Just as the Oklahoma Sooners got their run game going, it's stifled again when it could be needed the most.
The Sooners are two wins away from punching their ticket to the College Football Playoff, starting with the Missouri Tigers on Saturday, but OU will start its home stretch with a banged up backfield.
Xavier Robinson, Tory Blaylock both banged up for Sooners
Neither missed significant time in the Sooners' 23-21 upset of Alabama on Saturday, but running backs Xavier Robinson and Tory Blaylock were both dealing with injuries throughout the game, with Robinson hurting his ankle in the third quarter.
Although he's always tight-lipped about injuries, OU head coach Brent Venables during Tuesday's weekly press conference was asked about the Sooners heading into the Missouri game with Robinson and Blaylock banged up, and Venables was actually briefly open about what the staff is dealing with during the final two weeks of the season.
"Well it's gonna be tested, without question," Venables said. "Hopeful that we can stay healthy. We're gonna probably have to spread it out a little more to kind of manage in the next couple of weeks."
The Sooners can spread things out in two different ways. First, that means more from quarterback John Mateer and OU's passing game. Mateer threw a season-low 23 passes against Alabama last week while completing 15 of them for 138 yards. The Sooners will need a lot more than that from their passing attack if the run game really is hindered.
Second, the Sooners can distribute more carries throughout the backfield. Even if Robinson and Blaylock play, they could get minimum touches to make sure they're healthy for the Sooners' hopeful run in the College Football Playoff.
Behind Robinson and Blaylock are even more hampered running backs, though. Jovantae Barnes and Taylor Tatum have both been sidelined for weeks with injuries and there hasn't been an update on their returns. Barnes was listed on OU's Week 13 depth chart behind Robinson and Blaylock, but Tatum was nowhere to be found.
Next up would be the forgotten Jaydn Ott, who has been deemed the biggest Transfer Portal bust of the season. Ott hasn't seen the field since the South Carolina game after a disappointing first half of the season. He's averaged just 3.2 yards on 21 total attempts in six games this year.
However, almost just as important to the run game than Robinson or Blaylock is Mateer, who tied Robinson with a team-high 10 carries against Alabama. Mateer rushed for 23 yards, but 20 of those came from a 20-yard touchdown run.
With the season on the line, Mateer could actually be tested even more than the Sooners' backfield depth. If he passes (literally), the Sooners will be headed to the College Football Playoff.