The Oklahoma football program has a lot of pressure to be the Big 12’s hope for a playoff spot, and they didn’t help themselves with lackluster performance against Iowa State.
Baker Mayfield was doing Baker Mayfield things, and Dede Westbrook was doing his usual high-flying act, but for the most part the Oklahoma Sooners (7-2, 6-0 Big 12) looked absolutely flat coming out as three touchdown favorites against the Iowa State Cyclones (1-8, 0-6 Big 12).
There’s really nothing to point to from an Oklahoma perspective as to huge bad plays, or someone simply not doing their job. It was just an overall look and feeling of blasé from the entire team,
With the exception of one Dimitri Flowers.
Without starting tailbacks Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon – who were both on the shelf with injuries against the Cyclones – 6’2 fullback Dimitri Flowers stepped in and looked like he had been running in this offense all season.
But in fact, he hadn’t been running at all…as in, the guy hadn’t had a carry all season..or in his career for that matter. He was as traditional a blocking fullback as the day is long, but yet he managed to pound his way to 115 yards on 22 carries.
Flowers wasn’t flashy, he didn’t show bursts of speed, and he ran a bit like the proverbial bull in a china shop. But he’s a fullback, and that’s what fullbacks do – knock people over and make room. Only this time he had to carry the ball as well.
This was textbook running by Flowers, however. He secured the ball at three points, went down and didn’t risk a fumble by fighting for unnecessary yards, and had excellent patience and vision for the holes.
You can marvel at Mayfield’s 328 passing yards and four touchdowns. You can be impressed by Westbrook’s 18.7 yards per catch. But it was Flowers running for tough yards, getting first downs and keeping the ball in the possession of the Sooners that made the difference in a game that the Sooners rightfully should have run away with.
Make no mistake, when Perine and Mixon are healthy, they’ll be back on the field and Flowers will be back blocking for them, but if the Sooners stay undefeated in Big 12 play this season, they owe a big thank you to their bruising fullback.