Tulsa World: OSU Notebook: Rice-Georgia connection

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OSU Notebook: Rice-Georgia connection

Georgia's Michael Moore catches a touchdown pass over OSU's Perrish Cox. STEPHEN HOLMAN/Tulsa World

By BILL HAISTEN World Sports Writer
Published: 9/19/2009 2:30 AM
Last Modified: 9/19/2009 8:01 AM

In what would have been the first date of a three-game series, Oklahoma State was scheduled to have played at Rice in 2007. But in 2006, Rice officials expressed a desire to cancel the game. OSU officials complied, which resulted in a vacancy on the 2007 schedule.

ESPN schedule-makers got involved and brokered a home-and-home arrangement between Oklahoma State and Georgia. Instead of visiting Rice in 2007, the Cowboys opened the season with a 35-14 loss at Georgia. In the return game, played two weeks ago at Boone Pickens Stadium, OSU beat the Bulldogs 24-10.

While OSU did not play at Rice Stadium, the Cowboys and Owls will meet twice in Stillwater — at 6 p.m. Saturday and again in 2012.

The series: Oklahoma State and Rice meet for only the fourth time and for the first time since 1923 (a 13-0 Oklahoma A&M victory in Houston). At Rice in 1914, the teams played to a 13-13 tie. In a 1922 game at Stillwater, OSU won 21-0.

Cowboys in September: Since 2003, the Cowboys have a September record of 20-5. OSU has not had two consecutive September defeats since 2000, when it fell to Southern Miss and Texas.

No more Houston: Good news, Cowboy fans. Houston is not on any future Oklahoma State schedule. The three-game contract expired last week, when the Cougars prevailed 45-35 at Boone Pickens Stadium. At Houston in 2006, the Cougars beat OSU 34-25. In Stillwater last season, the Cowboys won 56-37.

The return game: OSU's Perrish Cox and Dez Bryant have

combined for a career total of eight return touchdowns.

Bryant scored on an 82-yard punt return against Houston last week.

Cox is responsible for five touchdown returns (four on kickoffs, one on a punt). This season, he has five returns for a 29.0-yard average (including a 74-yard return against Georgia). He is 21st nationally in kickoff-return average.

On three punt-return opportunities this season, Bryant ranks No. 2 nationally with a 37.0-yard average. Before Thursday's Georgia Tech-Miami (Fla.) game, the national punt-return leader was Georgia Tech's Jerrard Tarrant (a 43.0-yard average on four returns).

Sharp is No. 1: OSU redshirt freshman Quinn Sharp, the successor to Ray Guy Award-winning Matt Fodge, leads the nation in punting with a 49.8-yard average. Four of his nine punts have covered at least 50 yards. Six of his 11 kickoffs have gone for touchbacks.

The University of Tulsa's Michael Such is second nationally in punting (48.3-yard average). By BILL HAISTEN World Sports Writer

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