Film Study: Scouting CMU Quarterback Cooper Rush

In Saturday’s matchup between Oklahoma State and Central Michigan, the Cowboys will be facing one of the nation’s most underrated quarterbacks. Cooper Rush, who OSU head coach Mike Gundy considers a potential NFL prospect, is someone who Cowboy fans should be familiar with from the Pokes’ 2015 season opener. The 6-3, 220 lb signal caller has all the skills of a prototypical pro style QB, and he’s the Chippewa to watch this Saturday.

Rush has an innate ability to sense pressure and step up in the pocket while still keeping his eyes downfield. He knows the offense well and knows where his hot reads and check downs are, so when he gets pressure, he has the ability to avoid the hit and make the throw.

Rush not only has excellent awareness, but he also has elite deep ball accuracy when given time. Rush can anticipate where the receiver is going and squeeze the ball into tiny windows. Here’s a dime he threw on a fork route against the Cowboys in the second quarter last year.

And here’s another example of excellent anticipation, this time in the middle of the field.

Rush isn’t necessarily a dual-threat quarterback; he came out of high school as a three star pro-style QB, and the Chips don’t necessarily use his legs in their play designs. But he can scramble out of the pocket with the intent to either run or throw. And when he runs, as Ramon Richards learned last year, he’s hard to bring down.

“I come down and he just plows through me into the end zone,” Richards told the Oklahoman. “That was an early wakeup call on how tough he can be and how tough that team is.”

The one glaring issue that Rush has is when he gets pressure in his face, he will often panic and chuck the ball in a congested area.

He also will occasionally try too hard to get the pass off instead of just taking the sack. Here’s the interception he threw in the Chips’ 2015 bowl game that sealed the win for Minnesota.

Rush is a really good player and the consensus star of the Chippewas. He also has talent around him, with running back Devon Spalding back from injury and 6’3 Biletnikoff watch list receiver Jesse Kroll on the outside. But if the Cowboys can force the Chippewa offense to become one-dimensional, as their run game (like the Cowboys) has struggled since Thomas Rawls’ departure two years ago, OSU can force Rush to make just enough mistakes to establish and secure a lead.

How do you think Cooper Rush will fare against the Cowboy defense? Leave your opinions in the comments below!