Oklahoma’s relationship with the run game has been through a lot. From the wishbone and Billy Sims in the 70’s to Adrian Peterson and DeMarco Murray in the 2000’s, Oklahoma football and pounding the rock are two things that have simply become synonymous.
Since Bill Bedenbaugh was hired as offensive line coach in 2013, Oklahoma has prided itself on a bruising rushing attack, characterized by strong backs and punishing offensive line play.
In Bedenbaugh’s inaugural season, the Sooners ranked 13th in yards per carry (they ranked 52nd the year before). Oklahoma has remained in the top-20 every year since, including a first-place finish in 2018.
This season, the Sooners rank just 62nd in yards per carry.
This can be chalked up to a number of factors. From Kennedy Brooks opting out to Rhamondre Stevenson’s suspension to a sputtering offensive line early in the season, there was ample reason to expect a downturn in rushing efficiency this season.
Here’s the good news: after failing to make any serious strides through the first four Big 12 games, Oklahoma’s run game is starting to pick up some serious steam. The chart below depicts Oklahoma’s expected points added on designed runs over time (code courtesy of Nate Manzo, @cfbNate on Twitter)
Even against Missouri State, Oklahoma failed to get much of a meaningful push. This trend continued over the next four games (besides Iowa State) before finally coming to an end against Texas Tech.
Notably, Texas Tech and Kansas both rank in the bottom-20 in terms of run defense, while the rest of the teams Oklahoma has faced are top-60 at the least. Are a pair of strong performances against weak defensive fronts really anything to write home about? Not really. But the strength of opponent isn’t the only thing that changed.
Enter Rhamondre Stevenson.
Oklahoma’s monstrous six-foot power back made his return from suspension in Lubbock, and it didn’t take long for him to make his presence known, if not by the declaration on his undershirt, then by the three touchdowns he punched in.
Stevenson has only carried the ball 26 times this season, but he’s already etched his name near the top of the leaderboards in terms of both yards after contact and avoided tackle rate, per Pro Football Focus.
The above chart includes every power five running back with at least 25 carries this season. Yes, Stevenson’s numbers may be slightly inflated by his low volume and relative ease of opponents, but he also led all power five backs (min. 30 attempts) in yards after contact a year ago.
So how much of Oklahoma’s run game resurgence can be attributed to Stevenson’s return and how much is due to the progression of the offensive line? It’s hard to say for sure.
There’s no denying that Stevenson’s impact has been and will continue to be felt by every defensive line that Oklahoma faces.
As for the offensive line, they’ve averaged over three yards before contact in each of the last two games. Their previous high on the year was 2.7 against Kansas State. But strength of opponent matters here, and the last time they faced a top-20 run defense, Texas held them under two yards before contact.
Oklahoma’s offensive line has proven that it can play up to its potential but it has yet to make a statement against an elite run defense. In Oklahoma State, they’re getting the perfect opportunity.
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