Patrick will carry his weight
Published: 10/22/2007 9:13 PM
Last Modified: 10/22/2007 9:13 PM
After back-to-back clutch performances, Chris Brown is Oklahoma's vogue tailback. Before him, it was DeMarco Murray, namely because of his 65-yard sprint against Texas.
Meanwhile, Allen Patrick has been eerily quiet since rolling up 145 yards and a pair of touchdowns against Tulsa in Week 4. Don't expect that to continue, and not just because running backs coach Cale Gundy is committed to spreading the wealth. Patrick has too much big-game experience -- recall his 173 yards at Texas A&M last November -- to stay in the shadows.
Maybe he hasn't been the breakout senior star some expected. Last August, the Seattle Post Intelligencer called him "the best running back you've never heard of... a beast" and predicted he'd be a 1,500-yard household name.
Patrick may wind up with barely over half that total. That doesn't mean he can't be among the most valuable players on a national championship contender, and be more valuable the closer everyone arrives at real championship contention.
-- Guerin Emig
Written by
Guerin Emig
Sports Writer
