Perine and Sanchez Pick Up Honors

NORMAN — Oklahoma sophomore running back Samaje Perine was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week on Monday after his performance in Saturday's 63-27 win over Texas Tech.

Perine rushed for season highs of 201 yards and four touchdowns to help the Sooners improve to 6-1 on the year and 3-1 in the Big 12. The 201-yard effort ranks as the third best by a Big 12 player this year, while the four rushing touchdowns are tied as the most by a conference player.

The 5-10, 230-pounder from Pflugerville, Texas, averaged 8.7 yards on his 23 carries and added one reception for nine yards. He had seven runs of at least 10 yards, five of them for at least 15. Included was a 48-yard, third-quarter burst, the longest run by a Sooner this year, that set up his third touchdown and that put OU ahead 42-20.

Perine now has four career games of at least 200 rushing yards and at least four rushing TDs. He upped his season rushing averages to 88.7 yards per game and 5.4 yards per carry.

The Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honor is the fourth of Perine's career, tying him with Quentin Griffin and Josh Heupel for third place in OU history. Only Landry Jones (eight) and Adrian Peterson (five) earned more such honors.

Perine and the 14th-ranked Sooners will play at Kansas on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT (televised by FS1). Last year against the Jayhawks in Norman, OU ran for 510 yards (tied for the most of the Bob Stoops era) behind Perine's 427-yard effort, an FBS record.

Sanchez a Thorpe Award Semifinalist

OU junior cornerback Zack Sanchez was named a Thorpe Award semifinalist Monday. The award, given to college football's top defensive back, is presented annually by the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame and Jim Thorpe Association in Oklahoma City.

One of two semifinalists from the Big 12 (Oklahoma State's Kevin Peterson is the other), Sanchez is looking to become OU's fourth Thorpe Award winner. Rickey Dixon (1987), Roy Williams (2001) and Derrick Strait (2003) were previously honored.

Sanchez is tied for second place in the Big 12 with his three interceptions this season and has also registered four pass breakups, 28 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss. He returned one of his interceptions 38 yards for a touchdown two games ago in OU's 55-0 win at Kansas State.

For his career, Sanchez has 11 interceptions. He's returned three of those for touchdowns, tied for the most in OU history.

Three Thorpe Award finalists will be named on Monday, Nov. 23, and the winner will be announced at the Home Depot College Football Awards Show on Dec. 10 (will air on ESPN). The winner of the 2015 Thorpe Award will be honored at a banquet in Oklahoma City on Feb. 2, 2016.