Oklahoma State Looking to Improve Rushing Attack at Oregon

Oklahoma State is set for a massive test in Week 2, and it must find ways to succeed on the ground.

After going 3-9 last season and failing to win a conference game, the Cowboys finally found the win column again on Thursday night, beating UT Martin 27-7 in season opener. While the Cowboys don’t have the luxury of being picky after finishing 2024 on a nine-game losing streak, there were some clear areas of concern against the Skyhawks.

While OSU’s defense was solid, offense was a bit of a different story, particularly in the rushing department. After Thursday’s win, Mike Gundy stressed the importance of the rushing attack and it being an area OSU needed to improve. He echoed that sentiment again on Monday, hoping his team can fix its issues there going into a matchup with a top 10 team but also acknowledged how rushing isn’t as simple as it used to be.

"We just need to become more physical,” Gundy said. “The interesting thing is that I watched a few more games than I ever watched because we had an extra day, and it's not as easy to run the ball. When you look at teams trying to rush the football, it's not as easy at times. Defenses are gaining a little bit on the offense when it comes to stopping the run, but we still have to create some space to be more physical."

Being more physical is something that offensive linemen such as Austin Kawecki took personally when Gundy called out that area of the game after the game on Thursday, but it won’t be easy to fix everything against Oregon.

In the matchup with UT Martin, OSU rushed for only 127 yards, with Zane Flores’ 19-yard rush being the longest of the night. Considering Hauss Hejny accounted for 27 rushing yards in the first quarter before his injury, the Cowboys will certainly be hard-pressed to find their desired success on the ground.

Still, OSU will be hoping to find a bit more consistency at running back. With the battle for lead rusher still in full swing, the Cowboys will need someone to take over against the Ducks. Perhaps that will be Kalib Hicks, who led OSU in rushing on Thursday with 21 carries for 56 yards.

While the Oklahoma transfer was solid in his Cowboy debut, he laid out some areas where he could improve to help the Pokes against Oregon. Although it will be easier said than done, if Hicks can achieve his goals, OSU might just have a chance to get the ground game going at Autzen Stadium.

"I think for me, I just need to start faster,” Hicks said. “I think some things I missed for myself were maybe missing a hole or hitting a hole faster. I think as a unit, I think we need to start faster."