By: Heath Moorman (@Heat1017)
Del Este Leads the League in QB Rtg
If you don’t frequent it often, make your way over to the League Leaders page by either clicking on the Menu button above or following the Stats button if you are on PC. One of the first things that you’ll find listed there is that Himoteo Del Este for the Oklahoma Sooners leads the league in QB Rtg, closely followed by Miami’s TJ Cunnington. Part of the reason Del Este has been able to keep himself at the top of this board is due to efficient passing, only recording 20 incompletions thus far, with one being an INT. Compare that to 9 TDs on a 7.6% TD/pass percentage, Del Este is firmly doing the right things with the ball.
However, as Oklahoma prepares to enter conference play, they are looking at a league that has been ball-hawkish to this point. There are currently five conference players with multiple INTs. If Del Este expects to continue to take care of the ball the way he has, then Oklahoma will need to lean into their running game a little bit more. Neither of their top rushers is inside the top 10, and even if you combine their top two rushing stats, they would still be outside the top 5 individual rushers on the season.
Taylor James has Competition for the Rushing Title
After the Week 1 explosion that happened in Colorado’s backfield, James has been slowed and has now been passed on the leaderboard for rushing yards. We now have a QB leading the league in rushing with Penn State’s Colter Thomas.
Thomas leads the league in carries, yards, TDs, and 20+ yard runs, is sixth in broken tackles, and is fourth among rushers with at least 50 in yards per carry. It’s not just that he gets lots of touches and adds up the little runs. He’s running away with some of these games as his 8 touchdowns and 8 20+ yard runs show.
The last quarterback we had to lead the league in rushing was Sam Dobbins in Season 18. It will be interesting to watch Thomas going forward to see if he has what it takes to keep the rushing title for himself or if James or some other HB will eventually overtake him.
Oklahoma Defense Playing the Best in the League
We’ve already talked about how impressive Oklahoma’s offensive attack has been in terms of efficiency, but their defense is also worthy of the headlines. I considered switching these two in the order in which one was the opener. I decided to save the best for last because Oklahoma is the best defense in the league, and frankly, it’s not even close. They are currently allowing the fewest points per game, the second fewest yards per game, the third fewest rushing yards per game, and the third fewest first downs per game. They lead the league in sacks at 13, and they’re third in takeaways. All this adds up to having one of the most efficient defenses in the league all around.
If I can give any advice to this Oklahoma defense, it’d be this. Shake your QB’s hand. Buy him a steak dinner. Make sure you show him your thanks. Just like how the offensive line takes care of the quarterback, your quarterback is currently taking care of you as well. Avoiding costly turnovers and putting up long, sustained drives to keep you chilling on the sideline. Not to say that the Oklahoma defense would be inept without Del Este, quite the contrary. This defense has proven that they’re great on their own accord. This team has all the pieces it needs to make a title run if they keep their heads on.
Big XII Results Week 2
Colorado falls to Auburn, 24-37
Texas A&M beats Alabama 45-38
Oklahoma beats Michigan 31-28
Penn State beats West Virginia 29-22
Texas falls to Florida 38-51
Nebraska beats Notre Dame 35-28
Big XII Schedule Week 3
Monday, May 26
Texas vs Oklahoma (6:30 PM, Twitch)
Tuesday, May 27
Colorado vs. Nebraska (8:30 PM, Twitch)
Thursday, May 22
West Virginia vs. Texas A&M (8:30 PM, Twitch)
Potential Big XII Game of the Week
Colorado vs. Nebraska – marking Nebraska’s first conference game of their return to the league, this one could get interesting if Colorado decides to run the rock with Taylor James. Nebraska’s defense is vulnerable all over, and Colorado might take the opportunity to rack up the stats. On the flip side of the ball, however, Nebraska has been running rampant for two weeks, and Colorado’s defensive strength has been in their secondary. We have the opportunity to see a game where the rushing total combines for over 800 yards.
