K-State: Jerome Tang [Charter Oak State College ‘07]
Record at K-State: 39-14/Second Year
Career Record: 41-14*/Second Year
Oklahoma State: 2-0 [1-0 at home]
Oklahoma State: Mike Boynton Jr. [South Carolina ‘03]
Record at Oklahoma State: 115-98/7th Year
Career Record: 115-98/7th Year
Advertisement
K-State: 5-7 [2-4 on the road]
PROBABLE STARTERS
K-State (13-4, 3-1 Big 12)
G: #2 Tylor Perry
G: #5 Cam Carter
W: #24 Arthur Kaluma
W: #1 David N’Guessan
Advertisement
C: #15 Will McNair Jr.
Oklahoma State (8-9, 0-4 Big 12)
G: #1 Bryce Thompson
G: #5 Quion Williams
G: #12 Javon Small
Advertisement
F: #2 Eric Dailey Jr.
C: #23 Brandon Garrison
SERIES HISTORY
Overall: K-State leads 85-58
Big 12 Era: Oklahoma State leads 23-19 [8-11 on the road]
Advertisement
At Home: K-State leads 42-18
At Bramlage Coliseum: K-State leads 15-12
Active Streak: K-State, 2
Last Meeting: W, 73-68 [2/25/2023 in Stillwater]
Jerome Tang vs. Mike Boynton Jr.: Tang leads 2-0
Advertisement
K-STATE HOSTS OKLAHOMA STATE ON LEGENDS WEEKEND
Kansas State (13-4, 3-1 Big 12) concludes its 2-game homestand on Saturday night, as the Wildcats play host to Oklahoma State (8-9, 0-4 Big 12) at 6 p.m., CT on Legends Weekend at Bramlage Coliseum. The matchup will be the first of 2 regular-season meetings between the schools, as they have met home-and-home every year since the 2012-13 season.
K-State will welcome back its men’s basketball lettermen this weekend, honoring those in attendance at halftime. In addition, the contest will be the second game of a doubleheader with the No. 7/7 women’s team playing host to archrival Kansas at 1 p.m., CT. Tickets are still available for the women’s game starting at $10, while the men’s game is sold out.
K-State leads the all-time series, 85-58, including 42-18 at home. However, Oklahoma State has a slight 23-19 edge in the Big 12 era, including an 8-11 mark at Bramlage Coliseum. The Wildcats have won 3 of the last 4 meetings with a season sweep in 2023.
Advertisement
KEY STORYLINES
K-State rebounded from its first Big 12 loss at Texas Tech with a gritty 68-64 overtime win over No. 9/9 Baylor on Tuesday night. The Wildcats are now 10-0 under head coach Jerome Tang in overtime games, including 5-0 this season. The team has wins in 10 of their last 12 outings, including a 5-game winning streak from Nov. 22 to Dec. 9. Among their 13 wins are 5 Quad 1/2 victories (Villanova, Providence , LSU, UCF and Baylor), while the 4 losses have all come to Quad 1 or 2 teams (USC, Miami, Nebraska and Texas Tech).
K-State has been impressive in home games under Jerome Tang, posting a 26-2 record (24-2 record at Bramlage Coliseum) in his tenure with a 10-1 mark against Big 12 opponents. The Wildcats have posted a 10-1 record this season at home, including 2-0 in Big 12 play.
K-State’s success of late can be attributed to its play on the defensive end, where the team has allowed just 60 points on 36.8 percent (178-of-484) shooting, including 27.3 percent (50-of-183) from 3-point range in the last 8 games. The Wildcats have allowed 60 points or less 5 times in that span, including holding Baylor to 22 points under their season scoring average (86.1 ppg.) on a season-low 32.9 percent shooting, including 17.9 percent from long range.
The Wildcats have a strong scoring trio of junior Cam Carter (16.6 ppg.), senior Tylor Perry (15.3 ppg.) and junior Arthur Kaluma (14.7 ppg.), who are responsible for 62 percent of the team’s scoring (46.6 out of 74.8 ppg.). K-State is the only Big 12 member to have 3 players rank in the league’s top-15 in scoring, as Carter ranks fifth, Perry eighth and Kaluma 12th. The trio has been even more impressive in the 13 wins, averaging 48 points per game.
