Oklahoma State University Athletics
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Tracking the Trends: OSU-West Virginia
October 27, 2017 | Cowboy Football
STILLWATER – As the Oklahoma State football team prepares for its matchup with West Virginia tomorrow in Morgantown, we take a look at some streaks on the line and other trends to look out for this weekend.
Week Nine Talking Points – Offense
• Oklahoma State ranks No. 1 nationally in total offense with 584.6 yards per game. The Cowboys average nearly eight yards per offensive snap, and have had at least 428 offensive yards in every game this season - going over 500 yards in five of seven games. OSU averages 25.7 points before halftime.
• One of the major contributing factors is balance. The Cowboys have attempted 273 rushes and 248 passes on the season, scoring 17 rushing touchdowns and 19 passing touchdowns. 12 different Cowboys have scored a touchdown this season and five different Cowboys have scored at least four TDs this year.
• Oklahoma State has rushed for more than 200 yards in two of its last three games and in three of its seven games this season. The Cowboys average 191.9 rushing yards per game through seven games. The last time they averaged that many rushing yards per game was 2012, at 215.3.
• Already OSU's all-time leading passer, Mason Rudolph continues to rewrite the record book at Oklahoma State. He owns no fewer than 30 school records, and he adds more to his résumé each week. With 459 passing yards against Baylor, Rudolph tied Brandon Weeden's school record with his seventh career 400-yard passing game. Rudolph has also hit the 300-yard passing mark seven times in his last eight games. The next records he's likely to claim are the OSU career marks for passing touchdowns (he needs one), completions (he needs nine) and touchdowns responsible for (he needs one).
• Cowboy receivers James Washington and Marcell Ateman have each recorded 100-yard receiving performances in four games of their last five games.
• James Washington has lived up to the hype as the preseason Biletnikoff Award favorite and preseason A.P. All-American. He's gone over 100 yards receiving in every game but two and he leads the nation with 130.6 receiving yards per game. Washington averages a staggering 24.05 yards per reception. He finished the Baylor game with 235 yards to match Rashaun Woods' school record of three career 200-yard games.
• Another reason for OSU's offensive success is its ability to convert on third down. The Cowboys rank ninth nationally with a 50 percent conversion rate on third downs and are sixth nationally with 194 offensive first downs on the season, highlighting some of the many frustrations of defending the OSU offense.
Week Nine Talking Points – Defense
• The Cowboy defense is coming off of its best performance of the year last week at Texas. The Cowboys held Texas to 42 yards rushing with a 1.3 yards per carry average, and to just 3-of-17 on third down conversions. The Longhorns' 10 points were their lowest total of the season and eight of their 14 drives ended with a three-and-out. On top of that, Ramon Richards sealed the win with an interception in the end zone on the game's final play to extend OSU's streak of consecutive games forcing a turnover to 21.
• That performance was the just the latest in a stretch of impressive outings. In the Cowboys' game before Texas, they held Baylor to just 16 points - its lowest scoring output in a Big 12 game since 2009. In the game prior to that, the Cowboys held Texas Tech's then-FBS No. 3 offense to 11 points below its scoring average, and that's including seven points the OSU offense surrendered on a pick-six for the Red Raiders.
• The Cowboys have allowed only four passing touchdowns in seven games this season. Only Washington and Penn State have allowed fewer. Oklahoma State's defense has broken up 16 passes in the last three games – seven vs. Texas Tech, five vs. Baylor and four vs. Texas.
• Safety Tre Flowers is the leader of the Cowboy secondary. His eight passes defended this year rank second in the Big 12. Against Texas Tech, he finished with a career-best three pass break ups, including PBUs on Texas Tech's final two pass attempts of the game to seal the OSU win.
• The Cowboys got their first blocked kick of the season when Devin Harper blocked a Texas Tech punt. It was the first of the year for OSU and continued a mark of success, as OSU has now blocked 20 kicks since start of the 2013 season.
• The Oklahoma State defense has not allowed a first-quarter point in four of seven games this season, and has allowed just 20 first-quarter points all year.
• The Cowboys have forced a turnover in 21 consecutive games, including 12 this season. Forcing turnovers has long been an emphasis for OSU defensive coordinator Glenn Spencer.
Notable Streaks and Trends Entering the West Virginia Game
• Oklahoma State has won 14 of its last 16 games overall.
• OSU is 13-1 in its last 14 games decided by less than 10 points.
• QB Mason Rudolph has thrown 41 touchdown passes against just six interceptions in his last 16 games.
• James Washington and Marcell Ateman each have 100 receiving yards in four of their last five games.
• James Washington has at least one catch in 39 straight games - the second-longest active streak in FBS.
• Receiver Jalen McCleskey has at least one catch in each of his last 29 games.
• Running back Justice Hill has rushed for at least 100 yards in four straight games and in eight of his last 11 games. The last time a Cowboy rushed for at least 100 yards in four straight games was Joseph Randle in the first four games of the 2012 season. An OSU back hasn't rushed for at least 100 yards in five consecutive games since Kendall Hunter accomplished the feat in 2010.
• OSU is outscoring opponents, 87-20, in first quarters this year. The Cowboy defense has pitched a first-quarter shutout in four of its seven games this season.
• OSU has won three straight overtime games.
• OSU has outrushed its opponent in seven of its last eight games and in nine of its last 11 games.
• Oklahoma State has won 28 of its last 35 games overall, dating back to the end of the 2014 season.
• OSU has forced at least one turnover in 21 straight games and in 30 of the last 31 games, dating to 2015.
• OSU has scored a defensive touchdown in three of its last seven games.
• Dating back to 2005, the Cowboys have won 30 of their last 32 games when not committing a turnover.
