Samaje Perine’s keys to avoiding sophomore slump with Oklahoma Sooners
By Sixto Ortiz
Jan 4, 2014; San Antonio, TX, USA; West running back Joe Mixon (28) watches from the sidelines during U.S. Army All-American Bowl high school football game at the Alamodome. The West won 28-6. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
The Mixon Factor
Joe Mixon was widely considered the crown jewel of OU’s 2014 class; unfortunately, Mixon’s season was derailed before it even started when he struck a woman during an altercation in a Norman restaurant and earned himself a suspension for the entire 2014 season. This turn of events opened the door for the other running backs on OU’s roster, and it’s Perine who took full advantage of the opportunity.
Heading into 2015, Oklahoma has a deep and talented stable of running backs: Perine, Joe Mixon, Keith Ford, Alex Ross and freshman Rodney Anderson will all be vying for playing time. But, the real competition for meaningful carries will be between Perine and Mixon. If Mixon becomes the kind of player his five-star recruit status suggests, he will siphon carries from Perine.
Lincoln Riley and the Sooners have one heck of a nice problem at running back; it will be quite interesting to see what Riley conjures up to take full advantage of this embarrassment of running back riches.
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