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Patrick hopes to shine for Oklahoma vs. North Texas

Sep 1, 2007 - 12:10 PM North Texas at No. 8 Oklahoma 7:00 pm EDT

NORMAN, Oklahoma (Ticker) -- At least Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops knows he can depend on his new starting running back.

Allen Patrick will be the focal point of Oklahoma's offense when the eighth-ranked Sooners begin their season against North Texas on Saturday.

A senior, Patrick ran for at least 100 yards in four of the five games he started in place of injured superstar Adrian Peterson last year.

Stoops will need Patrick to again deliver for Oklahoma, which went 11-3 and won the Big 12 Conference in 2006 but lost Peterson to the NFL and starting quarterback Paul Thompson to graduation after a wild Fiesta Bowl loss to Boise State.

Sam Bradford recently was named the starting quarterback for the Sooners. A redshirt freshman, he beat out junior college transfer Joey Halzle and true freshman Keith Nichol for the starting job.

While Oklahoma won the tough Big 12 in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year, North Texas went just 3-9 and finished seventh in the eight-team Sun Belt Conference last season, leading to the firing of coach Darrell Dickey.

The Mean Green tapped Todd Dodge, a highly successful high school coach in Texas, to replace Dickey.

Dodge is going to utilize the same spread offense he used at Southlake Carroll High, and junior Daniel Meager will be his starting quarterback.