DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown reported no changes in their condition Saturday. Both felt about the same as they have all year. There was nothing mysterious about how they played in the fourth-ranked Sooners’ 45-31 victory over No. 16 Kansas.
“The offensive line was getting a push,” Brown said after running for 92 yards and a touchdown. “They were getting up the field and making gaping holes.”
Those holes were huge for an offense that’s put up huge numbers in every game this season, but taken hits for its lack of run production against TCU and Texas. Coaches, players, even fans made no secret that OU’s obsession was to get back to being balanced against Kansas. Practices were physical and furious in the days leading up to the game.
Only getting 48 yards the week before against Texas was like a slap in the face. Something had to change if the Sooners were going to play at their full potential.
“That was the big focus from the coaches. They wanted to get the running game going,” center Jon Cooper said. “We came up to the challenge and it was great that the coaches gave us that opportunity.”
It became obvious something had changed late in the first quarter. That’s when Murray took a handoff and bounced outside for 17 yards. Runs like that are expected from Murray, but it was his longest carry since the season-opening win over Tennessee-Chattanooga. Then he took another and sprinted up the middle for another dozen.
It continued throughout the afternoon. Brown added a 14-yard touchdown run late in the first half to give the Sooners a 21-10 lead. He outran one defender the sideline then cut upfield while making another miss on the way to the end zone.
Those kinds of plays have been rare for OU’s running backs this season. Most carries have been more 3-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust than quick sprints into the secondary and beyond.
Most of it got overshadowed by the performance Sooner quarterback Sam Bradford put on. His record-setting 468-yard performance or Juaquin Iglesias’ 12-catch, 191-yard afternoon will be the lasting memory.
But it was also the day OU’s offensive line and running backs were challenged and an emphatic response was given.
“It was on our shoulders,” Brown said. “We had to come out and try to make a statement.”
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KEVIN ELLIS
Discussion
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