Tulsa World: THE KEY Demarco Murray

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THE KEY Demarco Murray

By GUERIN EMIG World Sports Writer
Published: 8/24/2008 2:31 AM
Last Modified: 8/24/2008 4:48 AM

NORMAN — Ask Gerald McCoy about Oklahoma teammate DeMarco Murray, the pleasant-natured defensive tackle turns downright surly.

"I hate him," McCoy seethes. "I... hate... him."

That's because for almost 25 straight days of preseason camp, McCoy has to tackle him. Think that's easy?

"It's hard, man," OU defensive end Jeremy Beal says. "That dude is one of the quickest players I've ever seen in my life. He can shake you at any moment."

Ask defensive back Lendy Holmes about facing Murray in the open field, he shakes his head, looks at the floor and laughs.

"DeMarco, DeMarco, DeMarco," Holmes begins. "DeMarco's one of those guys that makes you think twice. Like, 'If I go this way, he may do this to me. If I stand here, he's gonna go another way. If I do this, he'll do that.'

"He will mess you over."

Of course, the idea over the next four months is for Murray, OU's sophomore tailback, to mess opponents over.

How he goes about that might just determine the Sooners' long-term success.

With Malcolm Kelly in the NFL, Murray becomes his team's one proven gamebreaker outside of quarterback Sam Bradford. Last year, Murray scorched Utah State with a 92-yard run, burned Baylor and Tulsa with 91- and 81-yard kickoff returns, and turned the tide against Texas with a 65-yard scoring dash begun with a line-of-scrimmage hurdle over tight end Joe Jon Finley.

It was a display that prompted this assessment from Sooner coach Bob Stoops at preseason-opening Media Day: "I've said it before — he's a guy I believe who could be an All-American at receiver, corner or running back. He just has that ability to do about anything he wants. Or play college basketball if he wanted. Just amazing. His upside is really quite vast."

The potential for a breakout sophomore season is equally great.

With Kelly and former starting tailback Allen Patrick having moved on, the Sooners pledge to get the ball in Murray's hands as much as he wants it, and in several different places.

What's more, Murray is physically better able to take on that task.

"The knee is good, 100 percent now," he said in regard to the dislocated kneecap he suffered at Texas Tech late last season. "I feel better than I ever felt before. I weigh in at 215, which is 15 or 20 pounds more than I weighed last year. That should help me stay between the tackles more than I usually do."

It's frightening to think a runner with Murray's open-field gifts could become just as dangerous going straight at defenders. That's the plan, anyhow.

If the Sooners carry it out, and Murray carries the ball in the electrifying manner he did a year ago, this could be a special year even by OU's standards.

"All I can say is I'm glad he's on our team," Holmes said.

Guerin Emig 581-8355
guerin.emig@tulsaworld.com By GUERIN EMIG World Sports Writer

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