Oklahoma State record book watch: Joseph Randle
Over the next several days, we’ll take a look at some OSU players who have a chance to move up the career record books in 2012. Keep in mind that the athletic department is in the process of updating its records to add bowl statistics. So these could change, depending on if they’re ready for the 2012 media guide.
Let’s start with Joseph Randle.
Rushing yards
Current career total: 1,668
Current place in record book: 25th
20. 1,870 Brent Blackman (1971-73)
21. 1,861 Robert Turner (1973-76)
22. 1,858 Zac Robinson (2006-09)
23. 1,847 Jamaal Fobbs (1997-2000)
24. 1,840 Jim Dillard (1959-61)
25. 1,668 Joseph Randle (2010- )
26. 1,507 Mike Hamilton (2005-06)
If matches 2011 production (1,216 yards), would move him up to: Ninth
1. 4,595 Thurman Thomas (1984-87)
2. 4,581 Terry Miller (1974-77)
3. 4,314 David Thompson (1993-96)
4. 4,181 Kendall Hunter (2007-10)
5. 3,556 Barry Sanders (1986-88)
6. 3,529 Earnest Anderson (1979-83)
7. 3,409 Tatum Bell (2000-03)
8. 2,921 Gerald Hudson (1988-90)
9. 2,884 Joseph Randle (2010- )*
10. 2,698 Shawn Jones (1980-84)
*if matches 2011 production
OSU’s running game could be a bit more balanced this season, given Jeremy Smith’s ability and Herschel Sims’ development. But it’s safe to expect around 1,000 yards from Randle in 2012, especially since the Cowboys could rely on the running game a bit more while breaking in true freshman quarterback Wes Lunt. Randle’s role will be more important than ever this season.
Rushing touchdowns
Current career total: 26
Current place in record book: Eighth
1. 48 Barry Sanders (1986-88)
T2. 43 Terry Miller (1974-77)
T2. 43 Thurman Thomas (1984-87)
4. 37 Kendall Hunter (2007-10)
5. 34 Tatum Bell (2000-03)
T6. 27 David Thompson (1993-96)
T6. 27 Keith Toston (2006-09)
8. 26 Joseph Randle (2010- )
T9. 23 Julius Crosslin (2004-07)
T9. 23 Vernard Morency (2002-04)
T9. 23 Tony Lindsay (1997-2000)
If matches 2011 total (24), would move him up to: First
1. 50 Joseph Randle (2010- )*
2. 48 Barry Sanders (1986-88)
*if matches 2011 production
This is interesting for a couple reasons.
First, was any OSU stat more under-appreciated than Randle’s 24 touchdowns in 2011? I wrote about that during the spring. Call it the Weeden/Blackmon effect. Again, I expect Randle to have a big season in 2012, but matching 24 touchdowns will be difficult. Mostly because I don’t expect the OSU offense to be as explosive, meaning his chances to score from inside the 10 will go down.
Then there’s the whole question of how many touchdowns Sanders really has. I’ll leave it at that.
Keep in mind, though, that Randle will be just a junior in 2012. If he returns for his senior season (barring injury or anything like that), there’s a great chance he would become the school’s all-time leader in rushing touchdowns, regardless of Sanders’ total.
Scoring
Current career total: 174 points (26 rushing touchdowns, three receiving touchdowns)
Current place in record book: 19th
16. 182 Keith Toston (2006-09)
17. 180 Hart Lee Dykes (1985-88)
18. 176 Dez Bryant (2007-09)
19. 174 Joseph Randle (2010- )
20. 155 Colin Ankersen (1977-80)
If matches 2011 total (156 points), would move him up to: Tied for second
1. 370 Dan Bailey (2007-10)
T2. 330 Barry Sanders (1986-88)
T2. 330 Joseph Randle (2010- )*
4. 315 Cary Blanchard (1987-90)
*if matches 2011 production
Obviously, the same interesting elements exist here as with the touchdowns scored records.
