Norman, Oklahoma ? Until Saturday’s 44-7 loss to Oklahoma, which featured OU freshman Samaje Perine breaking the NCAA single-game rushing record with 427 yards on 34 carries, those associated with Kansas University football always thought fondly of that record.
From November 1991 to November 1999, former KU great Tony Sands and his 396-yard day against Missouri in his KU finale were the marks to beat at the top of the college football rushing world. And even though LaDainian Tomlinson broke Sands’ record with a 406-yard outing in 1999 and Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon surpassed that with 408 yards last weekend against Nebraska, every time the topic came up, it took KU fans back to Sands’ Superman-esque performance.
That won’t be the case any longer.
“I don’t want to be any part of it,” KU coach Clint Bowen said after the loss. “There’s not a positive (thing) to do with that record for us right now.”
After the loss, several Jayhawks said they were unaware during play of how close Perine was to breaking the record. Their only focus was on trying to stop him.
“No. We really (didn’t) care,” senior defensive tackle Keon Stowers said of his knowledge of Perine’s pursuit of the record during the game. “We were just worried about the next play and stopping him. They (were) just gashing us, man. They had our number in the run game, and hats off to him. He’s a good back.”
Added junior safety Fish Smithson: “Oklahoma’s a great team and they handed it to us today. Gotta give ’em their credit.”
Unlike Sands, who gained his record-breaking total on a whopping 58 carries, Perine got his on a more usual 34 carries, which came in just over three quarters of play.
Even still, former Wisconsin running back Montee Ball, a current member of the Denver Broncos who owns the NCAA record for most career rushing touchdowns (77), took to Twitter on Saturday evening to criticize the way OU went about getting Perine the record.
“I mean yeah if u keep him in this long.. Winning by this much. He should beat it.. Melvin Gordon 3 quarters,” Ball wrote on his Twitter page.
For the record, Gordon carried the ball 25 times last week, good for a 16.3 yards-per-carry average. Perine’s 34 carries put his average per tote at 12.6.