Rebounding has been a strength so far for the Wildcats, as they rank in the top-40 nationally in 2 categories, including 25th in offensive rebounds (13.47) and 38th in rebounding/game (40.06). They have outrebounded 12 of their 17 opponents. Senior David N’Guessan (8.1 rpg.) and junior Arthur Kaluma (8.0 rpg.) rank among the Big 12’s top-5 in rebounding.
A K-STATE WIN WOULD…
Extend its winning streak over Oklahoma State to 3 games.
Be the 1,734th in program history, including 86 vs. OSU.
Be the 25th in the last 27 home games under Jerome Tang.
Be the 11th in the last 12 Big 12 home games under Tang.
Be the 40th by Tang in his K-State career.
NOTES ON OKLAHOMA STATE (8-9, 0-4 Big 12)
Under seventh-year head coach Mike Boynton Jr., Oklahoma State is off to an 8-9 start, including an 0-4 mark in Big 12 play. The Cowboys lost in overtime, 75-70, to Baylor to open league play before setbacks at Texas Tech (90-73) and Iowa State (66-42) and a home loss to No. 3/4 Kansas (90-66) on Tuesday night.
Oklahoma State is averaging 72.4 points on 45.3 percent shooting, including 35.7 percent from 3-point range, with 36.1 rebounds, 14.8 assists, 6.1 steals and 3.1 blocks per game, while allowing 69.4 points on 43.7 percent shooting, including 32.3 percent from 3-point range. The Cowboys are connecting on 66.3 percent from the free throw line.
Two Cowboys are averaging in double figures led by junior Javon Small, who is averaging 14 points on 40.9 percent shooting, including 38.6 percent from 3-point range, to go with a team-best 4.5 assists per game. Senior Bryce Thompson is averaging 13.1 points on 42.1 percent shooting, including 37.3 percent from 3-point range. Sophomore Quion Williams is averaging a team-best 6.2 rebounds to go with 7.0 points per game. Freshman Brandon Garrison has a team-high 1.7 blocks to go with 6.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.
Oklahoma State was picked 10th in the Big 12 preseason coaches’ poll. The Cowboys posted a 20-16 record, including an 8-10 mark in Big 12 play, and advanced to the quarterfinals of the NIT in 2022-23. They had to replace 8 lettermen, including 43 starters.
Oklahoma State is led by Boynton, Jr., who has a 115-98 record. He is 5-7 all-time vs. K-State.
SERIES HISTORY
K-State holds an 85-58 lead in the all-time series which dates all the way back to 1922 and includes a 42-18 mark at home. Oklahoma State has a 23-19 advantage in the Big 12 era, including 23-16 in the regular season.
The Wildcats have won 3 of the last 4 meetings with the Cowboys, including home matchups in 2022 and 2023. OSU had won 4 straight in 2020 and 2021 before the current streak.
LAST 10 MEETINGS [5-5]
Date
Rank
Result
Score
Location
2/2/2019
–/–
W
75-57
Stillwater
2/23/2019
23/–
W
85-46
Manhattan
2/11/2020
–/–
L
59-64
Manhattan
3/4/2020
–/–
L
63-69
Stillwater
1/9/2021
–/rv
L
54-70
Manhattan
2/13/2021
–/23
L
60-67
Stillwater
2/2/2022
–/–
W
71-68
Manhattan
2/19/2022
–/–
L
79-82 (OT)
Stillwater
1/10/2023
11/–
W
65-57
Manhattan
2/25/2023
14/–
W
73-68
Stillwater
LAST MEETING
14/16 K-STATE 73, OKLAHOMA STATE 68 [Feb. 25, 2023]
Consecutive 3-point field goals by senior Keyontae Johnson and junior Ish Massoud late in the second half gave No. 14/16 K-State the lift it needed in a tight contest, as the Wildcats swept the season series from Oklahoma State with a 73-68 win in the last meeting between the schools on Feb. 25, 2023, at Gallagher-Iba Arena.
