Oklahoma State University Athletics
Tracking the Trends: OSU vs. South Alabama
September 07, 2018 | Cowboy Football
STILLWATER – The Oklahoma State football team plays its second game of the 2018 season Saturday, hosting South Alabama at 7 p.m. in Boone Pickens Stadium. A look at some of the streaks and trends heading into the game:
Talking Points vs. South Alabama – Offense
• Justice Hill picked up right where he left off and turned in another 100-yard rushing game to open the season last week. The Tulsa native finished with a game-high 122 yards on the ground despite playing very little outside of the first quarter. It was his second straight game to cross the 100-yard mark and the 15th time he's done it in his career. He exploded for a career-long 92-yard run in the first quarter that marked the fourth-longest rush in school history. He's the Big 12 leader in yards per carry (min. 10 attempts) which is fourth in the FBS, rushing yards and rushing yards per game heading into week two.
• The other running backs didn't disappoint on their preseason hype either, as four OSU backs (Hill, LD Brown, Chuba Hubbard and J.D. King) all produced more than 75 yards of total offense each.
• Hubbard made a big splash in his collegiate debut, finishing with a game-high 149 all-purpose yards. The freshman averaged 13.5 yards per touch on 11 touches as he ran up 65 receiving yards, 42 rushing yards, 42 return yards and a touchdown. In the third quarter alone, Hubbard had OSU's longest reception of the game with a 54-yard touchdown catch, OSU's longest kickoff return with a 42-yard return and also added a 19-yard run. The catch was the longest by an OSU running back since Joseph Randle's 63-yard catch vs. Arizona on Sept. 8, 2011.
• Senior quarterback Taylor Cornelius got the first start of his career last week, and the numbers didn't look much different than those that OSU fans have come to expect over of the past several years. Cornelius finished with 300 yards on 25-for-35 passing (71.4 pct.) with five touchdowns. It was the fourth-most passing yards in a starting debut in OSU history. Cornelius also added 27 rushing yards on four carries. He's the Big 12 leader in passing touchdowns (fifth in FBS), points responsible for and points responsible for per game entering week two.
• Jalen McCleskey is the lone senior in the OSU receivers room this season and he started 2018 like someone who has three years of experience under his belt. The Louisiana native finished with 66 receiving yards, 6 catches, two receiving touchdowns and a rushing touchdown - all game highs. His three total touchdowns make him the Big 12 leader heading into week two.
Talking Points vs. South Alabama – Defense
• OSU linebackers seemed to thrive in OSU's new 4-2-5 scheme in the first game. Calvin Bundage was OSU's most disruptive player and led the team with seven tackles while adding a sack and a quarterback hurry. Justin Phillips was right behind him with five tackles and led the team with 3.0 tackles for loss to establish a new career high.
• The Cowboys surrendered only 260 yards in the season opener, a total which ranks them No. 2 in the Big 12 and among the top 25 nationally in total defense. Other noteworthy stats include ranking first in the league and fourth in the nation with five sacks, second in the league and eighth in the nation with 11 tackles for loss and first in the league and 17th in the nation by limiting the opposition to a third-down conversion rate of 31.3 percent.
• In Jim Knowles first game as OSU's defensive coordinator, the Cowboys held their opponent to nine three-and-outs, which matches the highest total for OSU in any game last season. In other impressive displays, 20 of Missouri State's 27 offensive first-down plays produced three yards or less and Missouri State gained zero yards on 10 of its 16 third down plays.
• The Cowboys have carried on into this season with the majority of the same personnel, as safety Malcolm Rodriguez was the only OSU player to make his first career start in the season opener. Jarrell Owens earned his first start since the 2016 season, although he did play in every game last season as well.
• Safety is the only position that did see significant change, as Rodriguez starts alongside Thabo Mwaniki, who only saw two starts last season, and Kenneth Edison-McGruder, who has moved between safety and linebacker throughout his career.
Notable Streaks and Trends Entering the South Alabama Game
• Oklahoma State has won 19 of its last 23 games overall.
• OSU is 15-2 in its last 17 games decided by less than 10 points.
• OSU has won 16 straight games when leading at halftime, a streak that began Sept. 17, 2016.
• Justice Hill has rushed for at least 100 yards in eight of his last 11 games and in 12 of his last 18 games.
• OSU has won three straight overtime games.
• OSU has had at least one 100-yard receiver in five of its last six games.
• OSU has had a 100-yard rusher in 10 of its last 15 games.
• OSU has outrushed its opponent in 12 of its last 15 games and in 14 of its last 18 games.
• Oklahoma State has won 33 of its last 42 games overall, dating back to the end of the 2014 season.
• OSU has forced at least one turnover in 28 straight games and in 37 of the last 38 games, dating to 2015.
• Dating back to 2005, the Cowboys have won 33 of their last 35 games when not committing a turnover.
• Dating back to 2008, the Cowboys have won 57 of their last 62 games when winning the turnover battle.
