Jovantae Barnes continues his late-season rhythm and explodes against Maine

NORMAN — Oklahoma appeared to be on the brink of one disaster after another Saturday.

The Sooners' offense began the game with a five-play, 12-yard drive that included just one first down before they were forced to punt. Maine immediately seized possession and struck right at the Oklahoma defense with an eight-play, 69-yard touchdown.

In a game against an FCS opponent in which the Sooners held a 35-point lead to win, they were down 7-0 with 7:59 left in the first quarter. Out of nowhere, the Sooners needed a spark.

That's where Jovantae Barnes reinforced.

On the first play of the ensuing drive, Barnes completed the first down carry for 74 yards to the one-yard line. Two plays later he hit the end zone to tie the game at 7-7.

“I still think (that big run) was a touchdown,” Barnes joked after the game. “You might say something different. But it felt good to break one and just celebrate with my boys.”

That play – and Barnes' performance – proved pivotal in the Sooners gaining control en route to a 59-14 victory over the Black Bears.

This run was just the beginning for Barnes as he served as an offensive lynchpin throughout the day. By halftime, he converted 11 carries into 158 yards — the most by an OU running back in a half since 2014 — and two touchdowns, an average of 14.3 yards per carry.

In addition to the 74-yard run, Barnes had respectful runs of 29 and 15 yards and also caught a pass for 19 yards, giving him a big-play factor that the Sooners have been missing all year. He kept that up in the third quarter, scoring on a 19-yard touchdown where he made defenders miss as he reached the rim and into the end zone.

Even without playing the fourth quarter, Barnes had an outing of his own: 18 carries, 203 yards (11.2 yards per carry) and three touchdowns.

Not only was it the best performance of his career, he also became the first OU player to rush for more than 100 yards this season. It was cause for celebration for Barnes, who battled injuries throughout last season.

“Really proud of him and how he continued to come back, work hard and just accomplish a mission if you will,” OU coach said Brent Venables said. “And it’s a great example for the other players. Everyone learns from it. And all that matters is what you do in the future. And things are going to happen, and you're going to have to overcome some things, and he certainly did and.” (Was) frustrated a year ago with being injured and not getting into the rhythm. But last year doesn't have to have anything to do with this year.

“And so he just put his head down and created an opportunity for himself, made the most of the opportunity when he came in, and he just really excelled and really took off.”

But Barnes' performance against Maine wasn't just a flash in the pan. As the Sooners' offense has struggled all season, Barnes has brought something of a consistency to OU. In the two games before Maine, Barnes recorded over 200 total yards and rushed for over 4.0 yards per carry.

Those performances helped OU find something in the running game, which ranked 110th nationally. When accounting for sacks, the Sooners rushed for 207 yards while averaging over four yards per carry against a strong Ole Miss defense last week. They finished the game against the Black Bears with 381 rushing yards and 7.3 yards per carry.

Things appear to be trending in the right direction for the Sooners' running game, and Barnes is a big reason why.

“I said it last week, I thought he was super physical last week,” OU quarterback said Jackson Arnold said. “Obviously he had a lot of yards in the receiving game last week as well. And today that was huge for him and his confidence.”

The Sooners needed Barnes as things had stalled. The Sooners scored just 61 offensive points in their five conference games, and they didn't have a starting offensive lineman – Jacob Sexton, Jake Taylor And Michael Tarquin – against Maine. The wide receiver room has been decimated by injuries.

But in the middle of it all was Barnes, struggling to keep the offense going. This season, he has 577 rushing yards at 4.7 yards per carry and has played the seventh-most snaps on offense.

“It all starts with practice,” Barnes said. “I think that's my biggest thing and I've been trying to do better and also look at extra footage and make sure I see things that maybe other people don't see. I think I did a good job with that.” . I'm currently meeting with (OU running backs coach DeMarco MurrayMeeting with (offensive analyst) Nick Basquine, I just make sure I do extra things for myself because I know it will help and I know what type of player I am.

Considering the Sooners had lost three straight games by double digits, they simply needed a win and show what they can build on before heading into a grueling three-game stretch to end the year. It seemed like the running game found some momentum last week, and it continued to step up against Maine.

Barnes had heated up and then exploded against the Black Bears. If the Sooners hope to end their season on a positive note, they need to start with the man who has been their most consistent player this season.

“I think we all just gained more confidence as a group,” Barnes said. “I let these guys know that I'm going to do my best and I want this to be the best group at the end of the day. I want this to be the group that goes out and performs every time we get the ball. “Even when we don't have the ball, we managed it well by doing our job. We just have to put everything together and execute the offense.

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