Senior Markquis Nowell led three Wildcats in double figures with a game-high 22 points, while Johnson and senior Desi Sills added 17 and 10 points, respectively.
LAST TIME OUT:
K-STATE 68, 9/9 BAYLOR 64 [OT]
K-State’s magic in overtime games under coach Jerome Tang continued on Tuesday, as the Wildcats ended the game on a 9-0 run, highlighted by junior Arthur Kaluma’s 4-point play with 20 seconds left, to collect a 68-64 overtime win over No. 9/9 Baylor before 10,055 fans at Bramlage Coliseum.
K-State (13-4, 3-1 Big 12) are now 10-0 in overtime games under Tang, including 5-0 this season. The 5 overtime wins tie the school record for the second consecutive season and third time overall. The 10 total overtime wins are the third-most by a head coach in school history.
Down 64-59 with 1:12 remaining in the extra period, the Wildcats started their game-ending 9-0 run with a 3-pointer from freshman R.J. Jones with just over a minute to play. Following a stop on defense, senior David N’Guessan got a big offensive rebound off a missed 3-pointer from redshirt freshman Dorian Finister, delivering it to Jones who got it to Kaluma at the top of the key where he nailed the 3-pointer before being fouled with 20 seconds.
After Kaluma’s free throw gave K-State a 66-64 lead, Baylor (14-3, 3-1 Big 12) had another opportunity to respond but redshirt freshman Langston Love’s 3-pointer from the corner was off the mark and senior Tylor Perry snagged the rebound before being fouled with 6 seconds left. Perry nailed both free throws to finish off the win and complete the night 11-of-12 from the line.
The Wildcats needed special heroics to even get to overtime, as they trailed the Bears, 52-46, with 1:53 to play. After a timeout by Tang, Kaluma started a run of 7 consecutive points that pulled the Wildcats ahead 53-52 after 2 free throws by Perry with 34 seconds. A layup by junior Jayden Nunn gave Baylor the lead with 16 seconds to play but Perry was fouled bringing the ball up the floor just 2 seconds later. He made 1-of-2 from the line to tie the game at 54-all before Nunn’s 3-pointer missed at the buzzer.
K-State led for just 4 minutes and 9 seconds compared to more than 36 minutes by Baylor.
The overtime win was highlighted by another stellar defensive effort by K-State, which held one of the nation’s top scoring teams (86.1 ppg.) to nearly 22 points under its scoring average and its second-fewest points of the season. Baylor scored its 64 points on a season-low 32.9 percent (25-of-76) shooting, including 17.9 percent (5-of-28) from 3-point range.
K-State finished the night shooting 40.7 percent (22-of-54) from the field, including 30.4 percent (7-of-23) from 3-point range, while hitting on 77.3 percent (17-of-22) from the free throw line.
Three Wildcats scored in double figures led by a game-high 18 points from junior Cam Carter and Perry, while Kaluma added his team-leading fourth double-double with 12 points and team-high 10 rebounds. Sophomore Jerrell Colbert and redshirt freshman Dorian Finister came up big off the bench with 6 and 5 points, respectively. Finister added 5 rebounds and 3 assists.
POSTGAME NEWS & NOTES
K-State earned its 53rd Top 10 victory in school history, including its fourth under Tang… The Wildcats now have 21 Top 10 wins at Bramlage Coliseum.
Tang has 8 career Top 25 wins, including 6 at home, and 4 career Top 10 wins.
K-State now has 47 Top 25 wins in Bramlage Coliseum history, including 44 vs. ranked Big 12 opponents… The team has a Top 25 win in 18 straight seasons.
Tang is now 3-0 all-time vs. his former boss Scott Drew after his Wildcats swept both games in 2022-23… This will be the only regular-season meeting, snapping a 12-year streak of playing home-and-home every year since 2011-12.
OVERTIME SUCCESS
K-State moved to 10-0 in overtime games, including 5-0 this season, under head coach Jerome Tang after Tuesday’s dramatic come-from-behind 68-64 victory over No. 9/9 Baylor. The Wildcats scored the last 9 points in the overtime period, including the game-clinching 4-point play from junior Arthur Kaluma with 20 seconds left, to earn the victory. This came after the squad rallied from a 6-point deficit with 1:53 to play to force the extra period.