• OSU has won seven straight non-conference games.
• Dillon Stoner has at least one catch in each of his last 14 games.
• Jalen McCleskey has at least one catch in 38 of his 40 career games played.
Talking Points vs. South Alabama – Offense
• Justice Hill picked up right where he left off and turned in another 100-yard rushing game to open the season last week. The Tulsa native finished with a game-high 122 yards on the ground despite playing very little outside of the first quarter. It was his second straight game to cross the 100-yard mark and the 15th time he's done it in his career. He exploded for a career-long 92-yard run in the first quarter that marked the fourth-longest rush in school history. He's the Big 12 leader in yards per carry (min. 10 attempts) which is fourth in the FBS, rushing yards and rushing yards per game heading into week two.
• The other running backs didn't disappoint on their preseason hype either, as four OSU backs (Hill, LD Brown, Chuba Hubbard and J.D. King) all produced more than 75 yards of total offense each.
• Hubbard made a big splash in his collegiate debut, finishing with a game-high 149 all-purpose yards. The freshman averaged 13.5 yards per touch on 11 touches as he ran up 65 receiving yards, 42 rushing yards, 42 return yards and a touchdown. In the third quarter alone, Hubbard had OSU's longest reception of the game with a 54-yard touchdown catch, OSU's longest kickoff return with a 42-yard return and also added a 19-yard run. The catch was the longest by an OSU running back since Joseph Randle's 63-yard catch vs. Arizona on Sept. 8, 2011.
• Senior quarterback Taylor Cornelius got the first start of his career last week, and the numbers didn't look much different than those that OSU fans have come to expect over of the past several years. Cornelius finished with 300 yards on 25-for-35 passing (71.4 pct.) with five touchdowns. It was the fourth-most passing yards in a starting debut in OSU history. Cornelius also added 27 rushing yards on four carries. He's the Big 12 leader in passing touchdowns (fifth in FBS), points responsible for and points responsible for per game entering week two.
• Jalen McCleskey is the lone senior in the OSU receivers room this season and he started 2018 like someone who has three years of experience under his belt. The Louisiana native finished with 66 receiving yards, 6 catches, two receiving touchdowns and a rushing touchdown - all game highs. His three total touchdowns make him the Big 12 leader heading into week two.
Talking Points vs. South Alabama – Defense
• OSU linebackers seemed to thrive in OSU's new 4-2-5 scheme in the first game. Calvin Bundage was OSU's most disruptive player and led the team with seven tackles while adding a sack and a quarterback hurry. Justin Phillips was right behind him with five tackles and led the team with 3.0 tackles for loss to establish a new career high.
• The Cowboys surrendered only 260 yards in the season opener, a total which ranks them No. 2 in the Big 12 and among the top 25 nationally in total defense. Other noteworthy stats include ranking first in the league and fourth in the nation with five sacks, second in the league and eighth in the nation with 11 tackles for loss and first in the league and 17th in the nation by limiting the opposition to a third-down conversion rate of 31.3 percent.
• In Jim Knowles first game as OSU's defensive coordinator, the Cowboys held their opponent to nine three-and-outs, which matches the highest total for OSU in any game last season. In other impressive displays, 20 of Missouri State's 27 offensive first-down plays produced three yards or less and Missouri State gained zero yards on 10 of its 16 third down plays.
• The Cowboys have carried on into this season with the majority of the same personnel, as safety Malcolm Rodriguez was the only OSU player to make his first career start in the season opener. Jarrell Owens earned his first start since the 2016 season, although he did play in every game last season as well.
• Safety is the only position that did see significant change, as Rodriguez starts alongside Thabo Mwaniki, who only saw two starts last season, and Kenneth Edison-McGruder, who has moved between safety and linebacker throughout his career.
Notable Streaks and Trends Entering the South Alabama Game
• Oklahoma State has won 19 of its last 23 games overall.
• OSU is 15-2 in its last 17 games decided by less than 10 points.
• OSU has won 16 straight games when leading at halftime, a streak that began Sept. 17, 2016.
• Justice Hill has rushed for at least 100 yards in eight of his last 11 games and in 12 of his last 18 games.
• OSU has won three straight overtime games.
• OSU has had at least one 100-yard receiver in five of its last six games.
• OSU has had a 100-yard rusher in 10 of its last 15 games.
• OSU has outrushed its opponent in 12 of its last 15 games and in 14 of its last 18 games.
• Oklahoma State has won 33 of its last 42 games overall, dating back to the end of the 2014 season.
• OSU has forced at least one turnover in 28 straight games and in 37 of the last 38 games, dating to 2015.
• Dating back to 2005, the Cowboys have won 33 of their last 35 games when not committing a turnover.
• Dating back to 2008, the Cowboys have won 57 of their last 62 games when winning the turnover battle.
• OSU has won seven straight non-conference games.
• Dillon Stoner has at least one catch in each of his last 14 games.
• Jalen McCleskey has at least one catch in 38 of his 40 career games played.
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