Down six points with just over 11 minutes to play in the game, the Oklahoma Sooners put together arguably their best stretch running the football all season.
After a first down incompletion from [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag], [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag] rattled off a seven-yard run and then took his next two carries for eight yards a piece to get the offense going. Sawchuk had another solid six-yard run, but it was negated by a penalty that gave the Sooners a first down.
[autotag]Marcus Major[/autotag] took over from there with a pair of 13-yard runs to get the Sooners into the red zone. Though it was a pass play from Dillon Gabriel to Drake Stoops that put the Sooners on top 24-23, it was the run game that did the heavy lifting on the go-ahead scoring drive.
That run-heavy touchdown drive opened things up for the Sooners passing offense on their final scoring drive of the game. On the final drive, Major came up with a key first down on 3rd and 1 to keep the drive alive, and Gavin Sawchuk capped it off with a 30-yard touchdown.
The Oklahoma Sooners rushing attack still hasn’t hit its stride this season. They’re struggling with consistency in 2023, but as they have in several games this year, the offensive line and the running backs have come through in the big moments late in the game.
Marcus Major has been steady, if not all that spectacular in his role for the Sooners this season. Gavin Sawchuk showed some of the ability that he put on display in the Cheez-It Bowl last year. And now the Sooners are set to get back their battering ram, Tawee Walker, after he served a suspension for in-house disciplinary reasons.
With inclement weather expected this week, the Oklahoma Sooners will likely lean heavily on the running game to make hay against the Jayhawks defense.
If the fourth quarter against UCF, the Sooners’ run game looked as good as it has all season. Can they build on that with another opportunity to play another defense that struggles to stop the run?
This week, the Sooners get set to face a Kansas Jayhawks team that ranks No. 84 in the nation in rushing yards allowed and allows 4.7 yards per carry. The Jayhawks have also allowed two rushing touchdowns per game and are the worst red zone defense in the country.
There’s a lot of room for improvement, but there are signs from time to time that the run game is on the verge of a breakout. Even if it never does, it’s encouraging that the rushing attack hits its stride when the game is at its most critical junction.
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