It’s Hard to Imagine a Better Start to Mason Rudolph’s Heisman Campaign

Mason Rudolph has played in 19 Oklahoma State drives so far this season against Tulsa and South Alabama. In those 19 drives, the Pokes have scored 79 points (or just over 4 points per drive) and Rudolph is 45/62 for 638 yards and 6 TDs (plus another two on the ground).

This is how successful Heisman campaigns start.

I think we all are aware that for Rudolph to lift the hardware in mid-December, Oklahoma State has to go undefeated or close to it. But the fact that he’s squarely in the conversation in early September means that there’s a real chance of this happening if the Pokes can touch off their dream season.

Think about 2011. Brandon Weeden never truly got into the Heisman conversation until late in that year, and then Iowa State happened. His campaign was ended before it truly got going. This year with Rudolph is different. OSU has done a great job of showcasing him, and he’s delivered back-to-back nearly flawless performances on national television.

Friday night’s game in Mobile was a clinic. It looked like an addendum to the Manning Passing Academy against oversized campers who paid top dollar to see what a NFL player looks like up close. The Jags got a full dosage as Rudolph delivered strikes all over the field and distributed dimes to seven different receivers. Even more impressive were the targets.

• Marcell Ateman: 7
• Chris Lacy: 6
• Tyron Johnson: 6
• Dillon Stoner: 5
• Jalen McCleskey: 5
• Justice Hill: 5
• James Washington: 3

USA didn’t even get the full Presidential treatment from No. 28, and yet Rudolph still lit up Ladd-Peebles for 335 yards and a brand-new school record, which he swiped from Brandon Weeden.

“He’s pretty good; a NFL proto-typical quarterback being 6-5,” said South Alabama coach Joey Jones. “He throws the ball extremely well and has good presence in the pocket.  He also has some good receivers to throw to.  He’s going to be dangerous to anybody that they play and they’re going to score a lot of points this year.”

Rudolph actually missed on his first two throws on Friday, but then he went 10 for his next 11 including 2 TDs which would have eventually been enough to put the Jags away for the night. I don’t know how many NFL throws he actually made because it’s hard to tell against South Alabama, but tosses like this one stood out to me.

https://youtu.be/QDkYrxMFbnY?t=30m10s

Tyron Johnson runs a simple route over the middle, but he has a USA defender draped all over him. Rudolph does not care and puts a seed right in his sternum.

He’s impressed in all facets thus far. Are there minor tweaks to be made? Sure. Has he hit every single target squarely in the hands? No. Did he miss Jalen McCleskey for 6 and Tyron Johnson for (probably) another 6 on Friday? Yes.

But it’s hard to imagine a more productive two weeks for somebody who will eventually go down as the most-accomplished to ever play in Oklahoma State history. The statistical foundation has been laid for Rudolph to start forging his masterpiece next week as the Pokes’ real season begins against Pittsburgh.