How Oklahoma is Working to Correct 'Frustrating' Inconsistencies in Running Game

NORMAN — Seven games into the season, Oklahoma’s running game is still characterized by frustrating inconsistency.

The No. 6-ranked Sooners ran for 189 yards in Saturday’s 31-29 win over UCF, 21 yards over OU’s season average.

Running back Gavin Sawchuk found another gear in the fourth quarter, helping Oklahoma come from behind to win the contest, but still it felt like the Sooners left plenty on the field.

UCF was a bottom 10 rushing defense in college football, yet OU struggled to get into rhythm early against the Knights without Tawee Walker, who missed the contest due to an Oklahoma team suspension.

“I don’t think we played up to our standards the way that I know our O-line can be,” OU left tackle Walter Rouse said on Tuesday night after practice. “I didn’t play up to my standard. We got off to a flat start. Obviously we can’t let that happen because… any team any time can beat the other team. It doesn’t matter we’re 6-0 and UCF is whatever their record was. They came to play. We have to have that respect for each team that comes in and whoever we go to. That can’t happen.”

There have been a host of variables for OU’s ground attack all season.

The Sooners have started three different players at left guard, most recently settling on true freshman Cayden Green, who started the year at left tackle.

McKade Mettauer’s injury against Texas also forced Miami (OH) transfer Caleb Shaffer into a starting role against the Knights.

And a lead running back still hasn’t emerged.

Marcus Major leads all rushers with 78 attempts this year, but he’s currently hampered by a shoulder injury.

Walker is expected to return to the lineup this week, and he has the best average yards per carry (4.5) of any running back who has gotten more than 10 touches this year.

Sawchuk was hampered by a hamstring injury early in the season, and Jovantae Barnes hasn’t looked himself after undergoing a foot procedure this past spring.

Those factors have all lead to a running back rotation that has been volatile week-to-week, something running backs coach DeMarco Murray has had to manage.

“DeMarco is the CEO of his position,” OU coach Brent Venables said during his weekly press conference on Tuesday. “… That’s why you pay them, to make those decisions. But certainly, you’ve got to get so-and-so in the game, things of that nature. A lot of it is based on practice. There’s a body of work always.”

One of the few constants for the Sooners has been the ability to put it all together late.

Oklahoma leaned on Walker to help extend its lead against SMU in Week 2 after the Mustangs cut the deficit to 14-11 early in the fourth quarter.

Dillon Gabriel marched the team right down the field with 1:17 left on the clock to beat Texas, and OU’s offense again ran through the finish line against UCF.

The Sooners have shown they can play disciplined, physical football when it counts, adding to the frustration when the offense struggled to put together a full four quarter performance.

“It’s been a lot of different things, whether it’s the backs or how we’re finishing on the perimeter or how we’re doing on the perimeter,” offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby said after the victory over UCF. “It’s not just one position group. It’s the entire group, the entire time with the entire group being the entire unit.

“We need to continue to find ways to run the football when we want to. We have to continue to find ways to create some explosives. We need that in a bad way.”

The slow start on Saturday left the offensive line vexed, as they have a higher standard for themselves.

“I think it’s frustrating the fact that we know what we can do,” said Rouse, “then we don’t do it… We have the ability and skill across the board. When we don’t do that, it’s frustrating to ourselves. It’s frustrating because we know what we can do. We have to come out and do that every single time.”

In the heat of the battle, the group works closely with offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh to current the mistakes on the fly.

“It definitely gets intense on the sideline,” Rouse said. “But it’s not the fact we’re going after each other or bringing each other down. We like to call each other up.

“… You have to stay connected as a unit, as a whole. If we’re not, you’ll fall apart. Being cohesive as one unit. When someone messes up, recognize what went wrong or what the group did wrong. Keep calling each other up and keep moving forward.”

The different starting lineups has challenged the cohesion of the offensive line so far. But Rouse believes with all the work the group put in throughout fall camp and during practice this season, OU should be getting better results up front.

“It’s something that we have to work through,” Rouse said. “… We’ve gotta be able to work with one another. It’s not an excuse. We’ve gotta be able to figure it out.

“And I really think it’s all gonna come down to having the discipline and the details and just trusting one another, that we know what to do. Coming off of practice today, watching the film, seeing what we did wrong, what we did right, the bottom line is not being satisfied with where we are. Because being 7-0, we haven’t accomplished anything. We’re working towards the end of the season, but we’ve gotta take it one week at a time and go 1-0 each week.”

The Sooners will put their unbeaten record on the line in Lawrence at 11 a.m. on Saturday against Kansas (5-2, 2-2 Big 12).

The Jayhawks are allowing 161.1 rushing yards per game this season, which ranks 93rd nationally, giving Oklahoma another chance to control the game on the ground.

But despite all the personnel changes, Venables still has full faith that OU’s running back room is talented enough to make a difference for the Sooners in the final five regular season games and well into the postseason.

“This is a game of doing and we need those guys,” Venables said. “That room, I believe when we’re playing like we’re capable of playing in all phases and all the different areas around them, that should be a position of strength for us.”

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