The Oklahoma Sooners needed a day like Saturday. It was a cleansing experience for an offense that has struggled since entering SEC play. But Oklahoma erupted in a big way, led by the efforts of Jovantae Barnes.
Barnes exploded for a 74-yard run on the Sooners’ second drive of the day en route to 203 rushing yards and three touchdowns. It was a career day for Barnes, who topped his previous career best of 108 yards against Florida State in the 2022 Cheez-It Bowl.
The Sooners’ offense has needed a spark and in the last few weeks, Barnes has been that spark, playing with an inspiring energy and effort. He’s been a bright spot for the offense and exploded on Saturday.
Prior to Saturday’s huge day, Barnes had put together strong performances against South Carolina and Ole Miss. He averaged more than four yards per carry in both games and topped 100 total yards against the Rebels.
The Sooners needed someone on the offense to step up and find another gear as they hit rock bottom against Texas. And Barnes has been that answer. He’s silenced the critics and created zero doubt as to who the No. 1 running back is on this team. At the same time, he’s established himself as the go-to player for the offense.
Oklahoma won’t have an easy road ahead, but they’ve found that they can rely on Barnes in both the run and pass game. And they’ll need every bit of his ability and his effort over the final three games starting next week at Missouri.
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