A Dive Into Analytics: How Good (Or Bad) Are The Cowboys Really Doing?
As fans and spectators of Oklahoma State football, especially in such an already weird 2020 season, we all have our opinions and beliefs on certain players and their performances.
Well, thanks to Pro Football Focus, I am about to give you in depth grades and statistics to show how good or bad certain players are playing two games into the 2020 season.
For reference, there will be some players missing from this list as they have not met snap requirements at a specific position. Also in terms of offensive line, I will give the scores for all 5 starters (as of today) but not the backups. For the receivers though, I will give backups as they cycle in and out of the game and are seen regularly.
I will break it down by position starting with offense.
Quarterback:
Shane Illingworth - 67.7 OVR Grade (18th best passing grade in nation out of 71)
77.4 PASS - 41.3 RUN
Illingworth comes in ranked #40 out of 74 qualified quarterbacks and the second highest true freshman.
In reality, Illingworth is playing at a high level given the circumstances at hand. After not only being a true freshman but missing two weeks of practice and playing with a makeshift offensive line, Illingworth has posted these numbers:
No Pressure: 16/21 (76.2%) - 177 yards (8.4 YPA) - 7 1ST - 80 ADJ COM% - 80.9 NFL Passer Rating
Under Pressure: 3/6 (50%) - 41 yards (6.8 YPA) - 2 1ST - 60 ADJ COM% - 72.2 NFL Passer Rating
Not Blitzed: 10/13 (76.9%) - 155 yards (11.9 YPA) - 6 1ST - 90.9 ADJ COM% - 115.9 NFL Passer Rating
When Blitzed: 9/14 (64.3%) - 63 yards (4.5 YPA) - 3 1ST - 64.3 ADJ COM% - 44.6 NFL Passer Rating
All Plays: 19/27 (70.4%) - 218 yards (8.1 YPA) - 9 1ST - 76.0 ADJ COM% - 78.9 NFL Passer Rating
Running Back:
LD Brown - 77.7 OVR Grade (29th best RB grade in nation out of 96)
75.8 RUN Grade - 77.0 FUMBLE Grade - 78.3 PBLK
20 ATT - 166 yards (8.3 YPA) - 1 TD - 7 1ST - 6 10+ - 43 Yards after contact (YAC) - 6 Forced Missed Tackles - 0 Fumbles
Chuba Hubbard - 64.6 OVR Grade (72nd best RB grade in nation out of 96)
65.0 RUN Grade - 34.4 FUMBLE Grade - 50.9 PBLK
49 ATT - 201 yards (4.1 YPA) - 2 TD - 12 1ST - 4 10+ - 126 YAC - 10 Forced Missed Tackles - 2 Fumbles
So basically, the best way to put it is that LD Brown is extremely consistent and the good for Chuba is very good and the bad for Chuba is very bad.
Wide Receiver:
Tylan Wallace - 75.4 OVR Grade (9th best WR grade in nation out of 209)
75.4 RECV - 62.8 RBLK
Tay Martin - 69.1 OVR Grade
64.3 RECV - 61.1 RBLK
Dillon Stoner - 60.8 OVR
60.8 RECV - 57.6 RBLK
To no surprise at all, Tylan Wallace is the best receiver for Oklahoma State. It should be a major goal to spread the ball around some more, but then again the game plan has to change a lot when your starting quarterback gets hurt early on and a true freshman comes in. Wallace has been on the field for 129 offensive snaps, 45 more than the next most receiver with Stoner at 84. Wallace also leads the team with 10 receptions.
Offensive Line:
Jake Springfield (LT) - 68.6 OVR (44th best tackle grade in nation out of 134)
80.6 PBLK - 62.4 RBLK (14th best run block grade in nation out of 134)
Josh Sills (LG) - 75.2 OVR (17th best guard grade in nation out of 153)
75.0 PBLK - 74.4 RBLK
Ry Schneider (C) - 51.9 OVR
78.7 PBLK - 48.3 RBLK (7th best pass blocking grade out of 48)
Hunter Woodard (LG) - 64.5 OVR (64th best guard grade in nation out of 153)
77.3 PBLK - 61.6 RBLK (19th best pass blocking grade in nation out of 153)
Teven Jenkins (RT) - 88.8 OVR (6th best tackle grade in the nation out of 134)
73.4 PBLK - 90.1 RBLK (4th best run blocking grade in nation out of 134)
The offensive line has taken some hits early on but Teven Jenkins, who was the top offensive lineman in college last week has anchored down the line and helped them get into shape. Jenkins grades as the teams best run blocker while new left tackle Jake Springfield grades as the teams best pass blocker.
