Heisman hopeful runs for 296 yards on K-State, the most in two decades
Remove Barry Sanders’ 1988 Heisman Trophy season, and Chuba Hubbard had the second-best night in an Oklahoma State history that includes NFL running backs like Justice Hill, Chris Carson and Thurman Thomas.
Hubbard, a redshirt sophomore, ran for 296 yards on 25 carries in Kansas State’s 26-13 loss in its Big 12 opener Saturday. K-State hasn’t allowed that many from one player this century.
He averaged more than a first down every time he touched the ball, but K-State coach Chris Klieman said he wasn’t overly worried. OSU entered Saturday averaging 44.5 points per game.
“We knew it was going to be a challenge coming in here and trying to slow down something,” Klieman said. “Whether it was the run game, whether it was the throwing game, the quarterback, our goal was to handle the tempo, not get frustrated if they make a play. Forget about it and move on to the next play and hold them to field goals. So I was pleased with that.
“You can forget about yards. I don’t care about that. We hold them to 26 points, which is a pretty good effort by our defense.”
Hubbard’s performance ranks sixth in OSU history and just 37 yards off the record: Barry Sanders’ 332 yards against Texas Tech.
Hubbard’s longest run came early in the third quarter. After K-State had one of its six three-and-outs, Hubbard took an inside zone handoff, made a jump cut to his right that sucked Wildcat safety Denzel Goolsby up, made another jump cut back to his left and was gone.
Hubbard outran K-State cornerbacks Walter Neil Jr. and A.J. Parker for an 84-yard touchdown. It was the 11th longest in Cowboy history and fourth longest since 2000.
Two weeks ago, K-State faced Mississippi State’s Kylin Hill, one of the best running backs in the SEC. Hill finished with 111 yards on 24 carries. Goolsby said OSU’s schemes were different, and that had the Wildcats guessing at times.
“He hits a gap clean, and you try to take an angle on it, but a guy with that much speed, sometimes it’s hard to judge,” Goolsby said. “It’s a tough spot to be in when he’s hiding behind his offensive linemen and making cuts like that, but that’s your job as a safety.”
Hubbard was a junior national champion sprinter before coming to OSU. He became the Cowboys’ feature back last season after now-Baltimore Raven Justice Hill was injured.
In his first season as OSU’s top offensive weapon, he has rushed for more than 200 yards three times in 30 days. In OSU coach Mike Gundy’s 15 years in Stillwater, he has had a 200-yard rusher only seven other times.
And OSU was missing its right and left tackles.
“I say this to everybody, but anybody could have done what I did today,” Hubbard said. “There were big holes everywhere. I’m thankful to be in this position, but I just have to go up from here.”
Hubbard had runs of 20, 44, 53 and 84. K-State linebacker Elijah Sullivan, who caught his first interception as a Wildcat in the loss, said the Wildcats missed their gaps too often, and that led to Hubbard’s career night.
That said, K-State allowed just two touchdowns in the loss, and only one came in the red zone.
“When you’re stopping them from getting seven points, that’s the goal,” he said. “We did good in the red zone, but you got to do that throughout the whole game.”
Hubbard has 938 rushing yards through five games. He is on pace to finish with more than 2,250 yards. When Sanders won the Heisman, he had 2,628.
Although Klieman said Hubbard’s night won’t faze him too much, defensive end Wyatt Hubert said the chunk plays have to stop next week against Baylor.
K-State entered Saturday averaging 137 rushing yards per game. The Wildcats gave up more than 2.5 times that to the Cowboys.
OSU ran for 373 yards as a team. K-State hasn’t allowed that many since Mississippi State went for 384 last year.
“They have really talented players, and they were making plays,” Hubert said. “Even though we are in our correct gaps or assignment, it just comes down to being a football player.”
This story was originally published September 29, 2019 at 12:19 AM.