Mason Rudolph’s Outside Shot at 5,000 Yards

Mason Rudolph could cap his historic season with a first in Oklahoma State history. Nobody has thrown for more than Brandon Weeden’s 4,727 passing yards in 2011. Rudolph currently sits at 4,553 which means he needs just under 200 to pass Weeden, but it also means that he needs just 447 to become the first 5,000-yard passer in OSU history and just the sixth in Big 12 history (and no non-Texas Tech player has ever done it).

One problem. He’s facing a Virginia Tech defense that has only given up two 250-yard passing games this season and just one over 350. Nobody has hit 400 yards yet, much less 450-plus. Here’s a look at the VT game log.

One of the most fascinating subplots of both this game and the bowl season is an elite offense facing an elite defense. How will Georgia’s defense (No. 3) fare against OU’s offense (No. 1)? This is a middle class man’s version of that as the Virginia Tech defense (No. 6 in PPD) faces Oklahoma State’s offense (No. 3).

Rudolph has hit the 450-yard mark twice this year with five total games of 400-plus yards and eight of 12 at 375-plus.

Can he replicate that against VT in a few weeks? That remains to be seen, but the Hokies will certainly be facing their toughest test all season in terms of offensive firepower. And if Rudolph can somehow pull off the impossible (nobody has thrown for 450-plus yards on VT since 2000), his name will have a 5K next to it in the record books forever.