When all hope seems to be lost, Oklahoma knows about Sooner Magic all too well. From Bud to Barry, and now Bob, Sooner fans have been given plenty to cheer about over the years. Now, true freshman RB Samaje Perine is the greatest piece of Sooner Magic for the 2014 season and will hopefully keep running right through the competition during his college career.
Perine began grabbing attention early in the season against West Virginia when he scored four touchdowns and rushed for 242 yards. After his stellar performance in week four, Perine did not deliver to the same level against TCU. He accounted for three Sooner touchdowns, but did not have as complete a game against the Horned Frogs. Also, Perine struggled against Texas and K-State, but did score a touchdown in each.
After a crushing blow from Baylor and a lack luster performance from the team at Texas Tech, the rest of the season did not appear to be worth watching. The Sooners were out of Conference Title contention, and coach Stoops was starting to get more flack from the fan base.
Many did not believe that after a sharp downturn during the season, that the game against Kansas would be anything worth watching.
Well if you missed it, Perine was the magic that Oklahoma has been looking for.
Scoring five touchdowns and rushing for 427 yards, Perine broke a NCAA single game rushing record after Wisconsin RB Melvin Gordon has broken it the week before.
With the performances that he has been able to bring to the field, where does that leave him amongst the other collegiate football players?
Although Perine is playing his first season as a Sooner, he has the potential to be Heisman worthy. It’s impossible to replicate what he did against KU week-in, week out, but if Perine is able to deliver a bit more consistently, there is no argument that he would be one of the best running backs in the NCAA.
Wisconsin RB Melvin Gordon broke the NCAA single game rushing record against Nebraska in week 12 by rushing 408 yards as well as scoring four touchdowns. And, a week later Perine broke Gordon’s record. In a day and age of “pass first” offenses, it was a breath of fresh air to see the running game dominate the sport for a couple of weeks.
As for Perine, he has only scratched the surface of his career as a Sooner. He is averaging about 130 yards and two touchdowns a game. He is required to stay in school for two more years, which bodes well for all Sooners fans. While Oklahoma still tries to figure out who the quarterback of the future is in Norman, it’s refreshing to know that, whoever he is, will have the safety net of handing off to a back like Perine. Let’s enjoy the next wave of Sooner magic for as long as we can.
