MIAMI GARDENS, Florida — Offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley and running backs coach Jay Boulware were tasked with finding a way to incorporate two high-caliber tailbacks this season.
The two Sooner assistants had to manage splitting carriers between sophomore Samaje Perine, OU’s primary rusher in 2014, and redshirt freshman Joe Mixon, who was ranked a five-star prospect out of high school.
Rivals and 247Sports rated Mixon as the No. 1 running back in the country out of high school. But Mixon wasn’t bothered at all with the potential for splitting reps at OU.
"In college, there’s a lot of people that have to do that," Mixon said at OU's Orange Bowl media day session Tuesday. "I’m just grateful to play — some people don’t get to play."
For Perine, he’s grateful to no longer be Oklahoma’s workhorse.
Perine carried the ball 263 times for 1,713 yards during his freshman season. This year, he’s carried the ball 211 times, while Mixon has received 110 carries.
“I heard Samaje quoted somewhere going into the next-to-last game of the year that he can’t believe how good he feels, not having to take all the snaps,” coach Bob Stoops said. “So he’s fresher, healthier. Feels better. Those guys (Riley and Bouleware) have done a great job of managing the two of them.”
As OU approached the end of its grueling 2014 season, a leg injury removed Perine from Oklahoma's overtime loss against Oklahoma State on Dec. 6, 2014.
The addition of Mixon has lessened the load on Perine. And the two physical running backs have complemented each other quite well as OU awaits its College Football Playoff match-up with No. 1 Clemson Thursday afternoon.
"We feed off of each other, and to have him back there knowing what he's capable of, it's comforting," Perine said Monday. "I don't feel like there's much of a drop off, if any. There's probably not.
"There's probably some games when he's in the game or when both of us are in the game, it's even better, because defenses don't really know what to expect. It's fun to watch him do what he does, and it's fun to play with him when we're both back there."
Stoops says he sees similarities between the duo and Oklahoma's 2008 backfield, which helped the Sooners to a Big 12 title and national title appearance.
“(Mixon and Perine) are as good as any I’ve had," Stoops said. "The only ones I’d maybe compare them would be DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown — our 2008 team that played Florida in the national championship down here. They were both 1,000 yard rushers. But there are not many like that, that are that physical.”
Perine and Mixon will test their strengths against a Tiger defense that's given up only 128.8 rushing yards per game this season, while Oklahoma has averaged 235 yards on the ground.
Oklahoma and Clemson are set for a 4 p.m. kick-off at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens. ESPN will carry the broadcast.
