Box Score Dive: Seven Numbers That Tell the Iowa State-Oklahoma State Story

In lieu of our weekly drive charts post I figured I’d take a dive (maybe a dumpster dive?) into the Oklahoma State-Iowa State box score. It’s a little grimy in here, and I’m concerned about what we’ll find, but let’s hop in together and look around at the first losing box score for OSU against Iowa State in Stillwater since 2000.

3.2 to 2.6: Just because we’re not doing the drive charts post doesn’t mean I’m going to eschew PPD numbers altogether. OSU put up a semi-respectable 42 points on 16 drives, good enough to be competitive in most leagues, but Iowa State countered with 3.2 — including their final “drive” where they just took a knee. Not good!

Negative Yardage: I can’t believe I’m typing this, but 10 of Oklahoma State’s 16 drives went for 10 or fewer total yards. Four (!) of the first seven (!) went for negative yardage. Four of seven drives in the first half! Those went for a combined 13 plays and -44 yards. Real numbers!

Similar QB Lines: From You Have to Watch Games 101, Oklahoma State and Iowa State had almost the exact same passing lines on Saturday.

Oklahoma State: 19/33 | 289 yards | 4 TD | 1 INT
Iowa State: 19/25 | 325 yards | 4 TD | 1 INT

The problem here is obviously that TC built a lot of his line late, and Purdy built it early and coasted to the finish line.

2.9 YPC: OSU has rushed for 3 or fewer yards per carry in nine games since 2015. They are 4-5 in those nine games with two of the four wins coming over … Texas (because of course).

Iowa State (2018): L
Texas (2017): W
Kansas State (2017): L
West Virginia (2016): W
Central Michigan (2016): L
Texas (2015): W
Ole Miss (2015): L
Kansas State (2015): W
Baylor (2015): L

1st Down Explosion: You want the most telling stat I found in the box score? How about this. OSU averaged 4 yards per play on first down on Saturday. Iowa State? They averaged 8.9 (!) That included a 9/10 passing performance for 186 yards.

Third Down … Success? What if I told you on Saturday morning that Iowa State would go 3 for 11 on third downs and OSU would score 7 points on ISU turnovers. You would have expected ISU to nearly put up fiddy and for OSU to trail for the last 49 minutes, right?

All the TFLs: I can’t get over this. OSU ran 76 offensive plays, and Iowa State had 16 (!) tackles for loss. One out of every five OSU plays was a TFL!