Why Sanders’ run game is a big weapon
STILLWATER — Oklahoma State quarterback Spencer Sanders turned quickly to his right and pulled back his arm to fire a pass, but he quickly noticed the Tulsa defender jumping in front of the targeted receiver.
So Sanders immediately spun around and ran to his left, finding open space and gaining 37 yards to set up what turned out to be the game-winning touchdown in last Saturday’s 28-23 victory over Tulsa.
Sanders had an average day throwing the football against Tulsa, completing 15 of 26 passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns. But his 62 rushing yards accounted for almost half of OSU’s total ground production as the Cowboys still try to solve their run game issues.
With OSU heading to Boise State on Saturday for an 8 p.m. game, it has become clear that Sanders’ rushing ability from the quarterback spot is perhaps the Cowboys’ most dangerous weapon.
He ran the ball 10 times last Saturday, but two of those were sacks, and three more were scrambles after pass plays broke down. Sanders’ number of designed run plays accounted for half of his attempts — a percentage that should increase going forward.
“When he runs the ball, he’s dangerous,” OSU head coach Mike Gundy said. “I’d like for him to not fumble the ball. He needs to do a better job with ball security.
“We didn’t protect him as well as we should’ve, so that’s always gonna factor in with a quarterback, it doesn’t make a difference who that guy is. So I thought he played good. If we protected him better, he had a chance to play a little better. And we had some drops, right? Some balls that went on the ground that
shouldn't have gone on the ground.”
But Sanders' ability to run is an equalizer in the blocking game, which is why it's so valuable.
“He still is a threat running the ball. He makes plays running the football,” Gundy said. “I think the quarterback run threat is a big part of college football. You don't see a lot of Brandon Weeden style of offenses anymore.
“If you're dominant up front and you have dominant receivers and really good running backs, you can run any kind of offense you want. It doesn't make any difference at all. If you have a deficiency somewhere in the system, you have to find a way to make up for it.”
That's where the quarterback run game becomes a factor. The defense is trying to gain an edge with an extra defender against the run, and the offense is trying to negate that extra defender.
“If you have a quarterback that's mobile, that allows you to do some of that, because he can make up for the extra guy,” Gundy said. “If we have six people — five linemen and a Cowboy back — in to block, and they've got seven people in the box, the only way you can run the ball, unless somebody just makes somebody miss, is if the quarterback becomes a factor. Because they've got one more guy than you do.”
Sanders, who missed the season opener because of COVID-19 protocols, said he had some first-game nerves to deal with in his season debut — suggesting he should be a little more calm at Boise State on Saturday.
“I just mainly tried to focus on, don't over-prepare, don't over-think,” Sanders said. “I just kept telling myself, ‘It's never too much you can handle.' I'm surrounded by a great group of guys. We've got a great defense on the other side. It's always fun to get out there, so I was more excited than anything.
“I've just got to be better in all aspects of my game. As long as we keep working together and keep moving as a team, I think we can get a lot better.”