Samaje Perine’s keys to avoiding sophomore slump with Oklahoma Sooners

Dec 6, 2014; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners running back Samaje Perine (32) runs the ball for a touchdown against the Oklahoma State Cowboys during the first quarter at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Perine Gets Stronger

A statistic that stands out when examining Samaje Perine’s outstanding 2014 campaign is the contrast between first and second half rushing yards. Perine gained 771 of his total yards during the first half of games; the remaining 942 came during the second half. Put another way, Perine averaged 6.02 yards per carry during the first half and 6.98 yards per carry during the second half in 2014.

The bottom line?

Perine got stronger as the game progressed, an uncanny statistic for a freshman who was playing high school football just a few months before. Now that Perine’s freshman season is in the books, with a full off-season of college level coaching and strength conditioning it’s easy to make the case that Perine will get even stronger and faster come Fall 2015. And that’s a scary thought for opposing defenses.

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