Cowboys Use Massive Committee on 436-Yard Historic Rushing Night

By the end of the game, the Cowboys’ rushing attack was throwing out haymakers — well, Ryan Haymaker at least.

In Oklahoma State’s 58-17 victory against Missouri State on Thursday in Boone Pickens Stadium, the Cowboys rushed for 436 yards, the eighth-most an OSU team has ever rushed for in a single game.

The record was set in 1972 when the Cowboys ran for 580 yards against UT-Arlington, but Thursday’s game was the most since OSU played Missouri State in 2008 when the Cowboys ran for 450 yards against the Bears.

It was a committee approach, as no ball carrier had more than 10 attempts. Justice Hill led the way with 122 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. A 92-yard sprint in the first quarter highlighted Hill’s night when he went from the Cowboys’ 5-yard line to the Bears’ 3. It was the fourth longest rush in OSU history.

Justice Hill DID. THAT. His 93-yard run sets up @CowboyFB for another TD ? pic.twitter.com/uaPOjGg0Se

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) August 31, 2018

“It would’ve been nicer if I had gotten into the end zone, but I just wanted to go out there and make some plays” Hill said. “That’s what I did.”

OSU coach Mike Gundy had mentioned all preseason that he wanted to keep Hill to under 15 touches a game, but Gundy looked to be a fibber early on. In the Cowboys’ opening drive, Hill had four touches about three minutes in. They put him back in the garage late, and Gundy kept his word for this game.

LD Brown had the second-most rushing yards in the game with 115 on his 10 carries. He too scored a touchdown with a 77-yard run in the fourth quarter, the last touchdown of the game for the Pokes.

The remaining OSU running backs who played (J.D. King, Chuba Hubbard and Haymaker) had a combined 120 yards on 25 carries.

The most efficient rusher of the night was wide receiver Jalen McCleskey who scored on his only attempt, a 5-yard end around.

STREEETTCHHHHH and SCOREEEE. pic.twitter.com/nfEoa3RS8y

— Pistols Firing (@pistolsguys) August 31, 2018

That leaves quarterbacks Taylor Cornelius and Keondre Wudtee with the remaining 87 yards despite both being sacked once. Cornelius showed off his wheels in the Cowboys’ first drive with a 32-yard rush that put OSU on the Bears’ 3.

In the game’s final minutes, Wudtee had a 30-yard carry on a third-and-1.

“It’s going to be fun, and everybody is going to be fresh,” Hill said. “Everybody can make plays, so whoever’s name is called, they’re going to go out there and make plays.”