Whaley/Clay...one, two punch

[8timechamps]

Finally got a chance to re-watch the game (well, sort of...I watched it all in about 30 minutes), and I have to say how impressed I am with both our backs. I really liked the way Finch ran last year, but I always felt the downside of his shifty moves, was his size. Hopefully, he'll get his time to shine over the next few years (and it appears that he's going to get some chances at reciever). With the Whaley/Clay combo, it gives us a nice advantage on offense. Both are great runners, but each has a different style.

Whaley has got to be hard as hell to tackle. The dude just will not give up. He took some hits that would have put most backs on their back, yet he still managed to get an extra yard or more. He's not particularly elusive, he just runs with purpose.

Clay seems faster than Whaley. I don't know if that's the case, but it appears that way. He's got that elusive running style, not necessarily a power back, but it feels like he can break one at any time.

I was a little concerned with our backs coming into this season, given that Murray was such a solid runner last year. But, after a couple of games (obviously one against a much tougher defense), I love this 1-2 punch. It's going to make it hard for defensive coordinators to game-plan against, and equally challenging for defenses to actually stop.

This is going to be a fun year.

[KantoSooner]

Perhpas someone else can supply better words, but Whaley's advantage, to my eyes, is that he runs very 'narrow'. His arms are close in, his legs are moving straight forward, without any of the 'wide stance' some running backs have.
I know it's a stretch, but he reminds me a bit of Franz Klammer skied, with his nose slightly ahead of his ski tips.
Whaley just doesn't waste any motion, it's all going forward; so unless you hit him square from the front, you're not going to take him down. Go back to the Oklahoma drill video if it's still up; it shows what I'm struggling to capture.

[LVSOONER15]

Whaley does not go down easy at all. He took some pretty big hits from fsu and kept getting up like nothing happened.

[44BluesExplosion]

Whaley has what the coaches call a "north/south magnet." He is also very ball secure and blocks well. There is nothing at all flashy about him. He's kind of like the Eldridge of running backs.

[MojoRisen]

My perception is that Finch is in a serious dog house... I could be wrong but he is much more explosive than clay/whaley. Something about fumbling and blcoking though in practice.

[cleller]

Couldn't be happier with Whaley. He has the markings of a workhorse back. Like everyone, I'd like to see Finch get some touches, but we just haven't had the game time to spare.
In the Tulsa game, I think they must have wanted to pile on as much experience as possible on Whaley and Clay to get ready for FSU. In the FSU game any possibility of a fumble or missed block was just too much risk.

[SoonerOX]

I like the Whaley/Clay combo as well. Clay seems to be the more elusive of the two, while Whaley is the power back. As far as Finch goes, I think that him losing 20 pounds after his injury has something to do with why he is not getting any carries.

[SCxxSOONER]

I don't think anyone expected whaley to perform as well as he has so far and I have been impressed with Clay so far as well. Both seem to block well, i also think
they have different styles, clay also catches the ball well except the one that hit him in the helmet on saturday. I wish we had a big bruiser back we could use in
those goaline situations though someone like big cody johnson from the whorns that can just run over people. maybe millard?

[SoonerBorn85]

Couldn't be happier with Whaley. He has the markings of a workhorse back. Like everyone, I'd like to see Finch get some touches, but we just haven't had the game time to spare.
In the Tulsa game, I think they must have wanted to pile on as much experience as possible on Whaley and Clay to get ready for FSU. In the FSU game any possibility of a fumble or missed block was just too much risk.
This. A fumble deep in our territory would have been catastrophic!

[Widescreen]

Clay kind of reminds me of Chris Brown with a little more speed. Which is not a bad thing. I do hope Finch can contribute this year as he's the most exciting RB we have (as long as it's not the kind of exciting where he puts the ball on the turf).

[JLMSOONER]

Whaley hits the pile and then somehow squirts through for 2 or 3 more yards. Amazing that he was a backup at Langston. Plus he holds on to the ball.

[BoomerJ]

If you listen to Stoops presser today the Finch question was asked a few times. Dean even asked if he was in the doghouse. Stoops said NO. He said that Finch will get his touches, but they like what Clay and Whaley are doing and that they (the coaches) put out there the players that give them the best chance to win. One very funny moment was when Stoops started looking around for a note pad and said "I guess I need to take notes..use the TE more and run Finch more....I think we won Saturday."