Oklahoma State's Offense Continues Hot Streak Against Cincinnati
Oklahoma State’s offense has been a force recently, and Saturday’s performance was its best yet.
In their 45-13 win against Cincinnati, the Cowboys put up 601 yards. It marked the first time the Cowboys have gone for at least 600 yards since their Fiesta Bowl win against Notre Dame to cap off the 2021 season.
While the Cowboys have often had one-dimensional offense in the past, they had a balanced attack against the Bearcats. They passed for 286 yards and rushed for 315.
"If somebody would've said we'd rush for 315 yards, I would've said, 'Not so fast,'" OSU Coach Mike Gundy said.
Even with Ollie Gordon’s incredible streak, that type of output against Cincinnati was shocking. Coming into the game, Cincinnati had not given up more than 125 rushing yards in a game all season.
Gordon went for 271 on his own.
OSU’s superstar running back averaged 10.8 yards per carry against Cincinnati. Gordon also scored a couple of touchdowns, including a 75-yard run to put an exclamation point on the win late in the fourth quarter.
With his performance, Gordon joined Barry Sanders as the only Cowboys to run for more than 250 yards in consecutive games. As he made his way into the record books, Gordon eclipsed 1,000 yards on the ground this season.
“It’s great when all five up front can handle business, and then you add six or seven whenever our tight ends and fullbacks come in to block,” Gordon said. “So, it’s just great that they’re always working. No matter what it is, they’re always working.”
Not only did the OSU offensive line open up space for Gordon to run through, but it has also given Alan Bowman plenty of time to throw. For the third time in its past four games, OSU has not allowed a sack.
Bowman completed 17 of his 34 passes against the Bearcats on his way to 286 yards and two touchdowns. Although he did not find the end zone, Leon Johnson III was the big story in the Cowboys’ air attack.
After entering the game with zero receptions, Johnson finished with five catches for 149 yards. His 67-yard grab in the second quarter set up OSU’s field goal to regain the lead in the second quarter. Offensive Coordinator Kasey Dunn told Johnson to watch for the ball to come his way if the defense set up as it did on that play.
“Once that ball’s up, you’re not really thinking,” Johnson said. It’s just, ‘There’s the ball, I need to catch that ball. And then I got up and heard the fans and everything, and it was incredible.”
Another electric receiver for the Cowboys found the end zone a couple of times. Brennan Presley got his first touchdown early in the second half as he ran behind Bearcat defenders for Bowman to find him wide-open for the score.
OSU’s win put it in prime position for the Big 12 Championship. OSU controls its destiny moving forward and is ready to welcome its rival to Stillwater next week.
While the Cowboys may not go for 600 yards again, they still should have the best player on the field. As the final installment of Bedlam football for the foreseeable future is up next, Gordon had a message for the Sooners.
“All I know is when they come down here, they better be ready,” Gordon said.
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Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.