Oklahoma had just run out of the tunnel after the pregame festivities were up. The players spaced out across the Sooners’ side of the field for the individual prayers.
After it was over, almost the entire team started working their way toward the sideline. Except for one.
Perkins walked a couple steps towards the Oklahoma State sideline, staring it down in what turned out to be a precursor for what was to come.
Oklahoma’s defense has been known for being all bark, but no bite in year’s past. On Saturday night, led by Perkins, the Sooners’ defense wanted every piece of Oklahoma State.
On the very first offensive play for the Cowboys, he rushed the left side of Oklahoma State’s offensive line. Engaging with the left tackle, pushing him back while keeping outside contain. Spenser Sanders tried to roll his way out of the pocket, getting stuffed by Perkins while throwing the ball away.
Then he got right up in Sanders’ face. And then he did it again on the next drive on another sack. Then he did it again to another player on another play. Then again on another one.
“Yeah, most definitely,” Perkins said after the game about playing with an extra fire. “Shoot, when you sit out for that many games, you kinda feel like a starved, caged lion. Once you see a lion out of the cage, he’s going to do what he can to eat. That’s kinda how I feel going out there every week, man. I’m getting all the meals back that I missed.”
So, what exactly is Perkins like whenever his mind is like that?
“Well No. 1, when that’s his mindset, nobody can stop him,” Reed said. “If that’s his mindset, it’s not going to be anybody in college football that can block him. It wasn’t anybody in high school that could block him.
“And we’ve been talking throughout the times he was sitting out. We talk every week. I knew, what he’s doing right now, I knew that this was coming because I know him and I know what he’s about it.”
Perkins has put himself on the map if he wasn’t there already. He called Bedlam his coming out party.
He rushed, he tackled and he let the whole world know what they were missing in Ronnie Perkins from St. Louis and Lutheran North High School.
“He’s unstoppable, he’s unstoppable,” Reed said. “You remember the Rocky movie? The Russian from Rocky IV? That’s how he is or more so like Clubber Lang. When he’s in that mindset, he has all the ability in the world. When he’s made up in his mind that he’s coming, then there is nothing you can do to stop him. There is nothing you can do. If his mind is made up that he’s going to be the very best, then my money is on him every time. He’s going to be the very best. There is no question about it. There is no better defensive end in college football. He is the one.”
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