Central Michigan came into last weekend’s game against Oklahoma State as 19 point underdogs, according to Odds Shark. The game featured two possible NFL Draft picks in this upcoming draft with Mason Rudolph and Cooper Rush. Oklahoma State did struggle against Central Michigan last season, coming away with a 24-13 win. Rush’s toughness and leadership showed big time in Central Michigan’s 30-27 upset win over Oklahoma State. Rudolph did not fair as well as Rush did in the game on Saturday. Let’s take a look at why Cooper Rush was the best quarterback in Stillwater after Central Michigan’s upset win.
Cooper Rush was the Best Quarterback in Stillwater after Central Michigan’s Upset Win
Game Recap
Rush had a big game against Oklahoma State throwing for 361 yards and four touchdowns to only one interception. In comparison, Rudolph threw for 261 yards and two touchdowns to one interception. Central Michigan passed the ball 42 times compared to Oklahoma State’s 44. However, it seemed like the Cowboys abandoned the run game after the first half. Justice Hill, their leading rusher in the game, only carried the ball five times for 31 yards. Neither team got much going on the ground though. Central Michigan averaged 2.2 yards per carry and Oklahoma State averaged 1.9.
Furthermore, it seemed like the Cowboys were going to walk away with a three point victory when Rudolph threw the ball out of bounds and left no time on the clock. The referees called it intentional grounding and mistakenly gave the Chippewas another chance. Central Michigan ran a hook and ladder that would result in a touchdown. According to Scout.com, the referees and replay crew have been suspended for multiple games after blowing the call, and in result, blowing the game. Yet, with all the fuss made about the call, the game really came down to third down conversions. The Chippewas converted 8-15 third downs, where the Cowboys only converted 1-11.
Rush Earns MAC Scholar-Athlete Award https://t.co/4lhnOThD84 #FireUpChips pic.twitter.com/L9CKP5kemo
— CMU Football (@CMU_Football) September 14, 2016
Comparing the Two Quarterbacks
Rudolph came into the game as the more known quarterback, also with a higher draft stock. According to Walter Football, Rudolph is rated as the sixth best quarterback in the 2017 NFL Draft class. Whereas Rush is not even mentioned on the list. Rudolph has the prototypical NFL quarterback size at 6-5, 235 pounds. Rush is a stockier quarterback at 6-3, 230 pounds.
During the game, Rudolph started off strong leading the Cowboys to a 14-0 lead after the first quarter. The Cowboys also got good pressure on Rush in the first half. However, Rush responded well, hanging in the pocket for almost every throw. He really started to find a rhythm in the second quarter. Central Michigan wide receivers Tyler Conklin and Jesse Kroll caught 13 passes for 187 yards and two touchdowns combined. The only interception Rush threw was a curl route that was picked off by Ramon Richards, and he didn’t even turn around until a split second before the ball was caught. Rudolph threw a very untimely interception in the red zone on a fade route to James Washington. Whether you’re looking at stats, leadership, or winning the game, Rush was the better quarterback on Saturday.
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