Position Battle: OSU’s Offensive Line vs. ISU’s Linebackers

Oklahoma State is fresh off a 256-yard rushing performance against Kansas, and with Justice Hill seeing a major uptick in carries, he will likely play a bigger role in the offense against Iowa State than he did against, say, Texas Tech.

But the Cyclones enter Stillwater with the third-best rushing defense in the conference, and the matchup between OSU’s run game and ISU’s defensive front will play a big role in determining Saturday’s result.

The Cowboy run game has been slowly improving, and OSU had its best yard-per-carry average against Kansas since the season opener against Missouri State. But the Cyclones will be a new challenge not only because of their personnel but also because of their defensive philosophy.

Iowa State’s defense has been holding ball carriers to 3.2 yards per rush and are No. 31 in the country in total defense. A lot of that is due to the Cyclones’ talented linebackers Marcel Spears Jr. and Willie Harvey. Spears had an excellent sophomore campaign and Harvey recorded 11.5 tackles for loss, one forced fumble and six passes defended. The duo recorded over 180 total tackles, including over 20 tackles for loss, and 5.5 sacks.

The Cyclone defense is designed to funnel the ball carrier to the second-level players, so the linebackers are a big part of the unit’s success. The Cyclone defense held Justice Hill to under 4 yards per carry last year, and that three-down linemen, three-linebacker structure plays a big part.

That’s something to watch for on Saturday. If OSU’s offensive line can stymie the ISU linebacker attack, OSU should have success offensively. They should be able to use an adequate run game to help Taylor Cornelius and the offense gain some consistency. If that happens, there’s little chance the Cyclones can keep up against the Poke defense, and this game should be well decided by the fourth quarter.