By the numbers: Offensive numbers stay high

We all know that the numbers don’t tell the whole story (or as Todd Monken would say, “stats are, really, for losers”). But each week, we’ll update where Oklahoma State ranks in the NCAA’s major statistical categories.

After sputtering against Kansas two weeks ago, the Oklahoma State offense found its footing again last week against Iowa State. J.W. Walsh passed for 415 yards, the ninth-best performance in school history, despite playing the majority of the game on a severely injured knee that will now keep him out for the rest of the season. The Cowboys nearly had three receivers — Charlie Moore, Josh Stewart, Blake Jackson — go over 100 yards. Joseph Randle bounced back with more than 150 yards on the ground.

As a result, the Cowboys rank in the top 10 in the nation in virtually every offensive category.

Some other notes:

OSU is slowly climbing out of the cellar in penalties (77th) and penalty yardage (96). Those rankings don’t seem great, but at one point, the Cowboys ranked near the bottom of the nation in those categories, mostly because of the terrible showing at Arizona.

The Cowboys still rank low in turnover stats.

OSU is still very, very low in kickoff coverage. But that stat is a bit misleading, given the few opportunities the opposing team has to even return a kickoff, because of Quinn Sharp’s touchback capability. Still, giving up a touchdown return isn’t good.