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Oklahoma Looking to Sustain Rushing Success After Turnaround

The Sooners finally were able to move the ball effectively with Lloyd Avant and Tory Blaylock leading the way.
Ryan Aber|
Oklahoma running back Lloyd Avant rushes against Mississippi State. Avant helped the Sooners post a season-high rushing total.
Oklahoma running back Lloyd Avant rushes against Mississippi State. Avant helped the Sooners post a season-high rushing total. | Carson Field / Sooners On SI

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Oklahoma Sooners

NORMAN — Lloyd Avant is in no mood to revel in Oklahoma’s new-found offensive success, especially when it comes to running the ball.

The Sooners’ running back is turning his attention to how the Sooners can sustain that success.

“Just going and doing what we do best,” Avant said after Monday’s practice, “going back to the basics.”

Avant had 13 carries for 55 yards in Oklahoma’s 23-15 win over Mississippi State.

While the win over the Bulldogs wasn’t Avant’s biggest game of the year — he ran for 79 yards in the season opener vs. UTEP and 72 yards in the Red River Rivalry victory — it was the Sooners’ best overall performance on the ground.

Oklahoma ran for a season-high 184 yards after averaging just 71.3 rushing yards per game over their previous four games.

The Sooners’ 467 yards of total offense was also their top mark of the season by 66 yards.

Tory Blaylock led the way for Oklahoma’s ground game with 12 carries for a season-high 71 yards, more than doubling his season rushing total for the second consecutive game.

“We all have love for each other in the room,” Avant said. “So just seeing one guy get loose and seeing each other all get loose, we all have love for each other. It was great seeing.”

It wasn’t just the raw numbers that saw a shift but there was a noticeable difference in the game plan as well.

The Sooners ran the ball on 12 of their first 16 plays, sticking with the run as the game developed.

Oklahoma had three rushing plays of 12 or more yards, all by different players. Blaylock had a season-long 47-yard run, Avant broke off a 19-yarder and wide receiver Isaiah Sategna had a 12-yard run.

While Michael Fasusi got plenty of credit, and deservedly so, for helping solidify the left side of the line in Saturday’s win, freshman Noah Best has also shown rapid improvements in recent weeks since settling in at left guard.

“It’s been a great thing just seeing him mature and just seeing his level of expertise and how he goes about his business,” Avant said. “... He’s a great guy, he’s physical, and he’s ready to learn.”

The Sooners will look to build on their success when they take on South Carolina at 3:15 p.m. Saturday at Gaylord Family — Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.

The Gamecocks have the No. 35 rush defense in the country, allowing just 115.1 yards per game on the ground.

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Ryan Aber
RYAN ABER

Ryan Aber has been covering Oklahoma football for more than a decade continuously and since 1999 overall. Ryan was the OU beat writer for The Oklahoman from 2013-2025, covering the transition from Bob Stoops to Lincoln Riley to Brent Venables. He covered OU men's basketball's run to the Final Four in 2016 and numerous national championships for the Sooners' women's gymnastics and softball programs. Prior to taking on the Sooners beat, Ryan covered high schools, the Oklahoma City RedHawks and Oklahoma City Barons for the newspaper from 2006-13. He spent two seasons covering Arkansas football for the Morning News of Northwest Arkansas before returning to his hometown of Oklahoma City. Ryan also worked at the Southwest Times Record in Fort Smith, Arkansas, and the Muskogee Phoenix. At the Phoenix, he covered OU's national championship run in 2000. Ryan is a graduate of Putnam City North High School in Oklahoma City and Northeastern State University in Tahlequah.

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