OU's running game appears to figure things out in win over South Carolina
COLUMBIA, South Carolina — On the second play of Saturday’s game, Oklahoma’s offense faced second-and-20.
It wasn’t an ideal spot for the Sooners. It certainly wasn’t ideal for the running game, which has struggled all season and particularly in last week’s 17-point loss to Texas. Ben Arbuckle ignored the noise and called his first running play of the game.
Tory Blaylock took the handoff and scampered for 18 yards, giving the Sooners a very manageable third-and-2. That play turned out to be a sign of things to come in the Sooners’ 26-7 win over South Carolina.
“After that run, I knew what type of day it was going to be,” Blaylock said after the game.
It was that kind of day for OU’s rushing attack, which finished with 171 yards and two touchdowns and 40 carries (4.3 yards per carry).
The Sooners set the tone for the running game early. Fueled by that Blaylock early run, the offense ran the ball five times for 50 yards on the opening drive — which accounted for more yards than OU had the entire game against Texas (48). Blaylock capped off the drive with another 18-yard run, scoring to put the Sooners up.
The Sooners stuck with it. They went into halftime with a 14-7 lead, 136 rushing yards and two scores while averaging 7.2 yards per carry, taking pressure off of quarterback John Mateer (150 passing yards).
In the process, the Sooners seemingly found their one-two punch at running game. Blaylock (19 carries, 101 yards) was given the bulk of the work, finishing with a career-best output. Xavier Robinson (11 carries, 58 yards) was very effective as the change-of-pace running back.
The duo seemingly cleared up the issues that have plagued OU’s running back rotation for most of the season.
“They ran with confidence,” Arbuckle said. “They ran with confidence. They didn’t go down easy. There’s a lot of times — and it happens to everyone in the country — maybe someone’s trying to arm tackle them at one or two yards. Well, we weren’t falling down today. We weren’t being tackled. Those guys were running through it. They were playing behind their pads. They were fighting for extra yards. The offensive line was moving the pile. And then whenever the plays came their way, they did an awesome job of sticking their foot north and going.
“And I’m happy for those guys. It’s a testament to the process that they’ve been putting in, that the whole running back room has been putting in over the last four or five weeks. And everybody sees that at the game, but I get to see that at practice. And so it’s something that we can continue to build on. But I’m really, really proud of Tory and X for how tough and physical they were today.”
Maybe more importantly, it was a standout performance for the offensive line. The Sooners had their starting five — including right tackle Derek Simmons, who left the Texas game with an injury — and the offensive line went to work creating running lanes and pushing South Carolina back. The group finished with a 70.7 run-blocking grade, per Pro Football Focus, indicating a solid performance.
Before the game, OU coach Brent Venables challenged both the offensive and defensive line to push their piles forward. That showed up in a big way.
“There’s not a position on your entire football team that requires the chemistry, the cohesion, the trust that’s developed, (like) our offensive line,” Venables said. “We’re getting a little better. We protected pretty good. We ran the ball. We covered people up. We strained.
“If you go back, I challenge you to go watch just the pile, for the most part all day, both sides, went in the right direction. Just finishing strained. Finishing with toughness. Don’t be satisfied. Your effort matters. And man, that’s what a hungry, tough team does. They finish, play in and play out.”
The Sooners’ schedule only gets tougher from here, and they will face stingier defenses. But they came into the game as one of the least productive and least efficient rushing attacks in football. Against the Camecocks, the Sooners answered the call — and potentially found some answers in the process.
““I think it’s important coming off what happened (against Texas),” Mateer said, “coming in here and setting the tone early and making it happen is good. It’s what we needed. It’s what this team needed to show ourselves what we’re made of. So, it’s on to the next week.”
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