OU cornerback Zack Sanchez is wheeled off the field after suffering an ankle injury on the first play against Texas Tech Saturday in Norman.

OU running backs Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon combined for 405 rushing yards and six touchdowns as the Sooners cruised to a 63-27 win over the Texas Tech Red Raiders on Saturday in Norman.

Perine, who set the NCAA single game rushing yardage record against Kansas last year, carried the ball 23 times for 201 yards and four touchdowns, while Mixon added two scores and a career best 154 yards on 16 carries.  Mixon averaged an eye-popping 9.6 yards per carry, Perine averaged 8.7.  Quarterback Baker Mayfield had an efficient day throwing the ball, going 15-22 for 212 yards and two touchdowns with one interception.

Samaje Perine ran for 201 yards during Saturday’s game with Texas Tech.

Perine scored on runs of 3, 10, 6 and 2 yards while Mixon’s scoring runs covered 11 and 17 yards.  Mayfield’s touchdown passes went to tight end Mark Andrews, his fifth scoring grab of the season and Durron Neal, who hauled in a 15-yard scoring toss, both in the third quarter.  Jenks product Alex Ross added the final points to the scoreboard with a 9-yard run with a little over two minutes remaining in the contest.

The Red Raiders came into Saturday’s game ranked #2 in the nation in both passing yards (427.6) and total offense (623.7) as well as third in points at 49.4.  On this day however, the OU defense overcame the loss of starting cornerback Zack Sanchez on the game’s first play and clamped down on Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Red Raider offense.

Joe Mixon strides into the end zone in the first quarter against Texas Tech on Saturday.

Mahomes finished the day going 25-39 for 233 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions, including one by Dakota Austin, in for the injured Sanchez.  Austin finished the game with 11 tackles.  Senior Eric Striker grabbed the first interception of his career, returning it to the Tech three yard line, setting up Perine’s first touchdown run.

The Sooners travel to Lawrence, Kansas for a Hallowenn afternoon meeting with the Kansas Jayhawks before returning home to face Iowa State on November 7.

Photos and story by Greg Duke, Tulsa Today.