Rumors and speculation began to grow over the weekend that running back Keith Ford has been suspended from the Oklahoma football program indefinitely. Those whispers were confirmed today by head coach Bob Stoops.
The announcement was made by the Oklahoma football official twitter page, and is the only official comment from the Oklahoma camp on the matter so far.
. @OU_CoachStoops confirms that running back Keith Ford has been indefinitely suspended for academic & team rules violations.
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) March 30, 2015
While Ford is certainly a complementary player in the Sooners’ backfield, his production as a versatile pass-catching receiver will be an impactful loss for Stoops’ team. As a sophomore in 2014, Ford put up 392 yards rushing which was good for third on the team, and tied for second on the team with his five rushing touchdowns. His 11 receptions for 140 yards and another touchdown out of the backfield are what will really be missed.
Stoops has his workhorse in rising sophomore Samaje Perine, who broke Melvin Gordon’s week old record for rushing yards in a single game with 427 yards against Kansas in November. Beyond Perine, there is more depth at the running back position in sophomores Alex Ross and David Smith. Ross saw plenty of run as one of the more utilized backups and amassed 88 carries and 4 TDs in 2014; Smith only saw the field in the Sooners’ blowout win at Iowa State, but did well with 10 carries for 76 yards and a touchdown.
While Ford’s absence on the field will certainly be noticed internally, his suspension should not implicate the Sooners’ ability to produce at the running back position. Stoops has solid backups and one of the most promising running backs in all of college football, Oklahoma need not worry.
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*Section Photo credit to Matthew Emmons, USA Today Sports; Featured Photo (above) credit to Sue Ogrocki, Associated Press
