OSU football notebook: Better off not knowing
BY JIMMIE TRAMEL World Sports Writer
Saturday, October 13, 2012
10/13/12 at 3:25 AM
People who dissect college football stats might be interested to know things like how Oklahoma State leads the nation in yards per rush and how only five teams in the country surrender more yards per rush than Kansas.
Draw your own conclusions about what might happen when the Cowboys play a Big 12 road opener Saturday against the Jayhawks.
But OSU senior guard Jonathan Rush said he doesn't pay any attention to stats, and he certainly doesn't want to know any of the above.
Said Rush, "See, that messes you up because then you start thinking, 'oh, we'll do good.' You start making yourself think that it will be easier than it is. Then you go out there and they hit you in the mouth and it's like, 'crap.' You know what I mean? You're always better off not knowing. You've got a faceless opponent. That way you always come out playing your best."
Sympathy for Savannah State?: Despite pulling starters early, OSU beat Savannah State 84-0 in a season opener. The Tigers are still winless this season, dropping to 0-5 with a 45-6 loss to Morgan State last week.
Rush was asked if he feels badly for Savannah State.
"That's a sticky question, man," he said. "Any team you play, after you beat them, you want them to win out theoretically (because it looks better for you). So the fact that they are not doing that, it's a bummer. I wish the best of luck to them."
Breaking away: OSU's nation-leading yards-per-rush average is 6.94. The Cowboys' top three running backs each average more than 5.9 yards per carry.
"Our coach, he always stays on us to make sure that we are running through tackles," Jeremy Smith said, adding that OSU's backs are always getting run through the "gauntlet."
Smith was referring to a piece of practice equipment used by teams all over the country. Ballcarriers run through a chute-type contraption spiked with sturdy-but-flexible rods.
"It hurts running through them," Smith said. "It can even knock us down sometimes if we are running too tall. But it really helps (simulate game conditions) because once you get through running through that hole (in a game), there are guys trying to grab at you and everything. It's just the same thing, running through the gauntlet."
Oklahoma State At Kansas
2:30 p.m. Saturday
Memorial Stadium, Lawrence, Kan.
TV: FSOK-27
Radio: KFAQ-1170
Weather: High in 70s, thunderstorms in forecast.
Records: OSU 2-2, 0-1 Big 12; KU 1-4, 0-2 Big 12.
Last meeting: OSU defeated KU 70-28 in Stillwater last year.
Series: OSU leads 31-29-2 and has won the past two meetings by a cumulative score of 118-42.
Associated Images:
Rush
Smith
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