Tulsa World: Murray seeking form

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Murray seeking form
Running back still recovering from knee surgery.

By JOHN E. HOOVER World Sports Writer
Published: 10/8/2008 2:07 AM
Last Modified: 10/8/2008 2:09 PM

Running back still recovering from knee surgery.

NORMAN — The question keeps coming up, but the answer remains undefined.

Is Oklahoma's DeMarco Murray the same running back he was a year ago?

"To this point, in the first five games, probably," Sooners coach Bob Stoops said. "Probably similar."

Circumstances have changed, two-fold.

Last year, Murray was a complementary back, almost a backup, to Allen Patrick, and averaged 6.3 yards per carry through the Sooners' first five games (316 yards on 50 carries).

But he wasn't recovering from a major knee injury last year, either. This year, Murray is still trying to find the burst that allowed him to post the Sooners' highest season-long rushing average (6.0) since 2002.

Through five games this season, Murray has more rushing yards than last year (431) on more carries (85), but his per-carry average is down more than a yard (5.1).

"I just haven't hit the long one yet," Murray said. "It's a little bit frustrating."

Murray dislocated his kneecap during an onside kick at Texas Tech last year, then missed the final three games.

He had offseason surgery that required drilling and reattaching of tendons, he said. Murray sat out all of spring and wasn't cleared to even run full speed until midway through the summer.

"He's a tough guy," OU running back Mossis Madu said. "He's getting through it. He gets treatment every day for it. He's trying to get back to

full form."

Murray seems to have the same ability to make sudden cuts, but lacks the acceleration after the cut that led to so many big plays last season. That acceleration was apparent in the Texas game, when he took a sweep off tackle, then leaped over two fallen players and roared 65 yards untouched into the end zone. Stoops that day said Murray "hit that fourth or fifth gear that he has" and was able to outrun the pursuit angle.

Murray does have two 100-yard games this season, and ran for 96 at Baylor. But it appeared against TCU and Baylor that Murray hasn't regained his top gear.

He averaged 1.8 yards per rush against the Horned Frogs and 3.7 against the Bears.

"I feel I'm getting back to my old self," Murray said.

Said offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson: "Everybody's talking about how (he isn't healthy, but) he ran 26 carries on turf and was physical as heck (at Baylor). If we make some of those downfield blocks, some of those plays will get out the gate. When he makes a great play, it's not him by himself."

Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp remains impressed.

"DeMarco Murray is an outstanding back and will be a first-round pick when he decides to go to the NFL," Muschamp said. "He's a cut-and-slash guy, gets vertical, a punishing runner. He does an outstanding job with the cutback and finding the open seams in the defense."

In an interview Monday night with the Dallas Morning News, Murray's father, Kevin Murray, acknowledged a drop-off.

"Something is not there this year," Kevin Murray said. "I don't know what's the problem. Either he's still hurt and doesn't want to say anything or he doesn't have the confidence back in that knee. He always says, 'Dad, I'm OK.' I think it's more of his confidence."

Wilson said Murray and co-starter Chris Brown, who overcame stress fractures in his growth plates during the offseason, still are playing their way back into shape.

"Sometimes it's been a little hard for them to maybe have the velocity in practice that you want them to have, so hopefully as they play through the season, we'll see if their performance increase," Wilson said.

Not everyone thinks Murray's drop-off is noticeable, though.

"He looks really good to me," Texas head coach Mack Brown said. ". . . I don't think he's dropped off at all."

John E. Hoover 581-8384
john.hoover@tulsaworld.com

MURRAY’S NUMBERS

Comparing DeMarco Murray’s five-game statistics for 2007 and ‘08.

2007

Rushing / kick returns

North Texas: 17-87-5 / 0-0

Miami: 15-64-0 / 0-0

Utah State: 4-100-1 / 0-0

Tulsa: 8-46-2 / 2-92-1

Colorado: 6-19-0 / 1-19-0

Rushing: 50-316-9 (6.3 avg.)

Kick returns: 3-111-1 (37.0 avg.)

2008

Rushing / kick returns

Chattanooga: 15-124-2 / 0-0

Cincinnati: 15-88-1 / 3-84-0

Washington: 16-100-0 / 0-0

TCU: 13-23-0 / 2-40-0

Baylor: 26-96-2 / 0-0

Rushing: 85-431-5 (5.1 avg.)

Kick returns: 5-124-0 (24.8 avg.)

By JOHN E. HOOVER World Sports Writer

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