Five Worst Things That Could Happen to OU Football in 2016
By Chip Rouse
Baker Mayfield Going Down with an Injury
It goes without saying that nothing can derail the high hopes for a season faster than major injuries, especially those that happen to key personnel. Quarterback Baker Mayfield not only is the heart and soul of this Oklahoma team, but also arguably the one player that the Sooners can’t do without.
Lincoln Riley’s Air Raid offense, which produced 530 yards of total offense per game last season, seventh-best in the country, runs through Mayfield, who now has a year of experience in Riley’s system. Even then, the Sooners were just the fourth best team in the Big 12 in total offensive yards per game.
Mayfield is not afraid to tuck the ball and run with it when there is a breakdown in the play or no receivers are open. Some say he does this more than he should and leaves himself unnecessarily vulnerable to a big hit.
The Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year last season remained on his feet and healthy for most all of last season, save the second-half of the TCU game after suffering a concussion late in the first half of that game. With Mayfield out of the lineup, the Oklahoma offense was listless most of the second half, and the Sooners survived a two-point extra-point try by TCU late in the contest that would have won the game after OU had led 23-7 when Mayfield went out.
The backup, if Mayfield goes down in the coming season, would appear to be true freshman Austin Kendall, who has yet to play one down of college football entering the 2016 season. Mayfield’s backups a year ago, junior Trevor Knight and sophomore Cody Thomas, both left the program after last season.
Keeping Mayfield healthy and on the field is a critical success factor for Oklahoma’s success in 2016.
Next: An OU Defense That Both Bends and Breaks