DALLAS - Oklahoma didn't run all over Texas on Saturday, but the Sooners were more efficient on the ground than they had been in the last few weeks.
And Lloyd Avantwas a key reason why OU escaped the Cotton Bowl with a win.
Avant tallied a game-high 72 yards on 10 carries. He also had Oklahoma's only offensive touchdown, which he scored in the fourth quarter.
The running back, who transferred to OU from Colorado State before the season, was held below four yards per carry in each of the previous three games. But Avant never lost confidence in himself or his teammates.
"Just preparation. Every day at practice, 20 hard periods with BV," Avant said. "It's a staple to how we perform and how we go about our days, preparing for each game. It prepared us for this game, just coming out and executing in all four quarters."
The Sooners struggled to do much offensively in the first half.
They went three-and-out on each of their first five drives and combined for only 15 yards on those possessions. OU trailed 17-7 at the break, and its points came from a blocked punt, which Dakoda Fields recovered for a touchdown.
It would have been easy for OU's offense to give up after such a dismal start. But Avant and his teammates didn't let negativity creep in at the break.
"It was just the will and the mentality to come out and just execute the plan that we had and come out and do it," Avant said. "That's all it took for us to just come out and play the game that we love."
Shortly after taking the field in the third quarter, Avant provided the offense with a spark. He rushed for 42 yards on a run up the middle, setting the Sooners up in Texas territory. Kicker Tate Sandell nailed a field goal to cap off that drive and make it a one-possession game.
Avant, a Texas native, got a boost from that chunk play.
"You're in the Red River Rivalry game. When you bust a run, you hear the crowd going, everybody's going to get a little excited," Avant said. "We had to just dial in and get the next play and keep going."
Avant didn't wait long to make another crucial play.
He scored on a two-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 17-17 after carrying the ball three times earlier on the drive.
Oklahoma running back Lloyd Avant celebrates after scoring a touchdown against Texas. | Carson Field / Sooners On SI
Without his tough running on that drive, the Sooners wouldn't have been in a position to make their comeback. But Avant believes he was only a piece to the puzzle.
"It felt great, doing it for my brothers and doing it for the team," Avant said. "Not only did I score a touchdown, but they scored a touchdown with me. They put me in the end zone."
Avant was a standout at the Cotton Bowl. But there is still plenty of room to grow for both him and his fellow running backs.
The Sooners averaged only 2.7 yards per carry as a team despite Avant's strong performance. Freshman Jonathan Hatton Jr., who started the game, had the second most rushing yards with 12.
But after his breakout performance in the Red River Rivalry, Avant is confident that the run game will continue to improve as the Sooners venture into the heart of SEC play.
"Just doing what we do every week," Avant said. "Going back to practice, figuring out what we did wrong because there's always room for improvement. "
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/oklahoma as Oklahoma RB Lloyd Avant's 'Will and Mentality' Shined Late in Win vs. No. 1 Texas .