K-State has outscored its opponents, 65-46, in the overtime period, as the Wildcats have connected on 62.1 percent (18-of-29) from the field, including 50 percent (5-of-10) from 3-point range, and 82.8 percent (24-of-29) from the line.
K-State’s 5 overtime wins this season tie the school record for the second consecutive season and the third time overall (1992-93 and 2022-23). The 5 overtimes also tie for the most in a single season. The 3 consecutive overtime games (Oral Roberts, North Alabama and Villanova) earlier this year marked the first such occurrence since winning 3 straight overtime games in Feb. 3-15, 1964.
Tang is the first head coach in school history to win his first 10 overtime games, surpassing Dana Altman (1990-94), who was a perfect 7-0 in overtime games in his tenure. The 10 total overtime wins are the third-most by a head coach, trailing Tex Winter (15) and Jack Hartman (14).
OFFENSE CREATING MORE 3-POINTERS
K-State is on pace to break the single-season mark for 3-point attempts for the second time in 3 seasons, as the Wildcats have already attempted 412 shots from beyond the arc. The team set the record with 754 in 2021-22 while the 752 in 2022-23 were a close second on the list. So far, the Wildcats are averaging 24.2 attempts per game, which ranks third in the Big 12.
K-State has connected on 129 3-pointers, which are the second-most through the first 17 games. Four times the Wildcats have recorded double-digit 3-point makes, including a season-high 14 triples in the win over South Dakota State (11/13/23). Those 14 makes tied for the fifth-most in school history and were the most since hitting 16 at Oklahoma State on Feb. 2, 2019.
Senior Tylor Perry is among the top 3-point shooters, as he ranks among the top-65 nationally in three 3-point categories, including 11th in attempts (148), 55th in 3-point field goals/game (2.76) and 62nd in total 3-pointers (47).
MORE THAN JUST THE 3
K-State has shown its offense is more than just the 3-pointer, as the team is averaging 33.4 points in the paint this season, including 34.9 in the last 13 games. The Wildcats scored 50 or more points in the paint in back-to-back games vs. No. 12/11 Miami and Central Arkansas.
K-State scored 56 points in the paint against the Hurricanes, which tied for the most in a single game in school history (stat kept since 2000-01), and the most since scoring 56 against South Dakota on Jan. 3, 2010.
BETTER DEFENSIVE EFFORT
After allowing 75 points or more 4 times in the first 9 games, K-State has made strides on the defensive end in the last 8 games, allowing just 60 points on 36.8 percent (178-of-484) shooting. The Wildcats have held 5 opponents to 60 points or less in that span, including 55 to Chicago State and 52 to UCF.
Through 4 Big 12 games, K-State ranks among the top-3 in 5 defensive categories, including first in field goal percentage defense (35.2) and 3-point field goal percentage defense (23.7), second in scoring defense (60.8) and defensive rebounds (26.75) and third in blocked shots (5.3 bpg.).
The 52 points allowed to UCF were the fewest allowed in a Big 12 game under head coach Jerome Tang and the fewest in a Big 12 opener since surrendering 44 to No. 25 Texas Tech on Jan. 11, 2003. K-State held Baylor to
POINT OF EMPHASIS
Ever since the loss to Florida Atlantic in the Elite Eight, in which, K-State was out-rebounded 44-22, rebounding has been a point of emphasis by head coach Jerome Tang. So far that message has been received, as the Wildcats rank fourth in the Big 12 and 38th nationally in rebounds/game (40.06), including fourth in the league and 25th nationally in offensive rebounds/game (13.47).
K-State has out-rebounded its opponents 12 times in 17 games, while posting a +5.5 rebounding margin, which ranks 57th nationally.
K-State has grabbed 40 or more rebounds in 7 games, including a season-best 63 in the win over Central Arkansas (11/22/23). The 63 rebounds were the most in a game in more than 25 seasons since corraling 64 vs. Kansas City on Dec. 3, 1997. Among those 63 boards were 26 on the offensive end, which were the most since grabbing 29 vs. North Florida on Nov. 18, 2012, while the 37 defensive rebounds were one shy of the top-10.
