Ollie Gordon Needs Bounce Back Game Against Tulsa
There’s no question Ollie Gordon II is one of the better players in college football. At 6-foot-2, 225-pounds with speed, agility and the patience to wait on openings, he’s a premier back.
But his stats through two games — despite being very good — haven’t necessarily screamed “Heisman.” Especially in a league that is coveting the quarterback position more and more.
His first game of the season against South Dakota State was reminiscent of his fiery stretch just a season before. He poured on 126 yards on 28 carries, adding three receptions for 20 yards and three touchdowns.
But for the majority of last week’s double-overtime win against Arkansas, Gordon had it rough. He finished with just 49 yards on 17 carries, failing to really get going for most of the contest. He helped to seal the game with a second-OT touchdown and two-point conversion, but the end result stats won’t necessarily tell that tale.
Luckily for Gordon, he’s been in this position before.
Through three games last season, the back had garnered just 21 carries in total, rushing for just 109 yards and miraculously still adding two touchdowns.
With his Week 1 stats, there’s no question Gordon is already off to a better start than last year, even with down output against the Razorbacks. But he will need to pick it up to match his all-time stretch of games to end the season last year, and the final non-conference game against Tulsa should be the perfect time to do it.
The Cowboys and Hurricane kick off at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14.
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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.