• Dating back to 2008, the Cowboys have won 53 of their last 58 games when winning the turnover battle.
• Oklahoma State has held its last 15 opponents to a total of minus-23 punt return yards.
Week Nine Talking Points – Offense
• Oklahoma State ranks No. 1 nationally in total offense with 584.6 yards per game. The Cowboys average nearly eight yards per offensive snap, and have had at least 428 offensive yards in every game this season - going over 500 yards in five of seven games. OSU averages 25.7 points before halftime.
• One of the major contributing factors is balance. The Cowboys have attempted 273 rushes and 248 passes on the season, scoring 17 rushing touchdowns and 19 passing touchdowns. 12 different Cowboys have scored a touchdown this season and five different Cowboys have scored at least four TDs this year.
• Oklahoma State has rushed for more than 200 yards in two of its last three games and in three of its seven games this season. The Cowboys average 191.9 rushing yards per game through seven games. The last time they averaged that many rushing yards per game was 2012, at 215.3.
• Already OSU's all-time leading passer, Mason Rudolph continues to rewrite the record book at Oklahoma State. He owns no fewer than 30 school records, and he adds more to his résumé each week. With 459 passing yards against Baylor, Rudolph tied Brandon Weeden's school record with his seventh career 400-yard passing game. Rudolph has also hit the 300-yard passing mark seven times in his last eight games. The next records he's likely to claim are the OSU career marks for passing touchdowns (he needs one), completions (he needs nine) and touchdowns responsible for (he needs one).
• Cowboy receivers James Washington and Marcell Ateman have each recorded 100-yard receiving performances in four games of their last five games.
• James Washington has lived up to the hype as the preseason Biletnikoff Award favorite and preseason A.P. All-American. He's gone over 100 yards receiving in every game but two and he leads the nation with 130.6 receiving yards per game. Washington averages a staggering 24.05 yards per reception. He finished the Baylor game with 235 yards to match Rashaun Woods' school record of three career 200-yard games.
• Another reason for OSU's offensive success is its ability to convert on third down. The Cowboys rank ninth nationally with a 50 percent conversion rate on third downs and are sixth nationally with 194 offensive first downs on the season, highlighting some of the many frustrations of defending the OSU offense.
Week Nine Talking Points – Defense
• The Cowboy defense is coming off of its best performance of the year last week at Texas. The Cowboys held Texas to 42 yards rushing with a 1.3 yards per carry average, and to just 3-of-17 on third down conversions. The Longhorns' 10 points were their lowest total of the season and eight of their 14 drives ended with a three-and-out. On top of that, Ramon Richards sealed the win with an interception in the end zone on the game's final play to extend OSU's streak of consecutive games forcing a turnover to 21.
• That performance was the just the latest in a stretch of impressive outings. In the Cowboys' game before Texas, they held Baylor to just 16 points - its lowest scoring output in a Big 12 game since 2009. In the game prior to that, the Cowboys held Texas Tech's then-FBS No. 3 offense to 11 points below its scoring average, and that's including seven points the OSU offense surrendered on a pick-six for the Red Raiders.
• The Cowboys have allowed only four passing touchdowns in seven games this season. Only Washington and Penn State have allowed fewer. Oklahoma State's defense has broken up 16 passes in the last three games – seven vs. Texas Tech, five vs. Baylor and four vs. Texas.
• Safety Tre Flowers is the leader of the Cowboy secondary. His eight passes defended this year rank second in the Big 12. Against Texas Tech, he finished with a career-best three pass break ups, including PBUs on Texas Tech's final two pass attempts of the game to seal the OSU win.
• The Cowboys got their first blocked kick of the season when Devin Harper blocked a Texas Tech punt. It was the first of the year for OSU and continued a mark of success, as OSU has now blocked 20 kicks since start of the 2013 season.
• The Oklahoma State defense has not allowed a first-quarter point in four of seven games this season, and has allowed just 20 first-quarter points all year.
• The Cowboys have forced a turnover in 21 consecutive games, including 12 this season. Forcing turnovers has long been an emphasis for OSU defensive coordinator Glenn Spencer.
Notable Streaks and Trends Entering the West Virginia Game
• Oklahoma State has won 14 of its last 16 games overall.
• OSU is 13-1 in its last 14 games decided by less than 10 points.
• QB Mason Rudolph has thrown 41 touchdown passes against just six interceptions in his last 16 games.
• James Washington and Marcell Ateman each have 100 receiving yards in four of their last five games.
• James Washington has at least one catch in 39 straight games - the second-longest active streak in FBS.
• Receiver Jalen McCleskey has at least one catch in each of his last 29 games.
• Running back Justice Hill has rushed for at least 100 yards in four straight games and in eight of his last 11 games. The last time a Cowboy rushed for at least 100 yards in four straight games was Joseph Randle in the first four games of the 2012 season. An OSU back hasn't rushed for at least 100 yards in five consecutive games since Kendall Hunter accomplished the feat in 2010.
• OSU is outscoring opponents, 87-20, in first quarters this year. The Cowboy defense has pitched a first-quarter shutout in four of its seven games this season.
• OSU has won three straight overtime games.
• OSU has outrushed its opponent in seven of its last eight games and in nine of its last 11 games.
• Oklahoma State has won 28 of its last 35 games overall, dating back to the end of the 2014 season.
• OSU has forced at least one turnover in 21 straight games and in 30 of the last 31 games, dating to 2015.
• OSU has scored a defensive touchdown in three of its last seven games.
• Dating back to 2005, the Cowboys have won 30 of their last 32 games when not committing a turnover.
• Dating back to 2008, the Cowboys have won 53 of their last 58 games when winning the turnover battle.
• Oklahoma State has held its last 15 opponents to a total of minus-23 punt return yards.
Players Mentioned
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