Chris Carson Has Been Terrific Since Returning From Injury

There are plenty of talking points that came out of Oklahoma State’s 43-37 road win over Kansas State.

Mason Rudolph put up the second-highest passing total of his career with 457 yards (fourth-highest in OSU history).

The Cowboys were careless with the ball, coughing up three turnovers and committed some inopportune penalties on the road against a team that’s almost impossible to beat when you beat yourself.

But one of the most surprising of talking points should be the Cowboys’ effectiveness running the ball.

Oklahoma State was able to put up 180 rushing yards on a team that ranks first in the Big 12 in rushing defense. After Saturday’s game, Kansas State is still No. 12 nationally allowing 110.89 yards per game. The Wildcats started Saturday allowing only 102.25 yards per game.

The 180-yard performance is not exactly staggering but was a good sign for a Cowboy team still trying to find its way on the ground. It was their third-highest rushing total of the year behind only the Baylor game (213 yards) and Kansas game (228 yards).

The Cowboys averaged 6.9 yards per carry, thanks mostly to Chris Carson’s 9.9-yard average on seven carries and chunk-yardage runs from Rennie Childs and Barry J. Sanders. That 6.92 yard average is the best single-game average for the Cowboys since the 2013 Iowa State game.

The biggest run of the day was undoubtedly Chris Carson’s go-ahead touchdown dragging two defenders 10-plus yards to the end zone to put the Cowboys up for good.

Carson has been downright fantastic since coming back from a hand injury he sustained in Week 2 against Central Michigan. Since returning three weeks ago, Carson has averaged 7.2 yards per carry and has four touchdowns (three rushing) in three games.

“I was proud of our ability to run the football,” said Mike Gundy after the game. “I thought Chris Carson was excellent. I thought twenty-seven was excellent.”

The Cowboy running game is by no means where they want it but the gradual improvement of the offensive line and the emergence of Justice Hill should give Cowboy fans plenty to look forward to.