In the past few seasons, the Kansas Jayhawks have struggled in the games following well-played games. Last week, the Jayhawks nearly upset the #4 ranked TCU Horned Frogs, so the expectations were not high for KU headed into Norman, Oklahoma to take on the Sooners. Little did they, nor the rest of the country know, that freshman running back Samaje Perine would be the star of the day, setting an NCAA record for rushing yards in a single game with 427 yards, as the #21 Oklahoma Sooners cruised to a win over Kansas.
One week ago in Madison, Wisconsin, Melvin Gordon set the NCAA record for rushing yards in a game with 408 yards in just three quarters against the Nebraska Cornhuskers, breaking LaDainian Tomlinson's record of 406. While Samaje Perine couldn't quite get it done in only three quarters, he did set the record by the end of the day (he did, however, tie the Big 12 record of 378 yards by the end of 3rd quarter).
Having the single-game rushing record broken two weeks in a row is a remarkable feat and quite the anomaly, and it is even more incredible when you realize Melvin Gordon has been regarded all season as one of the best backs in the nation and possibly the best running back prospect for the upcoming NFL Draft; Samaje Perine is a freshman who wasn't even first on the depth chart all season. Perine set the record on 34 carries (a 12.6 YPC average) and he also scored five touchdowns. He was a one-man wrecking crew all afternoon, one which the Jayhawks had no answer for.
The conditions for the game were terrible from the start. The game was actually delayed an hour and a half prior to kickoff time because of lightning. Once the game finally started, the rain poured down relentlessly on Sooners and the Jayhawks, making the turf wet and difficult to get traction on, which set the tone for the game.
It was a high-scoring game despite the conditions, however almost all of the scoring came from OU. Perine scored his first touchdown of the day on a 49 yard scamper in the first quarter at the 11:24 mark and they never looked back. By halftime, Oklahoma led 24-0 over Kansas.
The second half started much like the first half did, with Samaje Perine scoring on a long touchdown run, this one going for 66 yards. KU would get their lone score of the game in the third quarter when safety Cassius Sendish returned a fumble by Oklahoma's Keith Ford for a touchdown. That would be all for the Jayhawks' scoring, as the Sooners continued to shut down Clint Bowen's offense throughout the second half.
The Jayhawks had no success on the ground nor in the air, as Michael Cummings struggled to pass the ball and the corps of running backs consisting of Corey Avery and Tony Pierson couldn't get anything done against the Sooners' stellar front seven. When it was all said and done, the score was as ugly as the conditions, with Oklahoma blowing out Kansas 44-7.
It was a long day for Kansas both on offense and on defense. Quarterback Michael Cummings had his worst game of the season, completing just eight passes in 22 attempts for 84 yards. He also threw an interception, giving him a passer efficiency rating on the game of only 59.3. He was replaced in garbage time by backup quarterback TJ Millweard.
The running game was no better for the Jayhawks against a stellar defensive line for Oklahoma, as the team ran for just 19 total yards on 36 carries. Corey Avery was the team's leading rusher with 38 yards on 11 carries. Avery also led the team in receiving yards with 32 on two receptions.
The passing game for Oklahoma was actually worse than the one for Kansas, although they didn't need any help through the air in this one. Quarterback Cody Thomas, who played in place of Trevor Knight, was just 3/13 passing on the day for 39 yards for a rating of 48.3. Samaje Perine obviously led the team in rushing with his record-setting 427 yards, also scoring all five of OU's touchdowns on the day. Safety Ahmad Thomas also had an interception for the Sooners' defense.
The streak of poor play following big games continues for Kansas, as they give up the greatest single game in terms of rushing in NCAA history against Samaje Perine and Oklahoma. If there was any one positive to take away from this game for Kansas, it was the fact that they were at least visibly frustrated on the field, which sounds odd but is much different from the general apathy expressed by the team under former coach Charlie Weis.
Two weeks after KU picked up their only conference win of the season and one week after playing a fantastic game against the TCU Horned Frogs, the Jayhawks came up flat in Norman and will be searching for answers headed into their final game of the season next week.
Clint Bowen's shot at having the "interim" removed from his job title during the offseason will be in question more after this game than it was after their last one, whether it's fair or not. This will be one of the most interesting coaching decisions that any program will make this coming offseason. Kansas plays their final game of the season next week in Manhattan, Kansas, against in-state rival Kansas State.
For Oklahoma, this was a big home win, but the biggest story was Samaje Perine and his record-setting performance. There will be no Big 12 championship for the Sooners this year, no New Year’s Six bowl game, but this is a great way to bring the season to an end (almost, anyway) and gives a great glimpse into what the future will hold for their stud freshman running back.
Credit must be given to the players in the trenches for Oklahoma, as the defensive line absolutely smothered the Kansas offense throughout the game, while the offensive line did a phenomenal job opening up holes for Perine in the terrible conditions they were playing in. Oklahoma has had greats play running back for them throughout the years, including players like Adrian Peterson and Demarco Murray in recent history, but nobody else has ever had a game like Samaje Perine had today. The Sooners will try to build on this victory and finish out the season strong next week, as they take on the Oklahoma State Cowboys at home in Bedlam.