By John Shinn
Oklahoma’s ability to run the ball has been put under the microscope since last Saturday’s loss to Texas. Every aspect has been dissected to find out why the Sooners could only muster 48 yards on the ground.
“It’s an issue,” OU coach Bob Stoops admitted.
But what kind of issue?
The Sooners haven’t had a problem moving the ball. They’re averaging 522.5 yards, 47.2 points and have scored at least 35 in every game.
Most of that’s been accomplished via the passing game. Halfway through the regular season, rushing yards (157.2 per game) have only accounted for 30 percent of OU’s total offense.
Both coaches and players believe that needs to change and believe it will when the fourth-ranked Sooners (5-1, 1-1 Big 12) face No. 16 Kansas (5-1, 2-0) at 2:30 p.m. today at Owen Field.
“We know that it has not been as good as it has been since the beginning of the season. We have to step up and take responsibility for what’s going on in the running game,” said running back Chris Brown, who was OU’s leading rusher against Texas with 29 yards. “It is not just the offensive line, it’s the backs and the complete offense. It is something that we missed against Texas and also against TCU. This is a week where we have to establish our running game and get it back on track like normal.”
Arguably, it is not only an objective, but a necessity, too.
Being able to run and pass has been a marked characteristic among Big 12 championship teams. Average out the previous 12 title winners and 50.9 percent of their yards came on the ground. Only two of the 12 championship teams have been able to do without running the ball for at least 45 percent of their total offense.
The Sooners are the only program that’s been able to buck the trend. The Big 12 and national championship winning team in 2000 picked up just 31.5 percent of its yards on the ground. Last year’s OU squad set the benchmark for lack of offensive balance by a conference title winner with just 30 percent of its offense coming on the ground.
That could be an indication of the state of defense in the Big 12 and college football. It used to be that defenses played it safe in terror of giving up big plays in the passing game.
Safeties stayed deep and cornerbacks offered receivers a little room.
But that’s changed. Safeties crowd the line of scrimmage just like linebackers and do everything in their power to prevent teams from running the ball.
“There’s something that demoralizes a defense when you run the ball on them,” offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said.
OU defense looked demoralized when Texas started running the ball with success last Saturday.
But defensive stubbornness to halt the run can accelarate opportunities in the passing game and OU has the quarterback, offensive line and receivers to take advantage.
It can lead to a lot of points. But in the second half, when it’s time to nurse a lead and run the clock, the ground game comes back into play. That also cost the Sooners at the Cotton Bowl, as they were unable to sustain second-half drives.
Today, the Sooners might be wise to establish their ground game before they go looking to salt the game away.
“There are a lot of things that need to happen, especially with the offensive line, because if we just blocked everybody we’d be fine,” center Jon Cooper said. “We need to get some things going and establish a rhythm during the game if we want a sufficient run game to take place.”
OU wants its run game to come out of hibernation. It slept through the Texas game. It can’t afford to snooze through another.
John Shinn
366-3536
jshinn@normantranscript.com
