Stat of the Game: Cowboy Run Game Still Searching for Consistency

The Cowboys prepare to take on No. 6 Texas with a defense that gave them fits a year ago. Head coach Mike Gundy has been adamant that the Cowboys must run the ball well to be successful, and although they’ve tried over the past couple of games, the results have been less than spectacular. It will still likely be a major point of emphasis this Saturday, even against a stout Longhorn front. OSU’s rushing yardage, and specifically yards per carry, will be one of the major factors in deciding who wins this game.

Every fact and statistic point to the Cowboys struggling against the Longhorns on the ground. Texas enters Saturday as the No. 2 rushing defense in the conference, giving up less than 127 yards per game and just 3.8 yards per carry.

The Cowboys are actually second in the conference in rushing, but those numbers are skewed from the early part of the season. If you just look at OSU’s conference rushing numbers, they push back to sixth in the conference at 159.2 yards per game. Additionally, if you look at Justice Hill’s numbers, they’ve seen a major dip over the past two games. Against Iowa State and Kansas State, Hill has rushed for a combined 107 yards on a flat 3 yards per carry. That’s not a knock on his talent. Rather, poor offensive line play has hurt his effectiveness in conference play.

Additionally, Texas’ defense is structured to stifle zone running teams. The Longhorns use three down lineman to occupy the offensive line, which allows the linebackers to flow freely to the ball. This defense shut down OSU last year, and the Cowboys just didn’t have many plays in their offense that could counter what the Longhorns were doing.

If the Cowboys can’t find a way to run the ball, or at least get Justice Hill involved in other areas, they’re going to put a ton of burden on Taylor Cornelius. Remember — the Longhorns had success dropping eight in coverage with three down rushers against the Cowboys in 2017, and they had overwhelming success (they held OSU to 10 points, if you have forgotten). Taylor Cornelius versus eight men in coverage has the potential to work in favor of Texas, so unless OSU can force the defense to commit more players to stopping the run, it could be a long day for the Cowboy offense.