Oklahoma State University Athletics
Checking in on the Cowboy Offense
November 06, 2019 | Cowboy Football
STILLWATER – There is no question that Oklahoma State has a rich tradition of explosive offense. In recent years, Mike Gundy has cycled through a number of assistant coaches and players, but for the most part, the results have not varied – the Cowboys can move the ball and score points with the best.
Despite having a first-year offensive coordinator, a new offensive line coach and a third different starting quarterback in the last three years, the Cowboys rank in the top 10 nationally in total offense and rushing offense and are in the top 20 nationally in scoring offense.
Pretty good output for a team that starts a freshman quarterback.
Let's pause there for a moment. Of the 13 Power Five conference teams led by a freshman quarterback, only Ohio State, Auburn and Indiana have a better record than Oklahoma State.
It goes without saying that Spencer Sanders benefits from the presence of Chuba Hubbard in the Cowboy backfield, but it should be noted that Sanders plays a large role in OSU's offense – larger than what would typically be expected from a freshman. Here's the proof:
Additionally, according to ESPN's QBR metric, which rates quarterbacks on a zero-to-100 scale, each of Sanders' last two games have produced a QBR above 70. Sanders had some turnover trouble earlier in the year, but the last two games provide evidence to show that he's improving in that area.
As for Hubbard, his productivity this season has placed him firmly in the Heisman Trophy conversation. He leads the FBS in rushing yards, rushing yards per game, rushing touchdowns, all-purpose yards per game and 200-yard rushing games, among other categories. He's gone over the 100-yard mark in each of the last seven games, which is the longest active streak in the nation and is on pace to finish with the fifth-highest rushing total in FBS history.
There are plenty of statistics to illustrate how far head of the field Hubbard is, but this is one of our favorites - Hubbard has 1,604 rushing yards this year, which is 318 yards more than second-place AJ Dillon of Boston College. The difference between Hubbard and Dillon is about equal to the difference between Dillon and 13th-place Brenden Knox of Marshall.
Hubbard isn't the only member of the Cowboy offense performing at an All-America level. Up until the time he was lost for the season to injury, receiver Tylan Wallace was leading all Power Five conference players with 903 receiving yards.
With Wallace now out, Dillon Stoner, Landon Wolf, Braydon Johnson and Jordan McCray are the most likely candidates to fill the void. It may be more of a collective group effort than one individual being asked to duplicate Wallace's output.
Speaking of a collective group, the Cowboy offensive line is performing well. Through nine games, OSU has rushed for 2,409 yards, a total that ranks as the second-best total for the Cowboys through nine games since 2000. First-year coach Charlie Dickey has dealt with injuries and inexperience up front, but OSU's big men are paving the way for the latest installment of an outstanding offensive unit at Oklahoma State.
The Cowboys return home to face Les Miles and Kansas at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 16. Fans can purchase tickets at okstate.com/tickets or by calling 877-ALL-4-OSU.
Despite having a first-year offensive coordinator, a new offensive line coach and a third different starting quarterback in the last three years, the Cowboys rank in the top 10 nationally in total offense and rushing offense and are in the top 20 nationally in scoring offense.
Pretty good output for a team that starts a freshman quarterback.
Let's pause there for a moment. Of the 13 Power Five conference teams led by a freshman quarterback, only Ohio State, Auburn and Indiana have a better record than Oklahoma State.
It goes without saying that Spencer Sanders benefits from the presence of Chuba Hubbard in the Cowboy backfield, but it should be noted that Sanders plays a large role in OSU's offense – larger than what would typically be expected from a freshman. Here's the proof:
- Sanders ranks second among all freshman quarterbacks by averaging 276.1 yards of total offense per game. That total trails only UCF's Dillon Gabriel and is the most among freshman quarterbacks from Power Five schools.
- Sanders ranks fourth among all freshman quarterbacks nationally with 1,897 passing yards. That mark represents the single-season Oklahoma State freshman record and there are still three regular season games left on the schedule.
- Sanders ranks fifth among all FBS quarterbacks with 588 rushing yards. That mark ranks second nationally among freshman quarterbacks.
Additionally, according to ESPN's QBR metric, which rates quarterbacks on a zero-to-100 scale, each of Sanders' last two games have produced a QBR above 70. Sanders had some turnover trouble earlier in the year, but the last two games provide evidence to show that he's improving in that area.
As for Hubbard, his productivity this season has placed him firmly in the Heisman Trophy conversation. He leads the FBS in rushing yards, rushing yards per game, rushing touchdowns, all-purpose yards per game and 200-yard rushing games, among other categories. He's gone over the 100-yard mark in each of the last seven games, which is the longest active streak in the nation and is on pace to finish with the fifth-highest rushing total in FBS history.
There are plenty of statistics to illustrate how far head of the field Hubbard is, but this is one of our favorites - Hubbard has 1,604 rushing yards this year, which is 318 yards more than second-place AJ Dillon of Boston College. The difference between Hubbard and Dillon is about equal to the difference between Dillon and 13th-place Brenden Knox of Marshall.
Hubbard isn't the only member of the Cowboy offense performing at an All-America level. Up until the time he was lost for the season to injury, receiver Tylan Wallace was leading all Power Five conference players with 903 receiving yards.
With Wallace now out, Dillon Stoner, Landon Wolf, Braydon Johnson and Jordan McCray are the most likely candidates to fill the void. It may be more of a collective group effort than one individual being asked to duplicate Wallace's output.
Speaking of a collective group, the Cowboy offensive line is performing well. Through nine games, OSU has rushed for 2,409 yards, a total that ranks as the second-best total for the Cowboys through nine games since 2000. First-year coach Charlie Dickey has dealt with injuries and inexperience up front, but OSU's big men are paving the way for the latest installment of an outstanding offensive unit at Oklahoma State.
The Cowboys return home to face Les Miles and Kansas at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 16. Fans can purchase tickets at okstate.com/tickets or by calling 877-ALL-4-OSU.
Players Mentioned
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