Bottom line: Randle has the chance to go down as one of OSU’s all-time greats. He could move into the top 10 on all three of these lists in 2012, and would still have a year of eligibility left.
Coming soon: Tracy Moore, Justin Gilbert, Brodrick Brown, Quinn Sharp
Oklahoma State football: belated post-spring thoughts
Apologize for the delay on one of these types of blogs, folks. I’ve been a little slammed with draft preview coverage.
We covered a ton of angles from the OSU spring finale in Sunday’s and Monday’s papers, but here are some additional random observations that I had from the game, and from the spring in general, that weren’t noted or explained thoroughly in previous stories.
Not shocked we didn’t get a starting quarterback announcement today. It sounds like it might come Thursday. If that’s the case, can I request it happen in the morning? Some of us are covering Justin Blackmon, and possibly Brandon Weeden, getting drafted Thursday night.
J.W. Walsh told me that he didn’t know the finale/game/whatever was going to be “live” (as in tackling) until Saturday morning. “We didn’t know what (the spring finale) was.” None of us did, really. I was under the impression that it was going to be another “thud” scrimmage. Granted, the quarterbacks didn’t get hit unless they took off running, and running plays were often blown dead early. But there was definitely more hitting than I expected.
Have a day, Charlie Moore. As I mentioned in my Monday Insider, I certainly did not expect him to explode for nine catches, 243 yards and three touchdowns. But I was not surprised to see him become a solid target and make some really athletic plays. One of the best plays of the entire spring was a connection between him and Lunt on a 40-50-yardish deep ball in a scrimmage about two weeks ago. Moore ran either a wheel route or a go route down the far sideline. Lunt slightly overthrew the ball, and Moore made a remarkable diving catch in the end zone. I’ve also seen him out-jump defenders on more than one occasion and use his size to snag the ball. I was surprised, however, at his speed on that first touchdown grab. He split the defense and outran a quick secondary on his way to the house. Spring stars don’t always become fall stars, and I still expect Tracy Moore and Josh Stewart to be the Cowboys’ go-to receivers in 2012. But “Chuck” definitely showed this spring that he can contribute.
The defensive linemen have been really good at tipping balls at the line of scrimmage. Part of that could be on the quarterbacks, but you’ve got to have solid awareness and athleticism to get a hand up.
Staying with the defensive line, I thought one overlooked player was Ryan Robinson. He had three tackles (two for loss) and one sack. He’s quick off the edge. Mike Gundy has praised Robinson throughout the spring, saying he’s in so much better shape now and has finally “gotten it” after transferring from junior college a year ago.
I thought we’d see more of Herschel Sims. Running backs coach Jemal Singleton was extremely high on Sims’ development when I spoke to him a couple weeks ago. He had really started to show up in recent scrimmages, displaying some speed to get to the outside and then cut up the sideline. That said, it was a positive sign to see Desmond Roland rip off a big 30-yard run run. OSU is pretty stacked at running back, which will be a big help to whoever wins the starting quarterback job.
Cowboy fans better hope that David Glidden can catch a punt.
One of the most entertaining moments happened after the game. While I was in the middle of a media group around Joseph Randle, I noticed out of the corner of my eye that a couple reporters were talking to new tight end/inside receiver Blake Jackson. Interviews are a big no-no for first-year players—yes, even junior college transfers. It took a couple minutes before an OSU media relations staffer noticed this madness, grabbed Jackson and pushed him away. I think this is a silly rule with how much these kids talk to the press during the recruiting process, but it’s something Gundy is pretty adamant about. This means if Wes Lunt wins the starting QB job, you won’t hear from him all season unless the rule is changed or an exception is made.
Once this starting quarterback decision is made—or the decision is made that they will not yet decide on a starter (see what I did there?)—we’ll head into some down time in the summer months. I might even take a vacation…eventually =)
But until some QB news breaks…
Power Lunch leftovers: Bedlam edition
I got a ton of great questions in Thursday’s Power Lunch chat. Here are some of the ones I didn’t get to. Hopefully it’s a good way to kick off your Bedlam Saturday.
