October 16, 2000
Oklahoma senior quarterback Josh Heupel of Aberdeen, S.D., Texas A&M sophomore linebacker Brian Gamble of Alto, Texas, and OU senior defensive back J.T. Thatcher of Norman, Okla., have been named SBC Big 12 Conference Football Players of the Week (Offense, Defense, Special Teams) by a select panel of media covering Big 12 football for games played on Oct. 14, 2000.
Heupel completed 29-of-37 (78.4 percent) of his passes for 374 yards and two touchdowns against the nation's then-top-ranked defense of Kansas State in a 41-31 win. His 74-yard touchdown pass to Antwone Savage was the longest of his career. With no interceptions, he has gone three games (longest stretch of his career) without a pickoff. He now has completed 83 straight passes and attempted 118 straight passes without an interception and is approaching Big 12 career passing marks with 454 completions (second all-time), 710 attempts (fifth) and 5,354 yards (second) in 19 games at OU.
Gamble was credited with 14 total tacklers (six unassisted) with two pass interceptions (28 return yards) along with two deflections and joined Kansas' Carl Ivey with the most interceptions by a Big 12 defender last week. Gamble also had two QB hurries as the Aggies recorded their first shutout victory of the '00 season and first blanking of a team on the road since SMU at Dallas in 1976.
Thatcher continued his mastery in returns-this time in the kickoff return column. He had 164 yards in total runbacks with a career-high 150 yards in kickoff returns. He also averaged 37 yards a kickoff return, and his 93-yard kickoff return in the first quarter was one of the longest in OU history. It led to OU's go-ahead touchdown at 10-7. He also returned two punts for 14 yards and had three unassisted tackles in the defensive backfield.