Barry Switzer reached legendary status in Oklahoma by his program's perfection of option football.
So what did the former Sooners coach think about OU's option look in last Saturday’s 34-0 victory over Louisiana-Monroe?
“I’m going to say this: If Oklahoma averages 300 yards a game rushing and throws for 200, they will be hard to beat in any game they play,” Swtizer said on Tuesday afternoon, which he also affirmed via Twitter later in the day.
Switzer’s reason why the option game works could be the same answer he gave during the 1970s and '80s, when his football teams were chewing up defenses on a consistent basis.
“I really believe the option game gives them a great north-south running game and their quarterback (Trevor Knight) has the ability to attack the corner,” Switzer said. “It makes a defense defend boundary to boundary, which is hard to do.”
Knight led an OU offense that finished with 303 rushing yards against ULM. Knight ended with a team-high 103 yards on the ground, becoming the first OU quarterback to eclipse that mark since Jason White (2001, Kansas).
Knight also had five runs that covered 10 yards or more, including a 24-yard scramble on the game's third play.
It wasn’t unusual during Switzer’s coaching days to see network production crews having fun with Oklahoma’s passing yardage during games. At times, it would make sure the “0” was flashing below a lofty rushing total.
Times change. While Switzer's teams only averaged more than 100 yards passing twice in 16 years, the coach would like to see OU have more balance these days.
“I just believe if the Sooners are a team that will rush for 300 yards a game and play-action pass and throw for 200, they’ll control the clock and win a lot of games,” Switzer said.
“They have a quarterback that can do that.”
Follow OU Sports Writers Guerin Emig and Eric Bailey on Twitter.
PUT ON YOUR GAME FACE: Visit the Tulsa World's OU Sports Extra for complete coverage of the Sooners.
