Boulder – Colorado coach Dan Hawkins knows Oklahoma’s offense was potent with Adrian Peterson. He just isn’t buying the theory the Sooners are considerably less dangerous with their All-America running back sidelined.
“You go back to the Wally Pipp story,” Hawkins said. “Wally goes out and the guy that comes in (Lou Gehrig) is not real bad.”
Peterson ran for 935 yards and 10 touchdowns this season before he suffered a broken collarbone late in Oklahoma’s win against Iowa State on Saturday. He is expected to miss the rest of the regular season. For his career, he had 3,968 yards, fourth on Oklahoma’s all-time rushing list and just 151 yards shy of the record held by Billy Sims. Peterson averaged 155.8 yards per game.
On Monday, Stoops insisted Peterson’s loss will not slow the Sooners.
“I’m more disappointed for him personally,” Stoops said on the Big 12 coaches’ teleconference. “I feel strongly as a team that we’ll be able to overcome it. We’ve got some good young guys in there – Allen Patrick, Jacob Gutierrez, a young freshman, Mossis Madu, has been awfully impressive. We’re playing better offensively in so many areas that we’ll be able to overcome the loss and continue to do well.”
Hawkins thinks so as well.
“I’m not trying to say I’m Bob Stoops, but it’s the same thing,” Hawkins said. “His quarterback goofs up, (is dismissed) and everybody’s going ‘Holy smokes,’ and then ‘Oh, hey, this guy’s not bad, either.’ I’m sure he’s saying the same thing and I’m sure the couple of guys that have been backing (Peterson) up are saying the same thing, too.”
Stoops noted “there will be some” changes in the Sooners’ offensive approach as they prepare to face Colorado, but not many.
“No one here in our program feels that it will hold us back,” Stoops said.
Crosby, Walters honored
Kicker Mason Crosby and safety Ryan Walters, who had two interceptions, were honored Monday as conference players of the week. Crosby was the Big 12 special-teams player of the week after going 3-for-3 on field goals in CU’s win over Texas Tech. It is Crosby’s eighth player of the week award, a Big 12 record. … The Oct. 28 Colorado at Kansas game will not be televised. Kickoff is at noon MDT. … Defensive end Abraham Wright was named a midseason All-American by CollegeFootballNews.com.
More CU commitments
CU gained an oral commitment from 6-foot-3, 285-pound lineman Mike Iltis from Riverview (Fla.) High School, the sixth offensive line commitment in a known class of 15 to this point. Iltis is joined by Compton, Calif., cornerback Anthony Wright. Wright, 6-foot, 185, also had offers from Nebraska, Baylor and Colorado State.