CONVERTING FROM THE LINE
K-State has taken advantage of its opportunities from the free throw line, averaging 15.9 makes per game while converting on 73.8 percent from the line. The Wildcats rank among top-80 nationally in both makes (15.9) and attempts (21.5) per game, as the squad places third in the Big 12 and 62nd nationally in makes and fifth in the Big 12 and 79th nationally in attempts.
K-State has converted on 20 or more free throw attempts in 3 games (all wins), including a 23-of-27 effort vs. Providence (11/17/23), a historic 34-of-48 performance vs. North Alabama (12/2/23) and a 23-of-29 effort vs. Wichita State (12/21/23). The 34 makes vs. UNA were the most in a game since hitting 36 vs. South Dakota on Nov. 20, 2015, while the 48 attempts were the most since also attempting 48 vs. Southern Utah on Nov. 14, 2014.
SUCCESS IN NON-CONFERENCE PLAY
K-State has posted a 181-56 (.764) record in non-conference play since the 2006-07 season. During that span, the Wildcats have a 137-15 (.901) mark at home venues (includes games played at Bramlage Coliseum, INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita and the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City) in non-conference play, including a 126-13 (.907) mark at Bramlage Coliseum.
At 10-3, K-State earned double-digit wins in non-conference play for the second straight season and the 14th time in the last 19 seasons (since 2006-07). The 10 wins marked the second-most in that span in the last 6 seasons.
Year
Overall
Home
Bramlage
2006-07
11-4
7-0
7-0
2007-08
10-4
8-1
7-1
2008-09
12-3
11-0
10-0
2009-10
13-1
9-0
8-0
2010-11
12-3
9-1
8-1
2011-12
11-1
7-0
6-0
2012-13
11-2
9-0
8-0
2013-14
10-3
7-1
7-1
2014-15
7-6
6-2
5-2
2015-16
11-2
8-0
8-0
2016-17
11-2
8-0
8-0
2017-18
11-2
8-1
8-0
2018-19
10-3
7-0
6-0
2019-20
7-6
6-2
6-1
2020-21
4-5
4-5
4-5
2021-22
8-5
6-1
6-1
2022-23
12-1
8-0
7-0
2023-24
10-3
8-1
7-1
Total
180-56
137-15
126-13
1700 WINS AND COUNTING
K-State’s overtime 96-87 win over Nevada on Nov. 22, 2022, in the semifinals of the Cayman Islands Classic represented the 1,700th win in school history. The Wildcats are the 43rd Division I team to eclipse 1,700 wins, including the sixth Big 12 school.
The Wildcats have 1,734-1,227 (.585) all-time record as a program, which includes 32 NCAA Tournament appearances and 21 conference championships.
LATE GAME PERRY
Senior Tylor Perry has become the very definition of a clutch player, as his heroics against North Alabama (12/2/23) and Villanova (12/5/23) lifted the Wildcats to victory in overtime. Perry’s step back 3-pointer with 3.9 seconds in the overtime win over Villanova came on the heels of a similar step back triple that forced overtime vs. North Alabama with 8 seconds left in regulation.
Dating back to his days at North Texas, Perry has now made seven shots to either win a game or send a game into overtime in his Division I career.
Perry’s late game heroics go beyond the last 3 seasons. As a senior in high school, he sank a buzzer beater to send his Spiro High School team to the semifinals of the state tournament.
PERRY MORE THAN JUST A SCORER
Senior Tylor Perry has proven to be more than just a scorer this season, as he leads the Wildcats in assists (5.2 apg.) while he is second in scoring (15.3 ppg.) and steals (1.5 spg.) and fifth in rebounds (3.2 rpg.). Perry is the only Big 12 player averaging 15 points and 5 assists per game.
Perry has scored in double figures in 14 of the first 17 games, including in 9 of the last 11 games. Among those 14 double-digit scoring games is a team-best 5 20-point games, which includes 22 points vs. USC (11/6/23) and South Dakota State (11/13/23), 24 points vs. Providence (11/17/23), 20 points vs. Oral Ro
NORMAN, Okla. — Freshman star Darius Acuff Jr. had 21 points and nine assists, and No. 15 Arkansas held off Oklahoma 83-79 on Tuesday night.
