Mayfield gets another crack at Tech
Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield gets one last shot against his former team, the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
NORMAN — Having Texas Tech come to town brings about plenty of reflection for the two most prominent names associated with this Oklahoma football team.
Tech is first-year head coach Lincoln Riley’s alma mater and the place where his coaching career began.
For Sooners quarterback Baker Mayfield, Lubbock was the birthplace of the legend of Baker Mayfield — where he first started (at least on a major stage) and showed he had the makeup to accomplish what plenty thought impossible.
Saturday in Norman, Riley will lead a team against his alma mater for the first time while Mayfield will play against his old team for the final time when the Sooners host the Red Raiders at 7 p.m.
For Mayfield, it’s been a process of coming to terms with his experience at Texas Tech.
His start there was riproaring, as he became the first walk-on quarterback in major college football to start his team’s season opener as a freshman.
Mayfield was frustrated when he left there following his freshman season and didn’t do much to hide his displeasure with the way things went down between he and Red Raiders coach Kliff Kingsbury.
But now, nearly four years after arriving in Norman as a walk-on, leading a star-studded scout team that included wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham, and unseating incumbent Trevor Knight as OU’s starting quarterback, Mayfield’s tone toward his Tech time has mellowed.
“The journey has been incredible,” Mayfield said. “Starting out there and only being there for
5½ months, it wasn’t too long but at the same time it’s put me in the position where I’m at today. I learned a lot throughout that process, not necessarily just being there but post-leaving. I’m obviously thankful to Coach Kingsbury and that staff for giving me a chance to walk-on there and kick-start my college career.
“Looking back on it, I don’t think I would be where I’m at right now if not for them giving me a chance.”
This season, his final one at Oklahoma after a Big 12 rule change in the summer of 2016 restored what had been a lost season of eligibility, Mayfield is playing an even bigger role in the Sooners’ offense than he did his first two seasons.
With a backfield that doesn’t include a consistently dominating running back like Samaje Perine or Joe Mixon and a receiver group without a singular star like Sterling Shepard or Dede Westbrook, Mayfield has Oklahoma’s offense humming along.
“I don’t know that he’s shouldering more, really,” Riley said.
“It’s been a little more evenly distributed among the skill guys. We’re still running it quite a bit.”
“I just think he’s doing some great things and has for a long time. It’s hard to do. It’s really, really hard to do — to play that position at that level for that long. Not saying people don’t, just saying you need to appreciate it.” OU coach Lincoln Riley, on quarterback Baker Mayfield
Mayfield’s numbers, though, show he is carrying a bigger load — at least marginally.
Through seven games this season, Mayfield has had a hand in 61.8 percent of Oklahoma’s offensive yards.
Over his first two seasons, Mayfield accounted for 57.4 percent (2016) and 59.6 percent (2015) of the Sooners’ offensive production.
Riley said he hopes those both on the inside of the program and fans appreciate what Mayfield has been able to accomplish.
“I just think sometimes when a guy does it so well for so long, people sometimes forget how hard it is to do it well for just one game,” Riley said.
“I just think he’s doing some great things and has for a long time. It’s hard to do. It’s really, really hard to do — to play that position at that level for that long. Not saying people don’t, just saying you need to appreciate it.”