The Sooners Have To Use Xavier Robinson More In The Rushing Attack

Xavier Robinson had a breakout performance in last week’s loss against Ole Miss. The Sooners’ running back had a career-high of 109 rushing yards off of just nine carries, with two touchdown scores. Good news for Sooners fans, Robinson is just getting started.

Saturday’s game against Ole Miss wasn’t the first time that Robinson had a standout showing. Robinson was a difference-maker, helping lead Oklahoma to an upset win over Alabama last season, where he rushed for 107 yards on 18 carries with two touchdown runs.

Among Oklahoma’s backfield, no one provides the explosiveness quite like what Robinson brings to the offense. Robinson leads the Sooners in yards per attempt among rushers with at least five carries this season by a lot, with an average of six yards a carry. By comparison, the next highest is Tory Blaylock with just over four yards per attempt.

Robinson’s 65-yard touchdown run against Ole Miss was the longest run of any player on Oklahoma’s roster this season. But there was something unique about that run specifically, that should make the Sooners want to use him more in the offense.

The touchdown score was between the tackles. As previously mentioned earlier this week, offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle has been hell-bent on using an outside zone scheme, which has not been working. If the Sooners use Robinson more, not only is he the most explosive and productive back that they have, but it should also make Oklahoma’s run game more disciplined.

Robinson is at his best running between the tackles, and Arbuckle knows this. If the Sooners use Robinson more, while committing to the inside run game, this could be exactly what the Oklahoma offense is looking for, as they have had an inconsistent run game all season.

Arbuckle sang Robinson’s praises earlier this week saying, “I thought he gave a real spark to the entire team, to the entire stadium, just being tough to tackle, being physical (and) being violent, ..." Arbuckle said. "Just the way that he has been running consistently, physically, running through trash, breaking arm tackles and being tough to take down, it's awesome. It's the player that he is. He's big; he's strong. Y'all saw he's pretty fast too. He's talented, and I'm excited to keep on getting X going."

While Robinson has the momentum in the backfield right now, Arbuckle has given no indication of how the rotation will shake out going forward. On Tuesday he said, “Whenever you look at that running back room, throughout spring ball and fall camp and even the early parts of the season, there (were) a lot of guys (doing) a lot of really good things," Arbuckle said. "People just see things that happen at the game, but I think it's all a body of work. And X is a great practice player, but I think we have a lot of good kids on our team who execute."