NORMAN — Oklahoma spent the offseason talking about a more physical, dependable rushing attack. Friday night, Lloyd Avant helped turn that talking point into something the Sooners could finally see on tape.
Avant earned the start in Oklahoma’s 51-0 win over UTEP and carried 15 times for 79 yards, both team highs. He scored the first touchdown of the 2026 season on a one-yard run that completed a 12-play, 76-yard opening drive.
The numbers were not cartoonish. They did not need to be.
Oklahoma rushed 39 times for 170 yards—roughly 52 yards more than its average last season—and showed an inside-outside balance that Venables said can create opportunities throughout the offense.
“If we’re able to continue to do that and get into a good rhythm where you have good balance and you have the ability to run the ball when you want to run the ball—and when they know you’re going to run the ball—obviously it will help create explosive plays,” Venables said.
That connection was visible against UTEP. The Sooners committed bodies to the box, used tight ends in multiple ways and still hit touchdown passes of 40, 34 and 48 yards. Oklahoma did not have to choose between physical football and explosive football. For one night, the run game helped create both.
Avant’s approach was straightforward.
“Coach always told us we want the yards after contact,” he said. “So we’re just doing that consistently every play. It’s just a mindset going into it.”
Avant called his performance good but “not good enough,” a response that matched the tone of Oklahoma’s postgame locker room. The Sooners understood the opponent and knew the film would reveal missed opportunities. Still, Avant’s performance carried weight after an offseason in which the running back competition remained fluid.
He did not describe the start as a personal breakthrough. Instead, Avant repeatedly returned to trust—trust in an offensive line with moving pieces and trust that every player in the huddle would win his individual fight.
That is where the performance fits within Oklahoma’s bigger offensive picture. The Sooners did not need a single running back to manufacture 150 yards. They needed a run game capable of keeping the offense on schedule, producing after contact and forcing the defense to respect every gap.
From an analytics standpoint, raw rushing totals tell only part of the story. Oklahoma’s first drive lasted 5:39 and ended in the end zone. The threat of the run later helped create explosive passes. That is the kind of complementary efficiency the Sooners lacked too often a year ago.
Michigan will provide a much more physical measurement. Avant and Oklahoma’s rebuilt rushing attack have not answered every question.
They did, however, provide a legitimate first answer.
