Perine Named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week

NORMAN — University of Oklahoma junior running back Samaje Perine has been named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week for his workmanlike performance in OU's 38-20 Big 12-title-clinching victory over No. 10 Oklahoma State on Saturday.

On a cold and rainy day, Perine ran for a season-high 239 yards on a career-high 37 carries (OU's most rushes in 27 years) and scored a touchdown as the Sooners became the first team to ever finish the Big 12 regular season with a 9-0 record.

Held to 35 yards on 10 carries in the first half, Perine exploded for 204 yards on 27 carries (7.6 average) in the second after the game was tied at 17 at halftime. The junior broke loose for a season-long 66-yard run on the first play of the second half to help set up his 1-yard score (his 50th career rushing touchdown) that put OU ahead for good.

Perine also displayed an act of sportsmanship when, on a 4th-and-1 play from the Oklahoma State 11-yard line with less than a minute to go, he broke through the line and had a clear path to the end zone but graciously took a knee at the 2-yard line.

Perine's performance on Saturday marked the 15th 100-yard rushing game of his career (fourth this season) and his sixth 200-yard rushing effort (second this year).

The player-of-the-week honor was the fifth for Perine in his career, tying him with Adrian Peterson for second most in OU history (Landry Jones won it eight times).

The Pflugerville, Texas, product now has 4,036 career rushing yards to rank fifth in OU history, and needs just 82 yards to tie Billy Sims' school record of 4,118 yards.

Perine ranks second in the Big 12 with his 108.2 rushing yards per game this season. He has rushed for 499 yards over the last three outings (166.3 average).

No. 7 in the College Football Playoff rankings, Oklahoma will take on No. 14 Auburn in the Allstate Sugar Bowl on Jan. 2 at 7:30 CT in New Orleans.