at least 10 yards, (23.2; next most is 21.2), 20 yards (10.0; next most is 7.7), 30 yards (5.2; next most is 4.7) and 40 yards (3.0), despite ranking 111th nationally by averaging just 65.0 plays per contest.

HURTS THRIVING IN OU STARTING ROLE

• Senior quarterback Jalen Hurts has completed 98 of 137 passes (71.5%) for 1,758 yards (293.0 per game) and 17 touchdowns with three interceptions. He has also rushed 74 times for a team-high 630 yards (105.0 per game) and eight TDs. Hurts leads the nation in yards per pass attempt (12.8; next highest is 11.6) and ranks second in total offense (398.0 yards per game), passing efficiency rating (215.9), yards per completion (17.9) and yards per rush (8.5), fourth in points responsible for per game (25.0) and ninth in completion percentage.

• Hurts is averaging 398.0 yards of total offense per game. That's more yards than 42% of the other FBS teams (54 of 129) and more yards than 34% of other Power Five teams (22 of 64).

• Behind Hurts, OU has rushed for more than 300 yards and passed for more than 300 yards in three of six games.

NO LITTLE LAMB

• A consensus midseason first-team All-American, junior wide receiver CeeDee Lamb is continuing his rapid ascent on OU's charts this fall. The Richmond, Texas, product ranks 11th in school history in receptions (139), sixth in receiving yards (2,575) and third in receiving touchdowns (28) despite playing less than two-and-a-half seasons. He needs three more receiving TDs to tie Mark Clayton for second place at 31 while Ryan Broyles holds the school record with 45 (both Clayton and Broyles played four seasons).

• Through six games this year, Lamb has posted team highs of 28 catches, 610 receiving yards and a nation-leading 10 receiving TDs. He ranks 11th nationally in yards per reception (21.8) and 12th in receiving yards per game (101.7).

• Lamb has caught at least one touchdown pass in each of OU's last eight games, and has seven over the last three outings. Amazingly, he also registered a seven-game TD streak last season from the second through eighth contests.

• Lamb ranks No. 3 among active FBS players (and No. 1 among non-seniors) in career receiving TDs (28). The non-senior with the next-highest total is Alabama junior Jerry Jeudy (22). Lamb ranks sixth among active FBS players with 2,575 career receiving yards, and again is No. 1 among non-seniors.

MURRAY LIVING UP TO PRESEASON ACCOLADES

• Junior linebacker Kenneth Murray, who ranked second in the Big 12 and 13th nationally last season with his 155 total tackles (most by a Sooner since Curtis Lofton had 157 in 2007), was named 2019 Preseason Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year by media who cover the league. He's off to a strong start this season, registering a team-high 42 tackles to go along with 6.0 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and two pass breakups, and earning ESPN first-team midseason All-America honors. He was named the Lott IMPACT Player of the Week after the season-opening win over Houston (13 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, 1 breakup and 1 QB hurry).

• Murray registered nine games of double-digit tackles last season as a second-team All-Big 12 performer, including three contests of at least 15 stops (28 vs. Army [most by an FBS player since at least 2000], 17 vs. Baylor and 15 vs. Alabama in CFP Semifinal at the Orange Bowl).

• Murray, who has started all 34 games since the start of 2017, has 26.0 career tackles for loss and 8.0 sacks. His fumble recovery against Oklahoma State last season with the game tied at 41 helped OU post a 48-47 win. 

OFFENSE HAS ROLLED UNDER RILEY

• Oklahoma owns the nation's most productive offense since the start of the 2015 season, which was Lincoln Riley's first year as OU's offensive coordinator. Riley continues to call plays as head coach.

• Since the start of the 2015 season, OU ranks first nationally in points per game (46.0; next most is 41.7), total offense (566.5; next most is 522.7), touchdowns from scrimmage (343; next most is 311), pass efficiency rating (191.6; next best is 165.5), completion percentage (69.5) and yards per pass attempt (10.9), and is fourth in passing offense (330.5) and 10th in rushing offense (235.9).

• In 60 games since the start of the 2015 season, OU has registered at least 500 yards of total offense 46 times, including in 36 of the last 44 outings, topped the 600-yard mark on 24 occasions and gone over 700 yards seven times. Similarly, OU has scored at least 30 points in 54 of 60 games since Riley's arrival, at least 40 points 41 times, at least 50 points 24 times and at least 60 points eight times.

GOING FOR BIG 12 FIVE-PEAT

• If Oklahoma wins the 2019 Big 12 title, it will mark the program's fifth straight league crown. The last time the Sooners won at least five consecutive conference championships was 1972-80 under head coaches Chuck Fairbanks (1972) and Barry Switzer.

• OU is the only program to win three straight Big 12 titles, and it has done so twice (also from 2006-08). Baylor (2013-14) is the only other program to win two Big 12 championships in a row.

• OU's current streak of four straight outright league championships is the longest among Power Five programs since Alabama won five in a row from 1971 to '75 (Clemson is also riding a four-game outright streak [ACC]).

EXTRA POINTS

• Oklahoma has won 37 of its last 39 games (.949) against Big 12 opponents dating back to the 2015 season. The losses were to Iowa State in 2017 (38-31 in Norman) and to Texas last year (48-45 in Dallas). Twenty-one of those 37 victories have been by at least 15 points, and 10 by at least 30 points.

• The Sooners have made 416 all-time appearances in the AP poll's top five, more than any other program (Alabama is next with 405 and Ohio State third with 378). That means OU has been in the top five in 36 percent of all AP polls (1,160 total polls), which started in 1936. OU has made 21 AP top-5 appearances since the start of 2017.

• OU has been ranked in the AP's top 10 in 45 of the last 46 polls. The only time it wasn't during that stretch was following its 2017 loss to Iowa State (fell from third to 12th).

• Six of OU's top eight tacklers this season and eight of its top 11 are freshmen or sophomores. Four sophomore defenders (S Pat Fields, DL Ronnie Perkins, S Delarrin Turner-Yell and LB DaShaun White) have started every game. One redshirt freshman (DL Jalen Redmond) and one true freshman (OLB David Ugwoegbu) have started one.

• Seventeen true freshmen and 12 redshirt freshmen have played for Oklahoma this season.

• For the first time in the same season since 2006, Oklahoma held four consecutive opponents this year to 20 points or less (14 by South Dakota and UCLA, 16 by Texas Tech and 20 by Kansas). OU has allowed only seven first-quarter points this year (average of 1.2) and has permitted just 37 first-half points (average of 6.2).

• Since the start of his sophomore season at Alabama, Jalen Hurts has posted a 7-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio (42 TDs to 6 INTs).

• Oklahoma has outscored opponents 69-7 in the first quarter this season and 148-37 in the first half.