If OSU is going to win, the defense must ______?
Get pressure on Landry Jones, who gets a bit skittish and makes bad throws when that happens. If weather becomes a serious factor, stopping the run will be the biggest key and those defensive tackles become the most important players. And, of course, this defense needs to force turnovers to offset the yards it will likely give up.
Which is more likely, Justin Gilbert housing a kickoff return or getting a pick-six?
I’ll say housing a kickoff return, mostly because he’s done that twice this season and the Cowboys have (surprisingly) only taken one turnover to the house all year. OU ranks fourth in the Big 12 in kickoff coverage (43.9 net average). But remember Bedlam last year?
The outcome of Bedlam will come down to who gets the ball last or who can force the most turnovers?
Yes. Oh, you want me to pick one? I’d say which team can force the most turnovers. If one team can win the turnover battle by two or more, then that might be enough possessions for it to build a big enough lead that the other team can’t keep up in what I think is going to be a shootout with very few punts. But don’t be surprised to see this game come down to who has the ball last and who has the best kicker. Quinn Sharp might have a chance to redeem himself for the miss at Iowa State.
All this hype for OSU. Don’t count Bob Stoops out. He will be ready. Maybe that is why he has a great W-L record. What do you think about that?
I think the hype for OSU is warranted—this could be a historic night in Stillwater. But, of course, Bob Stoops will be ready. Our man Berry Tramel wrote about Stoops’ success when the Sooners have their backs against the wall the other day, and there’s a reason why OU hasn’t lost Bedlam since 2002. Everyone picked the Cowboys to win last year and the Sooners came out on top. It’s a similar situation this season, and OU has a great chance to win the game.
It seems like losing to ISU is the worst thing for OU. It exposed some weaknesses (linebacker, offensive line play) and OSU had 10 days to fix them. Do you know if they have focused on those or any other weaknesses this week?
One thing that I know has been a focus is Joseph Randle’s fumbling troubles. I wrote a story about that last week. I’m sure the other weaknesses have been addressed. The offensive line has not been a weakness—in fact, it’s been a big strength—all season until the ISU game, so I’d imagine there didn’t need to be any huge adjustments there. I think the bye week most benefitted OSU because it gave the Cowboys two extra practices to prepare for OU—especially things like the Belldozer package.
Who will have a bigger game, Landry Jones or Brandon Weeden?
I’ll take Weeden, based on how poorly the OU pass defense has played against really good quarterbacks. I touched on this a lot in my pregame story in today’s paper, but Seth Doege hit the Sooners with the short passes and Robert Griffin III hit them with the long ball. Weeden and those receivers can do both.
Do you think OSU’s defense will be able to handle OU’s running game?
Again, if the weather gets messy, that becomes the game’s biggest key. OU isn’t the same without Dom Whaley, but Roy Finch has played well as his replacement and the Sooner offensive line has been strong. And, OSU’s defense has struggled against the run all season. That will be an interesting development to watch if the game turns that way.
What will the Cowboys have to do to slow Frank Alexander down? I’ve only seen him twice, but he seems to be as disruptive as Von Miller was?
Alexander has had a heck of a season—he’s the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year in my mind. But, the Cowboys catch a break since Alexander got hurt in the Iowa State game and is not 100 percent. I’m sure he’ll still be disruptive, but not as nasty as when completely healthy. And on the other side, Ronnell Lewis won’t play. That’s a big blow for OU. I think the only way the Sooners stop the Cowboy passing attack is if they get pressure on Weeden, and not having either end in top shape certainly hurts those chances.
Over/Under: Justin Blackmon 200 yards receiving?
I will say under, but not by much. I’ll go somewhere in the 150-yard range and two touchdowns. This is his last game at BPS. He’s a monster when there’s an extra motivational factor. I expect a huge game from him.
Percentage that the fans rush the field if OSU wins?
100 percent. I have no doubt Cowboys fans will rush the field if OSU beats OU for the first time since 2002, captures its first conference title and earns its first trip to a BCS bowl. The orange and black faithful will want to celebrate. That’s why the theme of our Bedlam Extra section was “Storming the Field.”
