An effective running game can change everything for an offense. Running the football helps a team grab the edge in time of possession, keeps the opposing offense off the field and takes a toll on the opposing defense.
Oklahoma used its running game to its advantage on Nov. 22, 2014. The Sooners ran the ball 55 times for 510 yards and five touchdowns in a 44-7 win against Kansas. Oklahoma running back Samaje Perine had 427 yards on 34 carries and accounted for each of the Sooners’ five trips to the end zone.
Oklahoma finished the day with 19 first downs. The Jayhawks managed just seven and scored their lone touchdown on a fumble return.
Perine’s 427 rushing yards remain a single-game record. Here is a look at the greatest single-game rushing performances in FBS history:
427 – Samaje Perine (Oklahoma) vs. Kansas on Nov. 22, 2014
409 – Jaret Patterson (Buffalo) vs. Kent State on Nov. 28, 2020
408 – Melvin Gordon (Wisconsin) vs. Nebraska on Nov. 15, 2014
406 – LaDainian Tomlinson (TCU) vs. UTEP on Nov. 20, 1999
396 – Tony Sands (Kansas) vs. Missouri on Nov. 23, 1991
386 – Marshall Faulk (San Diego State) vs. Pacific on Sept. 14, 1991
378 – Troy Davis (Iowa State) vs. Missouri on Sept. 28, 1996
377 – Anthony Thompson (Indiana) at Wisconsin on Nov. 11, 1989
377 – Robbie Mixon (Central Michigan) at Eastern Michigan on Nov. 2, 2002
376 – Travis Prentice (Miami, Ohio) vs. Akron on Nov. 6, 1999
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