Too early to panic: Ollie Gordon's early-season struggles common among elite running backs

However, the adversity he faced through two games is quite common for backs of his caliber.

From 2014-2022, only 82 running backs in the country rushed for 1,500-plus yards in a season including the postseason.

Ignoring the shortened 2020 season, which only produced one such back, less than 8% of teams produced one back with 1,500 rushing yards.

In 2023, Gordon was only one of five running backs to hit that threshold as he led the nation with 1,732 yards, good enough for the sixth-best season in Oklahoma State history.

Barry Sanders had unbelievable work habits, but nobody knew who he was, right, Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said just days before the season-opener.

Because he was playing behind Thurman (Thomas).

And then he had the one year, and then he came out early and went to the NFL.

Some of the other backs that we've had over the years haven't had to follow up a season, like, what Ollie is getting into, right.

Joe Randle, Dantrell Savage, Kendall Hunter.

Those guys havent had to follow up on national notoriety.

The truth is few backs anywhere find themselves in the situation Gordon faces this season.

Hes the third back to return to college after winning the Doak Walker Award given to the nations best running back since 2014.

Of the 87 running backs to rush for 1,500 yards since then, only 40, including Gordon and two others this season, have returned the following year.

Only nine of those players hit the same milestone the next season and one-third of those spots belong to Colts starter Jonathan Taylor (twice) and 49ers top option Christian McCaffrey.

Thats the elite list Gordon is chasing.

Currently that pursuit is going badly.

He has carried the ball 45 times for 175 yards and averaged only 3.9 yards per attempt.

That puts him on pace for only 1,137 yards in a 13-game season.

Which, again, is all very normal.

Of the backs who returned, they averaged 1,205 yards, but thats being nice and excluding the two running backs who failed to reach 500 yards the following year due to injury, which is absolutely a big reason backs struggle to put together consecutive 1,500-yard seasons.

Noteworthy RBs under Gundy after 45 carries: Kendall Hunter ('10): 388 yards, 6 TDs Chuba Hubbard ('19): 336 yards, 7 TDs Kendall Hunter ('08): 317 yards, 4 TDs Ollie Gordon ('23): 265 yards, 3 TDs Ollie Gordon ('24): 175 yards, 4 TDs Chuba Hubbard ('20): 164 yards, 1 TD Kendall Hunter ('09): 164 yards, 1 TD Hubbard missed four games in 2020 and was limited in others.

He finished the season with only 627 yards.

In 2009, Hunter had 32 carries before getting sidelined with an injury for five games, at which point he returned in limited fashion.

Amazingly, his yards per carry actually went up after his return, but he still finished the season with only 382 yards.

Current Texas Tech starting running back Tahj Brooks has already missed one of two games due to injury this season.

Then there is the other returning 1,500-yard rusher this season, North Carolinas Omarion Hampton.

His first 41 carries went for 206 yards, putting him behind his pace and yards-per-carry numbers set last season.

Injury and fatigue are just two reasons backs might fail to duplicate their results next season, and theres still plenty of time and reason to believe that Gordon will find a way to buck history this season.

His early-season numbers dont seem to accurately reflect his ability or health as much as it suggests Oklahoma States offensive line is struggling with the extra defensive attention Gordon is receiving this season.

For one thing, hes already forced 14 missed tackles this season after taking four full games to hit that mark last season.

We're getting half (defender extra in the box), so like the guy that's cheating on pass, and then he's coming in there, and we don't have a block for.

...

The run blocking has been average, Gundy said.

And then you add the half-person, and not a great combination there.

But there's no reason to panic just yet.

Last season, Gordon didnt top 100 yards in a game until week four.

He didnt top 200 until weeks seven and eight, and Gordon rushed for 100-plus yards in seven of his final nine games overall.

In that way, his game stats reflected Gordons output per quarter last season.

Gordon averaged 7.7 and 6.7 yards per carry in the third and fourth quarters, respectively.

Those late-game numbers werent lost on opposing Big 12 coaches, either.

The challenge was tackling him last year in the fourth quarter, West Virginia coach Neal Brown said.

We did a pretty good job early in the game, and the longer it went, his physicality just wore us down..

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