Key Sooner Football Stat in Week 1
By Chip Rouse
When all is said and done on Saturday following the Sooner football season-opener against the 15th-ranked Houston Cougars, there will be one stat sheet number that is likely standout over all the others.
The number I have in mind is 100. How the century mark plays out in several statistical categories will have a lot to say about which team comes out on top – Oklahoma or Houston – in one of the marquee matchups taking place on the opening weekend of the college football season.
The Sooners’ best chance to defeat Houston is to be able to run the football, and the Oklahoma run game begins with Samaje Perine. The junior bruiser back for the Sooners had five games a year ago in which he rambled for more than 100 yards (plus two more games in which he exceeded 90 yards on the ground).
Head coach Bob Stoops says Perine is in great physical shape to begin the 2016 season and is stronger and faster than ever. He will need a strong performance on Saturday. The problem is, the Houston front seven on defense is an experienced group and especially strong against the run game.
Last season, Houston allowed just over 100 yards on the ground per team per game. That was eighth best in the country among FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) teams.
When the Sooners produce 100 or more rushing yards as a team or 100-plus yards from one rusher, the advantage flips back to OU.
The Sooners were 11-0 last year and 152-25 under Bob Stoops when their team rushing yardage exceeds the 100 mark. And when they have at least one 100-yard rusher in a game, they are a collective 86-8 under Stoops.
It should also be pointed out that Perine isn’t the only Sooner capable of reaching triple digits in rushing yardage. Joe Mixon can be equally as dangerous, if not more so, when he totes the pigskin.
Oklahoma isn’t likely to run up 100 points on the scoreboard, but how often and for whom the number appears on the final game stat sheet Saturday will have a lot to say about which team comes out on top on the scoreboard, the only statistic that really matters.