Cowboys Offense Needs Recalibration for 2020
STILLWATER -- No doubt about it, the status of running back Chuba Hubbard and wide receiver Tylan Wallace are the biggest factors immediately in front of head coach Mike Gundy and the Oklahoma State football program with regards to the offense for 2020. Gundy has been working on projects that would encourage both of his future NFL players to come back, hone their craft, and maximize their initial financial situation at Oklahoma State.
Hubbard and Wallace both have their NFL Draft projections from the league office. Hubbard, we are guessing is somewhere in the mid third to fourth round. He can do better as the running backs coming out, including the recent announcement by Ohio State's J.K. Dobbins, will alleviate a good number of the backs anybody might have ranked above or close to Hubbard.
Hubbard has only been a starting running back for 16 games, the equivalent of one NFL regular season. Scouts that I have spoken with say, while he has proven he is very talented, he would be served by getting another season of experience.
Wallace is kind of stuck as with his knee injury, he would not be able to participate at the NFL Combine or even stage a pro day workout before the draft that includes a lot of receivers in it. Wallace is likely coming back and it seems the smart decision to make.
Oklahoma State returns 11 offensive players, besides Hubbard and Wallace, with starting experience for the 2020 season. That includes on the offensive line tackles Teven Jenkins, Dylan Galloway and Hunter Anthony, and guards Ry Schneider and Bryce Bray.
Receivers in that group include Dillon Stoner, Landon Wolf and Braydon Johnson. Jelani Woods and Logan Carter have both registered starts at the Cowboy back position. Finally, there is returning starting quarterback Spencer Sanders.
The recent bonus is the transfer to Oklahoma State of two-year starter Josh Sills on the offensive line from West Virginia.
As far as offensive production, Hubbard and Wallace are the leaders along with Sanders. The offense really slipped in production after Wallace went out. Credit Stoner with doing everything he could to make up for it, but in the first eight games with Wallace, the Cowboys averaged 37.5 points per game, 241.6-yards passing, 263.5-yards a game rushing, and total offense of 505.1-yards a game total offense.
The final five games of the season, without Wallace, Oklahoma State averaged 24.4 points a game, 196.6-yards per game passing, 175.4-yards a game on the ground, with total offense of 372.0-yards a game. That is a reduction in 26.4 percent of total offense and 35 percent in points during those last five games.
Okay, some of that may be accounted for by Oklahoma and a good Texas A&M defensive team being on the slate, but there is still a drop off. Wallace and the explosive/chunk plays have always been a trigger for the Cowboys on offense whether real or threatened and the threat was not as great with Wallace removed.
That will be the major chore for Gundy, Gleeson, if he is still on staff and doesn't move to another school, and the rest of the offensive coaches. They have to build up the explosive and chunk play production and threat for next season. The weapons are there to create that.
Another aspect of the offense that could facilitate greater production is more diversity. They could add another strain of running attack and branch out into another phase in the passing game, giving opposing defenses something else to think about and prepare for. Keep it simple, but make it more complicated for opposing defenses.
Smoke and mirrors can still be a weapon for offenses.
If Wallace and Hubbard were not to return then continued development for new playmakers will be critical. The receivers have lots of options including Johnson, who broke out in the bowl game and youngsters like C.J. Moore and Langston Anderson. At running back keep an eye on Dezmon Jackson.
