Ollie Gordon Falters Despite Cowboys' Big Win
The Oklahoma State Cowboys saw a dominant win over in-state rival Tulsa on Saturday, routing the Hurricane at Chapman Stadium.
Despite the blowout win, Ollie Gordon II — the team’s star running back — again failed to put together the complete running game fans are accustomed to seeing.
On the day, Gordon ran for just 49 yards on 17 carries, failing to find the end zone for the first time since the team’s bout with Texas last season.
It was clearly tough sledding again for Gordon, who last week ran for the very same 49 yards on 17 carries, but found the endzone in double-overtime to seal the Cowboys win over the Razorbacks. Luckily for OSU, quarterback Alan Bowman saw one of the best games of his career, posting five touchdowns to go with 396 yards through the air.
On the year, Gordon hasn’t yet found the production from his stellar past season. Through three games, he has 62 carries for 224 yards. Solid numbers, but nothing that will earn him another top-10 Heisman similar to last season.
In the third quarter, Gordon ripped off a nice run that was eventually called back due to holding, but came up looking slightly hobbled and showing visible frustration.
The broadcast said Gordon did indeed enter the locker-room after the play, but came back out to the field fairly spry, later clarifying he just needed a bathroom break.
The Cowboys are now 3-0, and will undoubtedly need their star running back healthy and churning to compete against ranked Big 12 opponents in the next two weeks: No. 12 Utah and No. 14 Kansas State.
The Cowboys and Utes face off at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21 in Stillwater.
Want to join the discussion? Like Oklahoma State Cowboys on SI on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Cowboys news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.
Derek is co-founder of All Pokes and publisher for Draft Digest and Inside The Thunder for Fan Nation, powered by Sports Illustrated. He has been a sports writer in the Oklahoma market for five years now covering a variety of sports over the course of his career.