Does Mike Gundy get an extension and raise even if they lose to OU?
I don’t make those calls, but I wouldn’t be surprised. Even if the Cowboys lose tonight, he took the program to unprecedented heights this season. He will get rewarded.
OK, you haven’t experienced the game yet, but how would you now compare Bedlam with the Arizona State/Arizona rivalry?
You said it—it’s hard for me to fully compare it without experiencing the game day atmosphere and the game itself. The ASU/UA rivalry is underrated. It’s extremely heated. But it rarely gets attention outside Arizona because both programs are rarely good at the same time. Or good, period. Let’s get real—both programs fired their coaches this year. I will say that OSU and OU fans seem to be more cordial the other 364 days of the year than Sun Devils and Wildcats. But I’m sure that won’t be the case today. Anyway, I can’t wait to soak in the entire environment today, even if the weather does not cooperate much. To say I’m excited to cover this game is a huge understatement.
K-State Carries Special Meaning For Randle
Joe Randle will find some special motivation tonight.
By John Helsley
follow on twitter @jjhelsley
Feel good, Cowboys fans, that Joseph Randle wears orange (or black or gray, whichever it may be) tonight, and not purple.
A star running back out of Wichita, Kansas, Randle might have made Manhattan home. Kansas State coaches made their case and had Randle’s attention.
“They definitely were a serious contender,” Randle said this week. “But I really wanted to come here.”
As always, Randle is a key figure when Oklahoma State takes on K-State in the first-ever meeting featuring both as ranked teams. And don’t be surprised if Randle has a little extra giddyup due to the matchup.
“Yeah, because you know the players on that team,” Randle said. “I know players on that team personally. When I go home, we still hang out and go bowling and stuff like that. It’s going to be special.”
There’s a Wichita connection at play in this game, with Randle on one side and Arthur and Bryce Brown, Tyson Hartman, Chris Harper, Anthony and Jack Cantele, DeMarcus Robinson,Dorrian Roberts and Matthew Pearson all from Wichita.
“A lot of those guys, they come back to Wichita and hang out,” Randle said. “Yeah, it’s going to be special.”
Under Pressure? Pokes Not Showing It
Joseph Randle and the Cowboys are taking any perceived pressure head on.
By John Helsley
follow on twitter @jjhelsley
As the weeks pass by and the victories mount and the unbeatens shrink and the BCS Standings spotlight increases focus, there’s a perception of growing pressure on the top teams.
This year, that includes Oklahoma State.
At 8-0 for the first time in seven decades, there’s a natural rush to wonder how the Cowboys are coping in unchartered territoroy. They’ve already been placed on upset alert and it’s bound to happen again, possibly as soon as Saturday against Kansas State. They’re now being picked at more for their flaw — a defense that surrenders yards, but not necessarily points — than they’re being celebrated for an all-but-unstoppable offense.
Under Pressure?
If they are, the Pokes sure aren’t showing it.
It was just last week, before OSU routed Baylor and ruined Robert Griffin III’s Heisman hopes, that Cowboys coach Mike Gundy proclaimed: “We’re not going to play under pressure. We’re not going to coach under pressure.”
I know it’s cliche, but the Cowboys are taking things one day at a time, and enjoying every step of the process. And hey, aren’t cliches born out of repeated truth?
A reflection of their too-cool coach and their, ahem, mature quarterback, these Cowboys aren’t intimidated by the new neighborhood, they are taking in the scenery as if they belong and are not just stopping by.
And so they go, day to day, doing what’s necessary to get to the next game day, never beyond. That will come in handy if the Cowboys win again against the Wildcats and climb to the No. 2 spot in the BCS, with Nos. 1 and 2, LSU and Alabama, squaring off Saturday night.
Check out this story at athlonsports.com, which picks up on OSU’s pressure play. The story notes how previous first-timers to the BCS pressure-cooker have folded under the spotlight.
Are the Cowboys different?
So far, yes.
