Samaje Perine, Joe Mixon give Oklahoma unique 1-2 punch at running back

Oklahoma running backs Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon combined for more than 2,500 yards of total offense last season. Together, they formed a highly productive 1-2 punch that is rarely found in a Big 12 backfield.

Both return for what many think could be another special year in Norman, Okla., but neither enters the season in the spotlight.

Such is life when you share a huddle with Heisman Trophy hopeful Baker Mayfield, the top returning quarterback in the conference, if not the nation.

That might annoy some players on the same level as Perine, who is on track to become Oklahoma’s career rushing leader this season, and Mixon, a former five-star recruit. But they don’t mind taking a backseat, especially when it comes to media interviews.

“Absolutely not,” Perine said last month at Big 12 media days when asked if was enjoying himself. “It’s been an experience that I won’t forget. Everybody doesn’t get a chance to do this. To have Coach (Bob) Stoops pick me, it shows a lot. It’s been an experience, but I would never want to do it again.”

He would rather repeat the regular-season success Oklahoma experienced a year ago, when the Sooners won the Big 12 with an 11-1 record and qualified for college football’s playoff. A semifinal loss to Clemson ended their national championship hopes, but with Perine, Mixon and Mayfield returning, there is hope they will get a second chance.

We will know a lot about this Oklahoma team before the start of conference play. The Sooners face a difficult early schedule that features nonconference games against Houston and Ohio State. Win both and they are legitimate title contenders. A split would erase any margin for error in league play. And two losses would all but eliminate them from playoff consideration.

Stoops isn’t afraid of the challenge. He knows he has a proven running game to lean on.

When asked if Perine and Mixon form the best running back duo he has coached, Stoops held nothing back.

“It’s fair to say, yes, absolutely. These guys are such all-around players. They’re amazing when you watch the coach’s version of the end zone copy, the holes they pick and the patience they have. Then you notice the obvious is the strength and power and they rarely get caught. They’re unusually fast for that size. So they have it all.”

Perine is the power runner who prefers to do his damage between the tackles. He rushed for 1,349 yards and 16 touchdowns on 226 carries a year ago.

Mixon is faster and a more of a threat in the passing game. As a freshman last season, he rushed for 753 yards and caught 28 passes for 356 yards.

Together, they can help Oklahoma’s offense in any situation, even if they get overshadowed by their quarterback.

This story was originally published August 22, 2016 at 5:30 PM with the headline "Samaje Perine, Joe Mixon give Oklahoma unique 1-2 punch at running back."