OU has turned a corner in the run game recently.
The Sooners have been the No. 3 rushing offense in the Southeastern Conference the last three games with 166 on average. This comes after they put up 122.3 per game through the first six matchups and as their rushing offense ranks No. 11 in the SEC on the season with an average of 137.
“The efficiency of when we are running the ball has just been getting better and by design and by a lot of hard work,” head coach Brent Venables said.
The progress comes as sophomore running back Xavier Robinson has experienced rapid growth. He has 36 carries in the three games after 16 during the first half of the season. He recorded a career-high 115 rushing yards against Tennessee and 109 against Mississippi in his last two games after 108 in the Sooners’ first seven.
Offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle praised Robinson before his rhythm carried over to Tennessee.
“He gave a real spark, …” Arbuckle said. “The way that he has been running consistently, physically, running through trash, breaking tackles and being tough to take down, it's awesome.”
Robinson had a low moment against Tennessee, though, fumbling the ball with the Sooners down 17-16 as 6:47 remained in the third quarter. However, he bounced back with a 4-yard touchdown run in OU’s next drive.
“Other than (the mistake), … (he) played outstanding on the road,” Venables said.
Redshirt junior quarterback John Mateer also contributed to the running success against Tennessee; he put up a season-high 80 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground. He delivered the Sooners' final score of the game with a 1-yard rush into the end zone in the fourth quarter.
Mateer’s ground success comes as he has experienced a drop in pass production since he suffered a hand injury on Sept. 20 against Auburn. He averaged 304 passing yards in the Sooners’ first four games and has thrown for 184 yards per game since.
Venables said he feels proud of Mateer's perseverance.
“He's been fantastic — not perfect, never expected him to be, but he's a guy that continues to come back,” Venables said. “He's got great self-awareness, great work ethic and humility to allow him to improve and get better."
A young offensive line played a factor in the turnaround with freshman offensive tackle Michael Fasusi, freshman offensive tackle Ryan Fodje and redshirt freshman left guard Eddy Pierre-Louis starting against the Volunteers. The trio created space for Robinson and Mateer to prosper.
“The main thing is that we’ve been doing a great job of communicating and having an idea of which way the ball’s going and leveraging blocks,” Pierre-Louis said.
The Sooners are currently listed as the second team out of the College Football Playoffs and look to maximize the run game to push them forward.
“Gaining confidence and gaining rhythm into everything that we're doing, …” Venables said, “running the football effectively, that's the whole key.”
