Sophomore running back Adrian Peterson's explosion in the second half of Saturday's 42-14 win over Oklahoma State not only gave the Sooners a seventh win, it showed that when healthy, Peterson makes OU tough to beat.

Peterson wins national award



o The Walter Camp Foundation named OU sophomore running back Adrian Peterson the nation's offensive player of the week this week.



o Peterson carried 24 times for 237 yards and two touchdowns during OU's 42-14 win over Oklahoma State on Saturday.



o The Palestine, Texas native ran for a career-long 84-yard touchdown and added a 71-yard score. The award was his third in his first two seasons.

Peterson injured his ankle twice this season, once against TCU and again, more seriously, against Kansas State.

He went on to miss the remainder of the Kansas State game and most of the Texas, Kansas and Baylor games.

And though Peterson was getting healthier toward the end of the season, Saturday's game was the only one in which Peterson was 100 percent.

The OU offense benefited from the healthy runner, picking up 560 offensive yards.

Head coach Bob Stoops said Peterson's injury was difficult to manage, because it was a high ankle sprain.

Peterson couldn't make the cuts he was used to making, and the Sooners struggled without him.

"He (Peterson) has handled it (the injury) great," Stoops said. "I'm sure all along it was frustrating to a point, but he also understands that it is no one's fault that he's hurt."

OU won games without Peterson, but the offense has come alive in the last four games since he returned. Peterson led the way with 626 rushing yards and eight touchdowns.

"Him being out hurt us earlier in the year because it takes out our balance," OU redshirt freshman Rhett Bomar said.

Bomar said with Peterson in the lineup, defenses have had to stay up front, leaving more opportunities in the passing game.

Against OSU, Bomar said the plan was to pound the ball and wear out the Cowboys. With Peterson healthy, it worked.

"Everybody knows he's a great player. He has shown it for two years," Bomar said. "I just hand him the ball and watch him run."

Peterson carried the ball 24 times against the Cowboys, gaining just 27 yards in the first half, but he got stronger as the game wore on. In the second half, Peterson picked up 210 yards.

Senior fullback J.D. Runnels said he knew eventually Peterson would break through the line.

"When the kid gets in his groove, there's nothing you can do," Runnels said. "We played well as an offense but he played spectacular."

And though Peterson broke the 1,000-yard plateau for the second straight season, he has garnered little media attention.

Offensive coordinator Chuck Long and many of Peterson's teammates don't think it's fair.

"The fact that he's been hurt and got 1,000 yards in a year like this year speaks as much as last year," Long said. "He's not going to the Heisman ceremony.

"But rebounding and doing that after being injured and sitting out games speaks volumes for how hard he's worked to come back."

Stoops said Peterson's persistence kept him going despite injuries, as well as his ability to go beyond stats and headlines.

"He has a general humbleness to him, and he wasn't sitting around worrying that he wasn't the guy getting all the attention," Stoops said. "He was a great teammate and able to come back. Look what he's done."
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