By the Numbers: Oklahoma State as Efficient as You can be at Pitt

This week we get to look at one of the all-time great drive charts of the Mike Gundy era. Oklahoma State literally scored 7 points per drive in its first seven drive on Saturday at Heinz Field. Let’s dive into the numbers.

OSU Drive Chart

It’s so … beautiful. TD, TD, TD, TD, TD, TD, TD, Half.

OSU’s Pertinent Numbers

• Points per drive (offense): 4.00
• Points per drive (defense): 1.17
• Yards per play: 9.4
• Third-down conversions: 10/14 (71%)
• Average starting field position: own 28-yard line
• Red-zone scoring: 4/4
• Points off turnovers: 7
• Time of possession: 28:28

Oklahoma State has been at 9+ yards per play in two of its first three games (amazingly, the USA game was not one of those). On the points per drive numbers, we don’t count defensive TDs as drives so OSU’s number would be 52 points divided by 13 offensive drives (we do count end-of-half drives, and if you watched the end of the first half of the USC-Texas game, you know why).

One other point, OSU has led for 89 percent of game time so far this year.

In three games so far this year #okstate has been …

Down: 0 min. 0 sec.
Tied: 11 min. 29 sec.
Leading: 168 min 31 sec.

— Pistols Firing (@pistolsguys) September 17, 2017

Now let’s look at Pittsburgh’s less-than-stellar drive charts.

Pittsburgh Drive Chart

Oklahoma State’s defense has been so good at limiting teams early in games this year. Combine that with a quick-strike offense, and you start tilting the momentum in your direction early and often.

Pitt’s Pertinent Numbers

• Points per drive (offense): 1.17
• Points per drive (defense): 4.00
• Yards per play: 5.7
• Third-down conversions: 5/15 (33%)
• Average starting field position: own 29-yard line
• Red-zone scoring: 2/2
• Points off turnovers: 7
• Time of possession: 31:32

I think it’s also worth pointing out that OSU’s defense is averaging more than a half point scored per drive it faces as it has had two pick-6s and a fumble recovery for a TD so far this year. That’s pretty impressive for a D that nearly everyone had written off as “ave-ruj” before the season started.

Touchdowns scored this season:

Florida's offense: 2#OKstate's defense: 3

— Carson Cunningham (@KOCOCarson) September 18, 2017