Meleek Thomas added 16 points for the Razorbacks (16-5, 6-2 Southeastern Conference), who have won four of their past five games.
Related
Arkansas shot 55.6% from the field despite making just 2 of 17 3-pointers.
Advertisement
Sports Roundup
Get the latest D-FW sports news, analysis and opinion delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, Kevin Sherrington’s A La Carte.
By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Nijel Pack scored 22 points for Oklahoma (11-10, 1-7 SEC), which lost its seventh straight. The Sooners were coming off a heartbreaking loss at Missouri on Saturday that included buzzer-beaters by the Tigers to tie late in regulation and win in overtime.
This game had a better atmosphere than most games at the Lloyd Noble Center. There was free admission because of the cold weather. A fair number of vocal Arkansas fans made the relatively short drive — the Arkansas campus is a 3 1/2-hour drive from Oklahoma’s.
Advertisement
Pack scored 16 points in the first half to help Oklahoma take a 48-44 lead. The Sooners made 7 of 16 3-pointers before the break. Arkansas trailed despite shooting 61.3% from the field.
An alley-oop dunk by Trevon Brazile on a long pass from Acuff put the Razorbacks up 61-58, but the Sooners immediately responded with a 3-pointer by Jadon Jones to tie the score with just under 11 minutes remaining.
Arkansas led 71-70 with 4:31 remaining when Oklahoma’s Derrion Reid went up for a shot and was fouled hard by Karter Knox. The foul was upgraded to a Flagrant 1, and Reid made two free throws to give the Sooners the lead.
The game remained tight the rest of the way. Acuff made a driving layup and was fouled with 21 seconds left, and he made the free throw to put the Razorbacks up 81-79.
After Brazile blocked Oklahoma guard Xzayvier Brown’s layup, Thomas made two free throws to finish the scoring.
Advertisement
Up next
Arkansas: Hosts Kentucky on Saturday.
Oklahoma: Hosts Texas on Saturday.
Where do SMU, Texas Tech, other Texas teams stand in latest NCAA Tournament projections?
This year’s NCAA Tournament field could have a lot of representation from the Lone Star State.
2026 transfer portal rankings: How high do classes of Texas, Texas Tech, A&M, others rank?
See where each transfer portal class ranks for local schools as transfer season rolls on.
Find more Oklahoma coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
Clendon Thomas, one of the foundational pieces of Bud Wilkinson’s 1950s dynasty at Oklahoma and one of the most versatile players in the history of the program, died Monday night.
Thomas, 90, grew up in Oklahoma City and was a standout at Southeast High School, where he stood out with tremendous speed to go with unusual size.
“I got do do what I dreamed about doing,” Thomas told the National Football Foundation in 2011.
Advertisement
Wilkinson mined elite talent from all over the Sooner State while also establishing recruiting roots throughout north Texas, and he certainly didn’t hesitate to scoop up Thomas, who won two national championships, made the College Football Hall of Fame and plied his skills into an 11-year career in the NFL.
Advertisement
Thomas played three seasons at OU under Wilkinson (1955-57) and received All-Big Seven Conference honors as a halfback in 1956 and 1957. In 1957, he earned consensus first-team All-America honors.
Oklahoma halfback Clendon Thomas | OU Athletics
Advertisement
In 2011, Thomas was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. He was the 19th overall pick in the second round of the 1958 NFL Draft.
Advertisement
Beyond all that, Thomas starred on offense, defense and special teams for the second half of Wilkinson’s NCAA record 47-game winning streak and was part of the group that broke the color barrier in Norman.
In Gary King’s 1988 book, “An Autumn Remembered; Bud Wilkinson’s Legendary ’56 Sooners,” King references the now infamous Sports Illustrated issue explaining “Why Oklahoma Is Unbeatable,” which quoted Thomas as proud of being part of the streak — and not wanting to be a part of the team that breaks it.
