OSU meets KU
Four games in, quarterback Taylor Cornelius has struggled on deep throws. But can the Cowboys get back on track?
STILLWATER — A year ago, it was almost automatic.
A James Washington sprint. A Mason Rudolph chuck. In the end, a touchdown.
In 2018, not so much. Oklahoma State’s best offensive weapon from last season, the deep ball is nonexistent in this year’s offense. Entering Saturday’s game at Kansas, Taylor Cornelius, Rudolph’s successor at quarterback, is 3-of-19 on pass attempts that traveled 30 or more yards downfield, based on The
Oklahoman’s film review of OSU’s first four games.
“When we started the year, we all knew we didn’t have James anymore,” coach Mike Gundy said. “James is an unbelievable deep threat. You’re gonna fall off some in that area. That’s not a surprise to us.”
Rudolph, the Cowboys’ all-time leading passer, and Washington, the program’s leading receiver, are NFL teammates in Pittsburgh, drafted in consecutive rounds. But back in Stillwater, OSU has yet to find a way to replicate their greatest strength.
The 2017 Cowboys had 46 completions of at least 30 yards in 13 games, but through four games in 2018, OSU has managed nine. Rudolph had 17 passes of at least 50 yards in 2017, 13 of them to Washington or Marcell Ateman. Cornelius has two, though neither came on a deep pass; against Missouri State, Chuba Hubbard turned a screen into a 54-yard touchdown, and more than 45 yards of Tyron Johnson’s 60-yard reception against South Alabama came after the catch.
“We’re doing the same stuff,” Gundy said. “We look the same . ... Well, there’s two things that look different. Obviously, James Washington not running down the field and throwing it up and him accelerating under the ball. Nobody in the country had that. And then Ateman was a dangerous, dangerous threat backside.”
Johnson has been the target of seven of Cornelius’ 30-plus-yard pass attempts, one more than leading receiver Tylan Wallace. The only completion among those seven was a 35-yard catch against Boise State where Johnson won a jump ball against his defender.
Earlier this week, Johnson said the dearth of deep connections between him and Cornelius isn’t related to poor throws or routes, but timing. He used “landmarks” to describe the points on the field where he and the quarterback should be syncing up.
“If we’re not there at the same time, then the ball will look off, when it really is my fault or something like that,” Johnson said. “We just have to be on the same page.”
After last week’s 41-17 loss to Texas Tech, in which he went 0-for-5 with an interception on passes at least 30 yards downfield, Cornelius used some form of “gotta play better” or “gotta make throws” seven times to describe his performance.
“I don’t think you can get stuck on saying this is what we do and this is what we’re going to hang our hat on,” offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich said after the loss.
“If we’re not going to make plays down the field as high a frequency as we had in the past, then we have to do a better job, I have to do a better job of getting us in situations ... that can complement your offense other than just taking shots deep.”