In Career Game, Chuba Hubbard is the Bell Cow OSU Needs

It was an ugly outing for just about every phase of OSU football on Saturday, at least at one time or another — except one.

Spencer Sanders and the Cowboys passing game suffered through its first stinker of his young career. Sanders singlehandedly lost the turnover battle 2-0. Tylan Wallace was electric when he was able to avoid Tulsa’s apparent (and fairly successful) PI-defensive strategy.

What’s worse, this was the lowest passing yardage total (169 yards, one TD, one INT) by any Oklahoma State team since Daxx Garman went for 158, one TD and one pick, and barely survived the 2014 Texas game.

The defense came up with some big stops in the second half, but was rather welcoming to Tulsa early, allowing 171 yards, six yards per play and 14 points in the second quarter to allow the Golden Hurricane to take a 21-20 halftime lead. It’s Tulsa, maybe I give Jim Knowles’ crew a B-.

But OSU’s ground game, led by Chuba Hubbard, was the Cowboys offense. He kept them afloat early and pushed them to victory late.

Hubbard turned in a career-high of 256 yards on 32 carries (8 yards per), both of which topped a career mark set two weeks ago in Corvallis. His three rushing scores tied a career best for the second time.

Chuba was unstoppable in Tulsa and has been so far this season, anytime it has counted.

Mike Gundy said he pulled Chuba against McNeese because he fumbled his second carry of the game (though he stayed in for six more and a whole other quarter). But regardless of whether he sat because it was McNeese or because of ball security, the Cowboys didn’t need him to beat an FCS opponent.

They did need him against Tulsa, and he delivered big.

The first play from scrimmage was a handoff to the world-class speedster, and he took it 75 yards to the house.

Shortly after that he added a 30-yard score, pushing OSU to a 14-0 lead and padding the numbers on an all-time opening quarter.

He filled it up all night and churned out tough run after tough run, but he punctuated his latest career performance with a 33-yard nail hammered into the Golden Hurricane’s coffin with just two minutes remaining.

He also had a 34-yard run called back because of an offensive 12 men on the field penalty. face palm emoji

Chuba is putting up big numbers early, and gaining a little more than momentum as he enters Big 12 play.

Oklahoma St RB Chuba Hubbard a Heisman dark horse. Already with 500+ rushing yards/7 TDs. Statement opportunity at Texas next weekend

— Jake Trotter (@Jake_Trotter) September 14, 2019

The actual count is 521 yards and 66 carries in three games (nearly half of his total carries in 13 games last year). That’s a hair under 8 yards per carry as well as seven rushing touchdowns. It’s still very early, but a little Heisman buzz is not unwarranted for the Cowboys’ new bell-cow back.