Cowboy Backs:
Logan Carter - 71.8 OVR (2nd highest graded in nation out of 8)
59.8 RECV - 73.1 PBLK - 79.7 RBLK
Jelani Woods - 57.8 OVR
51.8 RECV - 51.0 PBLK - 64.0 RBLK
Because of how Oklahoma State plays Carter and Woods, PFF classifies them as fullbacks. Carter grades as the #2 fullback in the NCAA, being #1 in receiving. Woods comes in at last in the NCAA with only 8 fullbacks qualifying for scores.
Defensive Line:
Trace Ford - 50.3 OVR
64.1 PRUSH - 39.3 RDEF (64th best pass rush grade in nation out of 159 EDGE)
Calvin Bundage - 60.9 OVR
74.8 PRUSH - 59.4 RDEF (21st best pass rush grade in nation out of 159 EDGE)
Tyren Irby - 71.8 OVR
61.4 PRUSH - 77.3 RDEF (23rd best run defense grade in nation out of 159 EDGE)
Brock Martin - 59.9 OVR
56.9 PRUSH - 60.3 RDEF
Cameron Murray - 67.6 OVR
75.6 PRUSH - 53.8 RDEF (16th best pass rush grade in nation out of 176 IDL)
Tyler Lacy - 54.9
56.4 PRUSH - 54.5 RDEF
Israel Antwine - 63.8 OVR
60.3 PRUSH - 64.2 RDEF (59th run defense grade in nation out of 148 IDL)
Brendon Evers - 62.7 OVR
58.7 PRUSH - 63.1 RDEF (66th run defense grade in nation out of 148 IDL)
The Cowboy defensive line graded out as the 3rd best in the nation after this weekend with a group grade of 77.2. The pass rush specialists in Trace Ford, Calvin Bundage, and Tyren Irby have been fantastic so far through two games. Don't be fooled by the overall grades from some of these players. Many of these player are called upon in certain situations such as Bundage, who is on the field in passing situations, so his run defense will be lower than some may want him but his sample size on running plays is much lower than his passing.
What makes this defensive line so good is that pass rushers are among the best in the nation in pass rushing and the run defenders are among the best in the nation in run defense.
Linebackers:
Malcolm Rodriguez - 62.0 OVR (70th highest linebacker in nation out of 167)
57.2 RDEF - 72.6 PRUSH - 58.2 COV
Amen Ogbongbemiga - 61.7 OVR (75th highest linebacker in nation out of 167)
71.3 RDEF - 62.1 RDEF - 50.9 COV
The two linebackers for Oklahoma State are both in the top half of qualified linebackers in 2020. Amen is a run defense specialist while Malcolm is a pass rush specialist from the LB position so there is a healthy mix of skill and talent from the middle of the OSU defense.
Safeties:
Tre Sterling - 73.3 OVR (16th highest graded safety in nation out of 174)
75.2 RDEF - 59.8 PRUSH - 70.4 COV
Jason Taylor II - 59.3 OVR
61.9 RDEF - 56.2 COV
Kolby Harvell-Peel - 55.9 OVR
66.2 RDEF - 57.8 PRUSH - 54.4 COV
Tre Sterling is showing that he among the best safeties in the nation. He is elite in run defense, ranking in at #10 out those 174 qualified safeties. His 59.8 pass rush grade comes in at #8 with his 70.4 coverage grade ranking at #38.
Cornerbacks:
Rodarius Williams - 86.1 OVR (3rd highest graded CB in nation out of 171)
70.9 RDEF - 86.8 COV
Christian Holmes - 63.3 OVR
58.2 RDEF - 63.7 COV
Jarrick Bernard-Converse - 62.8 OVR
58.6 RDEF - 66.0 COV
Tanner McAlister - 54.8 OVR
63.5 RDEF - 52.5 COV
Rodarius Williams has always been among the better corners in the country but in 2020, he has taken his game to another level. This past week, he was awarded the PFF National Defensive Player of the Game, an honor an Oklahoma State defender has never earned.
In his first two game, Williams has been targeted 7 times, allowing only 1 catch for zero yard. During the West Virginia game, he was targeted 4 times and came away with 4 pass breakups.
He is the highest graded defender in the Big 12 and the 12th best defender in the country.
