One of the more intriguing storylines in the buildup to the Oklahoma Sooners [autotag]Cheez-It Bowl[/autotag] matchup with the Florida State Seminoles was how the Sooners would handle their running back rotation without [autotag]Eric Gray[/autotag].
Gray opted out, choosing to prepare for the 2023 NFL draft, and [autotag]Marcus Major[/autotag] was out, still nursing a leg injury that kept him out of action late in the regular season. That left [autotag]Jovantae Barnes[/autotag] as the only runner with significant experience on the depth chart.
But that also created an opportunity to see what fellow true freshman running back [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag] brought to the table. The Oklahoma Sooners coaching staff took advantage of the Cheez-It Bowl stage to give the former two-time Colorado Gatorade Player of the Year action. And Sawchuk was a star.
Sawchuk carried the ball 15 times for 100 yards and caught one pass for eight yards, displaying great quickness, agility and speed. He didn’t look like a player with only two collegiate carries on his ledger coming into the game. He was physical and patient. His 15-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter helped Oklahoma take a 25-18 lead.
“He has a tremendous future,” head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] said after the loss. “He’s made up of the right stuff. Tremendous character, great work ethic, incredibly humble, intelligent, tough. It (would have) been easy for a guy like him to kind of check it in and not get better, but he showed up every day and got better all season long. (Dillon Gabriel and DaShaun White) would attest to that. He’s been a great teammate and he was ready for his opportunity when it presented itself. Really excited for him. Some of his production tonight, outstanding. He’s going to be a lot better going into next year because of it. Kind of like Jaleel (Farooq) in our bowl game a year ago.”
According to Pro Football Focus, Sawchuk averaged four yards per carry after contact in the game. He forced three missed tackles and had two runs of 15 yards or more in the contest, including the touchdown run.
Sawchuk and Barnes combined for 42 carries and 208 yards rushing. Barnes continued to show why he became the backup behind Eric Gray during the season with another strong performance. In his first extended action, Sawchuk was equally impressive. With the two-headed monster at running back, the Sooners have a fantastic 1-2 punch heading into 2023.
The speed that Sawchuk put on display in the Cheez-It Bowl will be a huge weapon for the Sooners in 2023. [autotag]Jeff Lebby[/autotag]’s going to have a great time imagining all the ways he can use his star running backs in the future.
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