J.D. Runnels Online Journal: Week Seven

NORMAN, Okla. J.D. Runnels records the seventh installment of his online player journal to take Sooner fans behind the scenes. This week is all about the Red River Rivalry and J.D. gets in a quick entry about what the game means to him.

There is also a link at the bottom of the page so you can submit questions for J.D. to reply to in his next entry.

Last week's game versus Texas Tech turned out to be a very significant game for J.D. He not only opened the Sooners' first drive with two consecutive receptions, but caught Jason White's 54th-career touchdown pass, giving White another OU passing record. White now holds the career record for touchdown passes with 55.

Click the link below to watch J.D. take the pass in the flats and stiff arm a Red Raider on his way to the end zone.

Video: Runnels Scores Against Texas Tech

J.D. Runnels

Journal Entry No. 7 (Oct. 4, 2004)

Any rivalry game really is 0-0 to everyone because anything can happen. As a team this week we are preparing for anything that Texas has the ability to show us. They have a lot of talent and they may be the best team we play all season.

This is a game where I believe each team is stepping up for the other. We are No. 2 and Texas is No. 5; it's going to be a huge game. We saw some things on film that we can use against them, but we'll keep playing our usual game.

My favorite moment of last year's game was one of Mark Clayton's touchdown receptions where he was just taking the Longhorns out to school. That type of effort shows how hard players at OU work. Mark was not heavily recruited by Texas coming out of high school, a lot of our players weren't, but they come here a work hard and they make plays.

Along those lines, everyone is just happy to be up here in Norman. Everyone's happy to be part of this streak. We want to stay on a roll and keep it alive. We're grinding away each day to make it five in a row.

The Red River Shootout will be exactly that this year a shootout. I vividly remember when Quentin Griffin rushed for six touchdowns and Roy Williams jumped over the Texas line to sack Chris Simms. This game will be full of its own great plays. I love watching them happen, but I'll love nothing more than sticking that OU flag in the ground at the 50-yard line.

Our keys to victory are simple outwork and outplay. If we just keep playing our game on offense and defense, we'll take this one. We can't give them anything to take advantage.

As a player, you come out of that tunnel in the Cotton Bowl and half the stadium is cheering and throwing up their No. 1s, while the other half is booing and throwing up their “number one”. It's a war every year. You'll see their troops and our troops. We'll clash heads and whoever wins owns that gold hat for another year.

If it's your first time there, my advice is to bring some Tums.

- #38 J.D. Runnels

Jammal Brown
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