Williams believes he can be a solution to struggles on the ground

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that adding a 1,000-yard rusher to your backfield is good. That’s especially an improvement when said running back will take the reigns from a handful of freshmen, no matter how serviceable.

You, Matt Rhule, and Oklahoma already know putting Terence Williams back on the field after recovering from surgery is a good thing. But there is something in this equation that comes of some more intrigue: Williams left the last game against OU with another injury and has, even more, to prove in Waco.

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Terence Williams will receive a "lion's share of the carries" against Oklahoma according to Matt Rhule.

As Baylor was on a two-game skid, an upset in Norman could have shifted the whole season but from the beginning, things looked rocky as even Baylor’s top rusher was struggling. Williams took only five carries in the game, crawling for only 17 yards before his early exit.

In the 45-24 rout, OU held his replacement JaMycal Hasty to under four yards a carry while receiver Blake Lynch came in for some relief with six rushes for 58 yards. With a fresh offensive system in tow, it’s a chance to reverse the script that’s dogged the program through three games.

Watching from the sidelines for so long, Williams, who classifies himself as an "angry watcher" of the games, said he feels he’s been able to see the needed corrections.

“I can see the improvements that we need to make,” Williams said Tuesday. “It’s easier to watch from the outside to see that. Then we can watch film and see all the mistakes we made.

“We make too many mistakes, missed assignments and penalties. That’s mostly what’s hurt us most of the time. Once we fix that, we will be good.”

WATCH: Williams speaks with the press along with Eric Ogor and Harrison Black 

Coach Rhule attested to that as well, saying the top priority to correct on the team is third down and penalty issues. 

"We’re not in 3rd-and-3 or 3rd-and-4, so that’s a function of our inability to run the football right now," Rhule said. "So, when you’re in 3rd-and-10, and you can’t really protect, that’s an issue. So how do you get that better? You’ve got to run the football."

With a team that’s been proud (and forced) to play so many freshmen, the penalties have become a special issue. Williams said as the team gets more vocal, “everything is going to start clicking.”

He also believes he can be the guy that can shore up the backfield issues and has also been working with freshmen John Lovett and Dru Dixon in the film room and during practice to continue their improvement. Getting Williams involved from the start will take off the pressure that’s been thrown on the group of froshes since losing Hasty.

“Once they became the guys, they just haven’t been able to take off yet,” Rhule said. “Lovett has had some really bright moments. They’ve all had bright moments and I’m happy with what they’ve done but you’d just like to have someone else go be their hammer and then you can go in there and be the change of pace.”

LISTEN: Rhule addresses media in Oklahoma pregame press conference

The plan is to make Williams the hammer considering how the Oklahoma has forced teams to run the ball this year, something Rhule said he expects won’t change this week.

"When we get the ball to the second level, you make somebody miss, and I think Terence brings that to us," Rhule said. "He brings us that ability to run you over and make you miss, and hopefully that’ll engage some of the other young backs, so that as their load gets decreased a little bit, whenever they do get a shot, they go in there and make a play.”

Through three games, the Sooners have allowed a 55 percent completion rate and have yet to allow a TD through the air. Though Tulane lost by 42, the Green Wave opted for 62 rushes to 12 passes. That was good for 237 yards and two scores. 

Tied with Baylor, Oklahoma has allowed the second-most runs (16) over 10 yards in the Big 12. Breaking off big runs will be essential, just as Chris Platt’s 70-plus yard receptions were at Duke to keep the game competitive. Without giving away too much scheme, Rhule also said Tony Nicholson will play a pivotal role “to make some plays on third down,” equally important to busting loose for a touchdown.

In the last three games Williams played (with a sprained MCL nonetheless, he said), he’s topped 90 yards and has three touchdowns with an average of 5.8 yards. Williams said he wanted to continue that streak against Duke but just now getting medical clearance, he’ll just have to be unleashed against Oklahoma to take revenge.