ORLANDO, FL — In simply his second faculty soccer recreation, Gavin Sawchuk made an announcement.

After solely getting two carries throughout the common season, the true freshman working again was thrust right into a a lot bigger function in Thursday’s Cheez-It Bowl towards the No. 13-ranked Florida State Seminoles.

Enjoying behind a patchwork offensive line, Sawchuk displayed his top-end velocity, speeding for 100 yards and one rating on 15 carries within the Sooners’ 35-32 loss in Orlando.

“He has an incredible future,” OU head coach Brent Venables mentioned after the Cheez-It Bowl. “He’s manufactured from all the proper stuff. Large character. Nice work ethic. Extremely humble, clever, powerful.

“It might been straightforward for a man like him to form of verify it in and never get higher, however he confirmed up day by day and obtained higher all season lengthy.”

Sawchuk thought he had put an exclamation level on his night time when he dashed 15 yards to attain his first profession landing placing OU up 25-18 early within the fourth quarter. It might have been his second rating of the night time had a holding name not negated a 16-yard run within the second quarter.

This previous offseason, Sawchuk joined the staff in the summertime. With out enrolling early, it positioned him on the depth chart behind established stars like Eric Grey and his fellow true freshman Jovantae Barnes alike.

Regardless of the uphill climb to earn enjoying time all through the common season, Sawchuk continued to develop and enhance behind the scenes.

Grey’s choice to decide out of the Cheez-It Bowl and an premature damage to Marcus Main cleared the trail for Sawchuk to shine in Orlando, and he capitalized on his massive alternative.

“I believed he seemed like he belonged,” OU offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby mentioned. “From a watch take a look at standpoint, he performed effectively for a man who had actually no enjoying time.

“… He is as heartbroken as anyone proper now. That is what I hate greater than something. Our guys do not get to really feel success.”

Sharing the identical subject with a gifted Florida State protection, Sawchuk’s velocity nonetheless turned the attention.

Standing 5-foot-11 and 187 kilos, he’s not probably the most imposing determine. However when Sawchuk turned the nook towards the boundary, his velocity made him a risk to interrupt off an enormous play on each contact.

The true freshman averaged 6.7 yards per carry, together with his longest run of the night time giving OU a much-needed 25-yard jolt on Oklahoma’s closing drive of the primary half. Kicker Zach Schmit was in a position to nail a 41-yard subject purpose on the finish of the drive to ship the Sooners into the locker room up 17-11 and capitalize on Sawchuk’s sturdy run.

Barnes additionally had an impressive night time alongside Sawchuk, main the staff with 108 speeding yards and a landing himself, because the duo grew to become the primary pair of freshman working backs to cross the century mark in the identical recreation since 1985.

“I believed Gavin and Jovantae each did a fantastic job, man,” tight finish Brayden Willis mentioned. “… I am so pleased with them. That is an enormous deal to step up in a bowl recreation and compete and run the best way they did and ran exhausting. Made nice performs.

“I’m so pleased with the, however clearly you’ll be able to see a fantastic future with each of them and I’ve mentioned from the bounce that they are each going to be heck of gamers.”

Barnes and Sawchuk had been excited to play alongside one another within the Oklahoma backfield, and Sooner followers obtained a style of the dynamic mixture they might type in 2023 on Thursday night time.

“When you have a look at each of our video games, we now have two several types of types,” Barnes mentioned. “He’s extra the velocity man and juke strikes and explosive. I’m form of extra sturdy physique and explosive. I really feel like that’s the most effective two types of a working again you’ll be able to have.

“Having that one-two punch. I can again up him. He can again me up. It’s a fantastic feeling to know when he goes in, he’s reliable. He’s going to do his factor, too.”

The one damper on an in any other case excellent night time for Sawchuk got here within the fourth quarter.

Lebby entrusted Sawchuk with a keep on third-and-2, and it seemed as he would as soon as once more reward the belief of his play caller.

Sawchuk carried the ball 9 yards up the intestine, however Seminole cornerback Omarion Cooper planted his helmet on the soccer, dislodging it and Cooper’s teammates jumped on the turf to get well the fumble.

Florida State cashed the turnover in on the following drive, as Jordan Travis’ 17-yard landing cross to Markeston Douglas put FSU up 32-25 with 7:22 to play.

However the totality of Sawchuk’s expertise in Orlando will assist put together him to step right into a a lot bigger roll subsequent season.

“He has been a fantastic teammate, and he’s prepared for his alternative when it introduced itself,” Venables mentioned. “Once more, actually excited for him in a few of his manufacturing tonight, excellent. He will probably be rather a lot higher going into it subsequent 12 months due to it.”

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