Tulsa World: OU helped by new mind-set

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OU helped by new mind-set

Oklahoma's Chris Brown led OU with 92 yards rushing on Saturday as the Sooners made it a point to be better at running the football. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World

By JOHN E. HOOVER World Sports Writer
Published: 10/20/2008 2:06 AM
Last Modified: 10/20/2008 4:51 AM

Indomitable attitude and physical toughness.

Being able to run the football successfully comes down to little else.

Coaches talk about men in the box, aiming points and pad level, but picking up a third-and-1, or creating opportunities with a nice first-down surge, or being able to run out the clock at the end of the game is almost always accomplished above the shoulder pads first.

So when Oklahoma decided last week to be better at running the ball, it happened Saturday against Kansas.

"We had a better week of practice, with the mindset of trying to do a little bit better," OU offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said.

OU finished the day with 206 yards rushing, including 92 from Chris Brown and 83 from DeMarco Murray. Both ran harder, breaking tackles and plowing over Jayhawks, than they had all season. It was especially noticeable from Murray, who broke free for gains of 17, 11, 9 and 16 yards, and had pass receptions of 12 and 19. On each, he ran tough through traffic, busted out of arm tackles or knocked down defenders.

"I actually thought he was going to play better than he played," Wilson said. "He just had a look about him."

The OU blockers played with that attitude, too, defying a Kansas defense that had ranked second in the conference against the run. And the Sooners did it all without the guy they all say is their tough guy leader, Brody Eldridge.

"You can look at all kinds of things, whether it's better execution, better blocking, better running, and/or defense," head coach Bob Stoops said. "So take your pick, you know? It could be any of those."

More than anything, the Sooners proved that a team can pass the football 53 times and still be strong-willed in the running game. Brown and Murray ran the ball six times on short-yardage situations and converted five into either first downs or touchdowns.

"We knew we hadn't been running hard enough," Murray said. "We took it as a challenge and wanted to be more physical. And we answered a little of the challenge today."

John E. Hoover 581-8384
john.hoover@tulsaworld.com By JOHN E. HOOVER World Sports Writer

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