OU football: DeMarco Murray chases scoring record

In today’s Oklahoman, I wrote about DeMarco Murray’s chase of the OU rushing record. But reader Chris Putnam points out that Murray also is chasing the Sooners’ scoring record. And it’s a record Murray has a lot better chance to set.

Murray has 270 career points; 45 touchdowns. The OU career leader in both points and TDs is Steve Owens, who scored 342 points and 57 touchdowns. Amazingly, in those days before overtime, Owens never scored a 2-point conversion. One of the all-time greats at getting four yards never scored a 2-point conversion? What were you thinking, Chuck Fairbanks and Barry Switzer?

Anyway, Murray needs 12 touchdowns to tie Owens in both points and touchdowns and needs 13 to break both records. Murray has averaged 15 TDs a year, while sharing time with Allen Patrick and Chris Brown.

Not as much platooning is expected this season, so this is a record Murray absolutely should break, barring injury.

Oklahoma's DeMarco Murray (7) stiff arms DeAundre Brown (5) during the first half of the college football game between The University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and The University of Tulsa Hurricanes (TU) at the Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009, in Norman, Okla. Photo by Chris Landsberger, The Oklahoman.

Murray is benefited from more games. Owens scored his points in 32 career games. Murray already has played 36 career games, though I count it as 35 since he suffered a torn hamstring on the opening kickoff the 2008 Big 12 championship game.