Texas Football: 3 major concerns for UT vs. OK State in Big 12 title game

Ollie Gordon generating explosive plays on the ground and in the passing game out of the backfield

Gordon is the other big-time playmaker critical to Oklahoma State’s success on offense this season. As the nation’s leading rusher, with over 1,500 yards and 20 touchdowns this season, Gordon has burst onto the scene as a big play waiting to happen out of the backfield every time he touches the ball for the Pokes.

Despite Oklahoma State’s offensive line not being very good in run blocking this season, Gordon has found ways to make things happen on the ground. The Pokes rank 13th in the Big 12 in line yards this season. Yet, Gordon is still averaging roughly 6.5 yards per carry.

Gordon is a big downhill runner that is hard to stop once he gets moving out of the backfield. Oklahoma State likes to line him up behind the quarterback in the shotgun/pistol formation to get him going downhill before he can hit the hole and pick up yards in bunches.

Gordon is essentially the source of big plays for Oklahoma State’s offense this season. Nearly half of Oklahoma State’s more than 125 explosive plays on offense this season have come courtesy of Gordon on the ground and in the passing game out of the backfield (per CFBStats).

Well over half of Gordon’s rushing yards have come on explosive plays this season. He leads all Power Five running backs in breakaway yards (over 900).

Texas’s stout defensive front will be tasked with limiting the production of the nation’s leading rusher, who had nearly 200 rushing yards and five rushing scores in Oklahoma State’s win over BYU last weekend. This Texas front is the most difficult group Gordon, and the Pokes have faced in the trenches this season.

It will be awesome to see the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, Gordon, take on the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, redshirt senior defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat, and the Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year, junior defensive lineman Byron Murphy II.