Kellis Robinett’s Big 12 Report (Sept. 22)

Sooners’ latest star

The wildest detail of Samaje Perine’s breakout game against West Virginia is that he entered the season as Oklahoma’s third-string tailback.

That’s right. Sooners coach Bob Stoops thought there were two better running backs on his roster than the 243-pound freshman that ran over, around and through the Mountaineers for 242 yards and four touchdowns on 34 carries in a road victory.

Perine was supposed to play behind Joe Mixon (year-long suspension) and Keith Ford (injury), but he will almost certainly be the top running back moving forward. He looks too good not to be. Perine averaged 7.1 yards per carry, and Stoops clearly trusts him if he is giving him the ball 34 times.

On Monday, Stoops compared him to former OU running backs Quentin Griffin and Adrian Peterson, who also starred as freshmen.

“His performance the other night was as good as any of those in one game,” Stoops said. “I believe he will continue adding onto it. He is similar to those types of players, but maybe a little bigger.”

Perine, of Pflugerville, Texas, uses his size to his advantage. He looks like a fullback, but runs with speed.

It takes more than an arm tackle to bring him down.

“We did a good job of hitting the holes,” Perine told reporters Saturday. “Coach Stoops told me that he had confidence that I could get the job done and I just went out there and did my best.”

Perine also thanked his offensive line for giving him ample running room. He is already adjusting to life as Oklahoma’s top running back.

“You know about how powerful and strong he is, but he has great vision,” Stoops told reporters Saturday. “He has great stamina and is a very conditioned athlete. He works hard at his conditioning.”

Stealing signs?

Much was made of an ESPN halftime report that claimed Kansas State football coach Bill Snyder was concerned about Auburn stealing the Wildcats’ play-calling signals in a 20-14 home defeat.

On Monday, Snyder clarified those concerns by saying he simply wanted his team to work harder to disguise its signals.

“I was attributed to saying ‘stealing,’ and I certainly didn’t say ‘stealing,’” Snyder said. “Auburn may have had an awareness of what some of our signals were and consequently we had the ability to change it up. That is extremely common in athletics. That is just part of the game. It is not stealing.”

Johnson named Player of the Week

Where was Dakorey Johnson in K-State’s first two games? The senior linebacker made his first career start against Auburn and played well enough to win Big 12 defensive player of the week honors on Monday.

He made six tackles, including two for loss, and an interception. Though his play came in a 20-14 loss, K-State’s defense held Auburn well below its normal production. The Tigers entered the game averaging 52 points and 330 rushing yards, but managed 20 points and 123 rushing yards against the Wildcats. Johnson replaced Will Davis in the starting lineup and should remain atop the depth chart for the foreseeable future.

Quote of the week

“Maybe we’re the third-best team in the country.”

– West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen on playing Alabama and Oklahoma tough.

Power rankings

1. Oklahoma (4-0, 1-0 Big 12): The Sooners are playing as well as anyone.

2. Baylor (3-0, 0-0): Night games in Ames can be tricky for any visitor.

3. Kansas State (2-1, 1-0): Mistakes cost the Wildcats against Auburn.

4. Oklahoma State (2-1, 0-0): The Cowboys will beat Texas Tech on Thursday if they are true contenders.

5. West Virginia (2-2, 0-1): Clint Trickett continues to look great. West Virginia’s defense? Not so much.

6. TCU (2-0, 0-0): Two weeks off this early has to be annoying.

7. Iowa State (1-2, 0-1): Cyclones were no match for Baylor a year ago.

8. Texas (1-2, 0-0): Charlie Strong will play his first road game with Texas at Kansas, a team Mack Brown always beat.

9. Kansas (2-1, 0-0): KU will have a shot against Texas if it builds off its fourth quarter against Central Michigan.

10. Texas Tech (2-1, 0-0): Not only have the Red Raiders played poorly. Now they adjust to a new defensive coordinator.

This story was originally published September 22, 2014 at 2:35 PM with the headline "Kellis Robinett’s Big 12 Report (Sept. 22)."