Ollie Gordon Was Nation's Best Big-Play Rusher in 2023 Season
Stillwater was home to the best college football running back across the nation during the 2023 football season. Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon winning the Doak Walker award only proves as such, and he finished No. 7 in the voting for the Heisman Trophy.
Gordon proved to be the best across the nation after playing sparingly through the program's first three games. He hardly saw touches as the Cowboys were figuring things out. They had two close wins and a bad loss -- all of which could have been avoided had the program handled the start of the season better.
Still, Gordon didn't get substantial snaps or touches until the team's fourth game of the season. Still, he was the nation's best on paper. He finished with 1,732 rushing yards and 21 rushing touchdowns on 285 carries -- also finishing with 2,062 all-purpose yards and a receiving touchdown.
Not only did Gordon compile incredible season numbers, he did so while putting together some big plays. CFB Home recently posted a stat that revealed Gordon led the nation in 15-plus yard rushes, having 31 long rushes on the season. The next behind him was UCF's RJ Harvey with 26 15-plus yard rushes.
Gordon's long rushes were felt as they often came in the second half of games, either helping mount a comeback or put teams away. He was truly a gamer and was capable of closing wins for the Cowboys.
Now, with Gordon heading into his third season of college football, he has the potential to build off the amazing season. The Cowboys are bringing back all their offensive talent and will have things figured out to start the season. There will be plenty of opportunities for Gordon to close out games and build a case to compete for the Heisman -- this time having a whole season on his resume.
The NFL will soon come for the Oklahoma State running back, so Cowboys fans should cherish the moments with him this upcoming season, because it'll likely pose plenty of memorable moments.
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Kade has been covering a wide variety of teams ranging from the NFL to the NBA and college athletics since joining Sports Illustrated's On SI in 2022