Newcomers Shining Bright For Oklahoma Offense

Newcomers Damien Williams and Justin Brown have brought much-needed experience and talent to the OU offense.

Sunday, September 9th 2012, 12:38 am

By: News 9


New faces always bring something to the table.

For the Sooners, a pair of new faces on offense have shined brightest in the first two wins of the season.

Oklahoma came into this 2012 season desperately needing experience at the wide receiver position and, to a degree, the running back position. Not just experience, but experience that would translate into productivity at positions where there was a lot of uncertainty.

Well, there's not any uncertainty anymore. The Sooners know they have exactly what they needed in running back Damien Williams and wide receiver Justin Brown.

Williams came to Norman as a highly touted junior college transfer, but no one really knew where he would fall in an already crowded running back rotation. Last week against UTEP, Williams ran for 104 yards, including a 65-yard touchdown that put the game away for OU.

This week, he proved the performance was no fluke, rushing for 156 yards on just 10 carries, the most for a Sooner player in their home debut. Williams also scored four touchdowns, including an 89-yard burst in the third quarter, where no one was within five yards of him at any point.

Williams' impact has been immediate and very pronounced. But it may not even be the biggest on the team.

Brown transferred to OU due to the mess that has become the Penn State football program. A senior, his receiving skills were highly coveted, especially due to the experience he had. In addition to that, Brown had proven himself to be an excellent punt returner, in spite of his 6'3 frame. The Sooners had struggled over the past several years manufacturing any semblance of a return game, so Brown's return skills were viewed as a bonus.

Brown has not disappointed, returning his first punt 26 yards a week ago against UTEP, and ripping off a 43-yarder and 62-yarder against the Rattlers Saturday night. Oh, and he's a pretty decent receiver too. Brown had just two catches against Florida A&M, but one of them went for 46 yards between two defenders.

The great thing about Brown and Williams, and the thing OU needed the most, is the experience they brought with them to Oklahoma. They aren't two stud five-star recruits who haven't proven their talents translate to the college game.

They've been there and done that, and their experience, along with the experience of Landry Jones and Kenny Stills, is carrying this Oklahoma offense through the first two games. While Stills is the go-to receiver for Jones, Brown's big returns of 43 yards and 62 yards Saturday night led to touchdown drives of one play and three plays, respectively, for the OU offense. That's an advantage precious few teams in college football have.

Now, with another proven running back, and an experienced receiver opposite Stills, the Oklahoma offense is beginning to hum, with Brown and Williams setting the pace. The Sooners racked up 662 yards of offense Saturday night, 349 on the ground.

They may be new, but new doesn't have to mean inexperienced and unproven. It certainly doesn't for Brown and Williams.

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