“You can’t pinpoint it (OU’s winning spirit),” Thomas said. “The guys way back started it. Then it rubs off on you. We go out and we win and we play to win. None of us wants to be on the team that ends this streak. I guess no matter what else you ever did, people would remember were on the team that lost the game that ended the streak.”
The following Saturday, Notre Dame ended the streak with a 7-0 victory in Norman.
Advertisement
Thomas was also teammates with fellow Oklahoma City native Prentice Gautt, who in 1957 became the first black scholarship football player at the University of Oklahoma. In a time when tensions might have run hot, Thomas was one of those who always kept a cool head.
Advertisement
Thomas told King, “If there were problems, there were very few. I was not aware of any. Basically, we had a whole team that accepted him. He was a good guy. They couldn’t have picked a better person to be the first black player because of his personality, his ability as a student and his ability as a player.”
Even now, 70 years after his college football career began, the 6-foot-2, 195-pound Thomas — unusually big for a halfback in the 1950s — still sits at No. 23 in OU history with 2,199 rushing yards despite playing in Wilkinson’s Split T offense that was famous for spreading the football to numerous players all over the field. In his career, Thomas averaged 6.81 yards per rush, which still ranks fourth all-time at the school among OU’s top 30 rushers.
Thomas also ranks No. 25 in program history with 37 total touchdowns, and his 1956 total of 18 TDs still ranks tied for 11th in OU annals.
Advertisement
Oklahoma halfback Clendon Thomas | OU Athletics
His 3,303 all-purpose yards (2,199 rushing, 304 receiving, 405 on punt returns, 324 on punt returns and 71 on interceptions) still ranks No. 23 in the Oklahoma history books.
As a junior in 1956, Thomas led the nation in scoring with 108 total points (18 touchdowns). Thomas led the team with 1,225 all-purpose yards, which included 878 rushing, a team-high 241 receiving yards, 178 on kickoff returns and 115 on punt returns.
As a senior, he again led Wilkinson’s squad in total offense (968 yards) and scored 10 touchdowns. He also punted 41 times and led the Sooners with a 37-yard average.
Advertisement
Thomas led the Sooners in kickoff returns in both ’56 and ’57, averaging 24.8 yards per runback.
Advertisement
He achieved two other marks that still are among the best ever at OU: Thomas’ average of 17.7 yards on punt returns (212 yards) set during his sophomore year in 1955, is tied for third as the all-time single-season mark, and his career average of 20.3 yards per punt return ranks No. 2 among the Crimson and Cream.
Thomas played in the same backfield as Gautt (a two-time All-Big Seven back and eight-year pro), Jimmy Harris (the Sooners’ winningest quarterback with a 25-0 record as the starter) and TommyMcDonald (one of just two Sooners in both the pro and college halls of fame) — and he still stood out as one of Wilkinson’s most prolific and most accomplished players.
Among Thomas’ other exploits in Norman, he rushed 13 times for 123 yards in the Sooners’ 1956 victory over Texas and finished with six career 100-yard rushing games, including a career-high 162 in the 1957 victory over Oklahoma State and 101 (on just eight carries) in a win over Nebraska.
Still, Thomas’ teams at OU combined to win 31 games and lose just once.
Advertisement
Thomas played defensive back for 11 seasons in the NFL for the Rams (1958-61) and Steelers (1962-68) and finished his pro career with 27 interceptions for 244 return yards to go with 10 fumble recoveries and one touchdown.
Advertisement
A year after picking off seven passes in 1962, Thomas was recognized in 1963 for the Pro Bowl and earned second-team All-Pro honors as he brought down eight interceptions (for 122 yards).
Thomas also landed second-team All-Pro accolades in 1962, ’63, and ’66.
He remained versatile enough in the NFL to contribute on offense as well: he caught 60 passes for 1,046 yards and four touchdowns during his career, including a career-high 431 for the Steelers in 1965, and also added 63 yards receiving, 73 yards on punt returns and 552 yards on kickoff returns. He also served one game as the Rams’ punter in 1958, averaging 33.0 yards per punt.
Following his playing career, Thomas enjoyed several business ventures in Oklahoma City.
