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10/30/2010, 01:58 AM
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OU running back Roy Finch and his 'video game-esque' moves getting more playing time
Roy Finch has done plenty to impress OU fans, players and coaches. He's done so much in fact that those folks are going to see him on the field more.
BY JAKE TROTTER, Staff Writer, [email protected] Oklahoman
NORMAN — Oklahoma freshman running back Roy Finch grew up the way he now carries the football.
Always bouncing around.
Good thing for the Sooners, he bounced through Oklahoma along the way.
Going into Saturday night's clash with Colorado, Finch has electrified Sooner fans in just two games.
Electrified his teammates, too.
"He's fun to watch and he's obviously fun to block for," said guard Gabe Ikard, who calls Finch's moves "video game-esque."
"I'm excited to block for him in the future. He's going to be a great back."
Through two games in a backup role behind senior DeMarco Murray, Finch has racked up 151 rushing yards, averaging a whopping 6.0 yards per carry. They were performances that have warranted getting him more playing time.
While generating the consensus belief he's OU's back of the future.
"He'll continue to get more and more opportunities," said coach Bob Stoops. "We want to get him on the field more and get him more touches."
As good as he's been, it's scary to think how far along Finch might be now had he not suffered a hairline fracture in his ankle during OU's final preseason scrimmage.
"You can tell the ankle is not completely back," Ikard said. "In two-a-days, he did some things that you can't even imagine people can do with his cuts."
The fracture caused Finch to sit out the first five games of the season. Even this week, Finch admits he's not yet fully healed.
"I'm still 85 to 90 percent," Finch said. "It still kind of bothers me when I am on the field. But whenever you are playing you don't really think about it, and you don't feel it until after the game."
But in just a few runs at Missouri, Finch showed that at 85 or 90 percent, he's still one heck of a back.
His first carry of the game, Finch went 17 yards. Then five. Then eight. Using speed to break into the open field. Then surprising power for a 180-pound back to tack on a couple of extra yards.
"I was really impressed with how he uses speed, then uses power," Ikard said. "He's got great vision, he's explosive. You can always see he runs away from color. But I was really impressed with how he finished his runs.
"He's just a little ball of power."
Considering Finch spent most of his childhood years in Maryland, and graduated high school in Niceville, Fla., the Sooners are fortunate to have landed such a prized talent.
Finch's father, Corey, is a family doctor in the Air Force. That job brought the Finch family to the Oklahoma City area when Corey was transferred to Tinker Air Force Base for almost two years before later being assigned to a base in Florida (Corey is scheduled to be transferred back to Tinker in February).
While in town, Finch enrolled at Edmond North High School, where he starred his sophomore year of football.
"When I came here, Oklahoma became my favorite team," said Finch, who watched the Sooners defeat Miami and Texas A&M in 2007 at Owen Field. "If I hadn't lived here, I probably wouldn't know anything about Oklahoma."
Ever since he stepped on campus, the Sooner coaches all have said Finch reminds them of ex-OU running back Quentin Griffin, fifth on the school's all-time career rushing list.
And not just because Finch too is 5-foot-8. Or wears Griffin's number 22 jersey.
"Roy looks great," said offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson. "He's a smart guy, but the other night we kept worrying about what he could handle — he's only had two weeks back on task. But he didn't have a bust at all.
"So he's handling it good. ... and the more he plays, the better he will get."
Said Ikard: "Give him a little more time.
"I'm telling you, he's going to be something really special."
OU running back Roy Finch and his 'video game-esque' moves getting more playing time
Roy Finch has done plenty to impress OU fans, players and coaches. He's done so much in fact that those folks are going to see him on the field more.
BY JAKE TROTTER, Staff Writer, [email protected] Oklahoman
NORMAN — Oklahoma freshman running back Roy Finch grew up the way he now carries the football.
Always bouncing around.
Good thing for the Sooners, he bounced through Oklahoma along the way.
Going into Saturday night's clash with Colorado, Finch has electrified Sooner fans in just two games.
Electrified his teammates, too.
"He's fun to watch and he's obviously fun to block for," said guard Gabe Ikard, who calls Finch's moves "video game-esque."
"I'm excited to block for him in the future. He's going to be a great back."
Through two games in a backup role behind senior DeMarco Murray, Finch has racked up 151 rushing yards, averaging a whopping 6.0 yards per carry. They were performances that have warranted getting him more playing time.
While generating the consensus belief he's OU's back of the future.
"He'll continue to get more and more opportunities," said coach Bob Stoops. "We want to get him on the field more and get him more touches."
As good as he's been, it's scary to think how far along Finch might be now had he not suffered a hairline fracture in his ankle during OU's final preseason scrimmage.
"You can tell the ankle is not completely back," Ikard said. "In two-a-days, he did some things that you can't even imagine people can do with his cuts."
The fracture caused Finch to sit out the first five games of the season. Even this week, Finch admits he's not yet fully healed.
"I'm still 85 to 90 percent," Finch said. "It still kind of bothers me when I am on the field. But whenever you are playing you don't really think about it, and you don't feel it until after the game."
But in just a few runs at Missouri, Finch showed that at 85 or 90 percent, he's still one heck of a back.
His first carry of the game, Finch went 17 yards. Then five. Then eight. Using speed to break into the open field. Then surprising power for a 180-pound back to tack on a couple of extra yards.
"I was really impressed with how he uses speed, then uses power," Ikard said. "He's got great vision, he's explosive. You can always see he runs away from color. But I was really impressed with how he finished his runs.
"He's just a little ball of power."
Considering Finch spent most of his childhood years in Maryland, and graduated high school in Niceville, Fla., the Sooners are fortunate to have landed such a prized talent.
Finch's father, Corey, is a family doctor in the Air Force. That job brought the Finch family to the Oklahoma City area when Corey was transferred to Tinker Air Force Base for almost two years before later being assigned to a base in Florida (Corey is scheduled to be transferred back to Tinker in February).
While in town, Finch enrolled at Edmond North High School, where he starred his sophomore year of football.
"When I came here, Oklahoma became my favorite team," said Finch, who watched the Sooners defeat Miami and Texas A&M in 2007 at Owen Field. "If I hadn't lived here, I probably wouldn't know anything about Oklahoma."
Ever since he stepped on campus, the Sooner coaches all have said Finch reminds them of ex-OU running back Quentin Griffin, fifth on the school's all-time career rushing list.
And not just because Finch too is 5-foot-8. Or wears Griffin's number 22 jersey.
"Roy looks great," said offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson. "He's a smart guy, but the other night we kept worrying about what he could handle — he's only had two weeks back on task. But he didn't have a bust at all.
"So he's handling it good. ... and the more he plays, the better he will get."
Said Ikard: "Give him a little more time.
"I'm telling you, he's going to be something really special."