The Next Thurman?

Originally Published: Oct 19, 2010 10:56 PM CDT

It was an eye-opening comment at the very end of Mike Gundy’s weekly news conference. A question about freshman Joseph Randle brought a comparison by the Cowboys’ head coach to THURMAN THOMAS.

Gundy says Randle isn’t as shifty as Thomas was at this stage of his career, but the versatility, the quickness all remind him of his former backfield mate.

Randle may be the key to OSU offensive success Saturday against Nebraska. The Huskers surprisingly haven’t been great at getting to the quarterback, so they’ll dial up the pressure, relying on their talented corners to cover Justin Blackmon and the other Cowboy receivers. They’ll also have a keen eye on Kendall Hunter when he’s handed the ball. But bringing pressure and trying to stop Hunter is a handful, and I’m sure Dana Holgorsen and offensive staff can envision Randle coming out of the backfield on screens and swing passes.

Randle rushed for 95 yards and caught 3 passes for 44 more in the win at Texas Tech. If for some reason he’s ignored by the Huskers, then OSU’s number 1 could be the one big reason why the Cowboys moved the ball on one of the nation’s top defenses.