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University of Oklahoma Athletics
Sooner Report: Samaje Runs Wild
November 18, 2014 | Football
Samaje Perine in Elite Company
OU's freshman running back sensation, Samaje Perine, turned in another dynamic performance on Saturday, to catapult himself up the record books and into elite company. The Pflugerville, Texas, native rushed for 213 yards and three touchdowns on Saturday to give him 1,001 rushing yards on the season.
The 1,001 yards carry significant weight when you see the other names next to Perine in the Oklahoma record books. The freshman is just the 21st player in OU lore to record a 1,000-yard season and the first to do it since DeMarco Murray ran for 1,214 yards in 2010. Perine also becomes the fifth freshman to surpass the 1,000-yard mark, becoming the first freshman since Adrian Peterson's 2004 season where he posted 1,925 rushing yards, an FBS freshman record.
To go along with Perine's prowess for accumulating large rushing yardage is his ability to find the end zone. The Hendrickson High School product has already reached paydirt 14 times through 10 games, setting the Big 12 record for rushing touchdowns in a season (excluding Big 12 Championship games). Perine is just two rushing touchdowns away from becoming OU's all-time freshman record holder, as Peterson ran for 15 touchdowns in 2004.
Projecting Perine's current averages of 100.1 rushing yards per game and 1.4 touchdowns out over three more games (two in the regular season and a bowl game), the freshman is on pace to run for 1,301 yards, which would place him 10th for most rushing yards in a season in Sooner history. Four more rushing touchdowns would give him 18 for the season, which would place him in a tie for seventh on the OU single season rushing touchdown chart.
Despite putting up ridiculous numbers through his first 10 games at the collegiate level, Perine remains humble and is quick to heap praise on the other members of the offense for making his job easy.
“Our offensive line is great,” said Perine earlier this week. “I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. They do a great job at getting movement on their guys. And [Aaron] Ripkowski and Blake [Bell] do a really good job at getting the linebackers and safeties blocked.
“You could have any average running back and put them behind our line and they could do a phenomenal job. That is basically it. I didn't have to do that much. I just have to find the hole and run.”
After his great outing in Lubbock, Perine was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week for the second time this season. He earned the accolade earlier in the season after his breakout performance at West Virginia, rushing for 243 yards and four touchdowns.
Cody Thomas Impresses in Run Game vs. Red Raiders
Making his first collegiate start, on the road in a Big 12 game no less, freshman quarterback Cody Thomas used his ability to make plays in the run game to help kick start the Oklahoma offense and lead the Sooners to a 42-30 victory over Texas Tech.
The two-sport athlete's ability to make plays running in the open field took the Red Raiders' defense by surprise and even caught his head coach a little off guard as well.
“Pleasantly surprised,” said Stoops. “I knew he could run but as you said, in that live situation can he make a guy miss? He really did and did it well. I say pleasantly surprised because I know he is a good athlete.
“I thought he made great decisions and the timing waiting for his blocks. A time or two he started inside and got the defender to come in on Samaje Perine and then he bounces around. I thought he did a lot of natural things.”
With his aggressive playing style, Thomas quickly made fans out of his teammates, offensive lineman Tyrus Thompson in particular.
“Cody did a great job out there, particularly in the second half,” said Thompson. “He made a lot of good reads and is a very natural runner with the ball. He looked really good running it. Maybe it is because of baseball. I don't know. He is definitely not scared of contact and he has a lot of heart in him.”
Another person on the OU campus singing the freshmen quarterback's praise is Oklahoma Head Baseball Coach Pete Hughes, who coaches Thomas as an outfielder in the spring.
“His energy level is always there, he's super positive and he never looks like the weight of the world is on his shoulders,” said Hughes. “He's an awesome kid and he has a chance to be really, really good.”
Jordan Thomas Earns First Career Start
Cody Thomas wasn't the only Thomas who made his first career start at Texas Tech, as fellow freshman Jordan Thomas earned the starting nod at cornerback to replace the injured Julian Wilson.
Thomas wasted little time getting involved in the action, making three tackles in the game's first drive. The freshman finished the game recording a career-high six tackles, all of the solo variety. Thomas also broke up the second pass of his career in the victory.
The young Jordan Thomas gave up a touchdown on the game's final snap, but other than that play, for a true freshman he came out and really played well in the way he played,” said Stoops.
Sterling Shepard Receives Recognition
After performing admirably in the shadows during his first two seasons at OU while fellow wide receivers Kenny Stills and Jalen Saunders received most of the media attention, Sterling Shepard has shined as the go-to guy this season. The junior has hauled in 50 passes for 957 yards and five touchdowns, all coming in basically seven games, as Shepard barely saw the field at Iowa State and Texas Tech and missed the entire game vs. Baylor due to injury.
The ridiculous production from the junior has earned him plenty of attention across the country this season. On Monday he was announced as one of 10 semifinalists for the coveted Biletnikoff Award, going to the outstanding receiver in college football, regardless of position (any player at any position who catches a pass is eligible).
Shepard's average of 106.3 receiving yards per game rank third in the Big 12 and 11th in the nation. The Oklahoma City native also ranks ninth in OU history in career receptions (146), sixth in career receiving yards (2,181) and fourth in 100-yard receiving games (eight).
Fans may now help determine which three receivers will advance as finalists by voting as often as once daily at the Biletnikoff Award Fan Vote website. Fan voting for the three semifinalists will close on November 23.
The top three aggregate fan votes for receiver will each count as the equivalent of one national selection committee vote for each of those three receivers for finalists. Following the finalists' selection, the subsequent top single aggregate fan vote for receiver will count as the equivalent of one national selection committee vote in selecting the winner.
The three finalists will be announced on Monday, November 24. The Biletnikoff Award winner will be announced live on ESPN's The Home Depot College Football Awards Show on Thursday, December 11, 2014.
Another honor that has been bestowed upon Shepard along with head coach Bob Stoops is the Disney Spirit Award - an honor given annually by Disney Sports to college football's most inspirational figure - at The Home Depot College Football Awards on Dec. 11 at Walt Disney World Resort. For more details read the full release here.
Shepard's relationship with Stoops and the OU football program over the years has been well documented. The most recent release about the two Sooners was the Ultimate Pickup Moment short video on CBSSports.com which can be viewed here.
Clint Bowen Previews Sooners
Kansas interim head coach Clint Bowen discussed and previewed Oklahoma during his weekly press conference ahead of the Jayhawks' trip to Norman this weekend. Bowen was quick to praise the Sooners' offense, defense and coaching staff.
“On defense, Mike Stoops, another great defensive coach, has his players playing hard and playing physical, and this is a defense that will get after you and make you have a bad day,” said Bowen.
“Offensively Oklahoma has been kind of tops on offense for a while. They're an innovative group. If you go back as far back as 2008, they were one of the first true tempo teams in terms of that team rattling off 50 points a game.
“Each year they adapt to their personnel and they're able to put an offensive plan together that fits their players and is always very effective.”
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