Did You Know? Joe Michalski Played More Snaps Than Any D1 Offensive Player
STILLWATER – It was the middle of last season in doing my Sunday reviews of Oklahoma State because let’s be honest, my view on Saturdays is not the best, down on the field on the sidelines. I have to go back and watch the eye in the sky whether it is the television copy or the “all 11” from Oklahoma State’s football video server that the radio crew thankfully gets access to. Anyway, my weekly review was revealing that center Joe Michalski was a rock of Gibraltar in the middle of the Cowboys offensive line. I began trumpeting the value of Michalski’s performance.
“He didn’t miss a game,” Doak Walker Award winner, All-American and Division I leading rusher Ollie Gordon II said. “Joe is a great guy and I love running behind him. They call a play for me to run behind Joe and I’m down for that. I feel like as long as we keep him healthy, he leads this train and we all follow behind him.”
Not bad as far as compliments go. The source is extremely credible. Gordon II gained 1,737-yards and scored 21 touchdowns thanks in part to Michalski’s run blocking. Ollie also caught 39 passes for 330-yards and a touchdown. Alan Bowman threw for 3,460-yards and 15 touchdowns to guys like Brennan Presley, Rashod Owens, Leon Johnson III, De’Zhaun Stribling and more while only being sacked seven times. None of those were made by Michalski’s blocking assignment.
In fact, Michalski played 1,035 snaps were the most of any Power Five player and third-most of any FBS player. He had 617 pass blocking snaps without allowing a single sack. Like Gordon II said, he is the leader of an offensive line that blocked for the nations’s leading rusher and ranked No. 7 in FBS in sacks allowed per game and ranked No. 14 in sacks allowed in tackles-for-loss per game.
“I didn’t know that,” Michalski said of the statistics.
As for the stats ...
“You have to give credit to Ollie for making us look so good,” Michalski said with humility. He is a quiet guys overall. “I have to credit the guys that I’m working double-teams with and guys I’m passing off twists, it’s not just me. All those individual stats they look nice but it is a team effort and I can’t take all the credit for myself.”
You never can on the offensive line. I agree with Michalski. Offensive line play is five guys working as one. It’s like your hand. Each finger is part of the effort whether you’re lifting, you’re writing, or have your hands folded in prayer. They all play a role. It just so happens that Michalski is playing his role so well that head coach Mike Gundy, offensive line coach Charlie Dickey, and several pro scouts that I know have put Michalski in the same sentence with the words NFL prospect.
“It’s a goal ever since I was a little kid,” Michalski said. “It was the goal and why I play this sport in college. I just am excited that I have opportunity to chase that dream. I’m going to keep working everyday to make sure I take a step closer.”