Oklahoma State’s 2017 Offense Was One of the Most Productive in School History

I’m sure it probably doesn’t feel like it, but we all just watched one of the most productive offensive season in Oklahoma State history. The 2017 offense overtook the 2011 and 2012 offenses in passing yards and total yards respectively on Thursday with their 30-21 win over Virginia Tech in the Camping World Bowl.

The Pokes threw for 5,059 yards in 2017 which beat out the 2011 record by 25 yards. They gained 7,400 yards total which beat out the 2012 record by 289. They also moved to No. 3 all time in points scored.

First up, the total yardage numbers.

How about the 2012 team with three different QBs out-gaining the 2011 team? Whoo boy, Monken was a wizard. Also, it’s incredible to me (even though it shouldn’t be) that OSU was able to hang with its 1988 team with these 2000s teams. The game is so different now. It’s so much easier to put up stats. That 1988 team was pretty unreal.

Here are the plays run by the top three teams.

2017: 1,008 total plays
2012: 1,014 total plays
2011: 987 total plays

Now the passing numbers.

It’s amazing how close these two were. It took the 2011 team 596 attempts to hit 5,034, and it took the 2017 team just 503. Mike Yurcich should be remembered for how efficient he was during his time in Stillwater.

Lastly, let’s look at some scoring numbers.

I know the 2011 team saw far more possessions than this 2017 team did, although I’m not sure about 2012. OSU was efficient in scoring throughout the year, but sometimes those scoring drives came at the wrong times. They weren’t efficient when they really needed it (at the end of OU and Kansas State) and it cost them a date with a bowl game this weekend and beyond.

“We had a couple bumps throughout the season,” said Rudolph on Thursday. “The leadership was incredible. The way the guys flipped the switch … making sure the team was heading in the right direction … it’s cool, it speaks a lot about the senior class, the leadership on both sides of the ball. It’s a great achievement for us.”

We can say a lot of things about this 2017 offense — and I’m sure we will — but what we can’t say is that they lacked production. By most measures, they were one of the most productive, prolific, efficient offenses (if not the most) in school history. Again, it doesn’t feel like we watched history over the last 13 games, but we did, even if the route to the record books was as circuitous as they come.