Sooners Focus on Improving Running Game

Originally Published: Aug 6, 2010 11:37 AM CDT

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Corey DeMoss
Oklahoma Sports Staff Writer

NORMAN, Oklahoma-- In Oklahoma’s disappointing 2009 football season, the running game was consistently one of the most glaring issues. The Sooners are focused on fixing that problem this year.

Last year, the Sooners averaged just 3.6 yards per carry and leading rusher Chris Brown gained 749 yards. The year before, the team averaged 4.7 yards per carry, while Brown and DeMarco Murray both gained more than 1,000 yards.

Offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said solidifying the running game will be the team’s most important goal this season.

“We need balance, and to me the key to balance is, ‘Can you run the football?’” Wilson said. “If we have a commitment to run the ball and we get our running game going, we actually throw it better. If we can’t run it, we become one-dimensional.”

One of the biggest reasons the running game struggled to maintain consistency last season was the injury-ravaged offensive line. Injuries became so widespread that two different tight ends – Brody Eldridge and Eric Mensik – were forced to change positions in order to fill holes.

Perennial All-American tackle Trent Williams left for the NFL, leaving the line without a clear leader. But Wilson does not necessarily see that as a bad thing.

“It’s more competitive, maybe because the differential between player one and player 12 is not that great,” Wilson said. “Last year player one, Trent, was unbelievably talented. Maybe the competition is greater because a couple [starters] aren’t phenomenally overloaded.”

The Sooners recruited a total of five offensive linemen and permanently moved Mensik to tackle, giving them significantly more depth. Head coach Bob Stoops was impressed with the way his offensive line performed in the spring.

“I feel good, I think there are a bunch of guys up front that will be quality players,” Stoops said. “I thought they did a really good job competing in the spring. I think both our fronts, offensive line and defensive line, the way we competed in the spring gave us a chance to be very solid.”

The line will need to open holes for DeMarco Murray, who stands to see a substantial increase in carries this season. The explosive running back has been limited by injuries in each of the last two seasons, but Wilson said he is now the healthiest he has been in almost three years.

“It would be nice to increase his workload,” Wilson said. “The last couple years in practice, he has had some limitations in how much he can practice with his knee. When you’re not practicing, it’s hard to go out there and be physical and pound it in there 20 or 25 times. He needs to be a guy who gets 18-24 touches, whatever that magic number is.”

Wilson hesitated to call Murray “injury-prone,” but did acknowledge his past health concerns. However, Wilson also said the team cannot let Murray take it easy simply because he has been hurt in the past.

“I’m of the opinion that if you’re a good running back, you’ve got to scrimmage a little bit, get used to toting it and getting hit,” Wilson said. “Yeah you can always get hurt, but you can get hurt crossing the street and in the weight room with all the lifting ? To increase his workload, we have to increase his practice. The more he practices, the stronger he’s going to play.”

With the departure of Chris Brown, the No. 2 running back position is now open. Jermie Calhoun and Jonathan Miller saw action last year, but Miller sustained an injury that sidelined him for the season and did not allow him to take part in spring practice.

“I think those guys need to have a heightened sense of readiness to go, to seize the moment,” Wilson said. “Jon is a little bit of an unknown to us as a staff because you knew what you had, but from that injury he was not allowed to participate in spring ball so we haven’t seen him with the ball in his hand or running.”

Joining the backfield this season are true freshmen Roy Finch and Brennan Clay, both of whom have turned heads in practice.

“[Calhoun and Miller] are two guys, from an outside view coming in, you see flashes, but you don’t have enough substance to say, ‘He’s ready to be the guy,’” Wilson said. “I think that’s why the two young guys are really going to be in those guys’ hip pocket and pushing them.”