NORMAN (AP) — Oklahoma may have lost its starting quarterback but can take solace in this simple fact: Adrian Peterson is still a Sooner.

The hard-to-tackle halfback who burst onto the scene by setting an NCAA freshman rushing record is healthy again after an injury-riddled sophomore season, and the Sooners’ hopes for a third BCS berth in four years could rest largely on his mighty shoulders.

“Adrian’s role is going to be that, to me, he’s a heck of a back and I’m going to feed him that ball as much as I can,” new offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said. “I’ve felt like that since I saw him play his first game. Feed that dude the ball.”

Peterson said he’s ready for as many carries as the Sooners need and didn’t flinch when coach Bob Stoops suggested the junior tailback might get up to 35 in a game. His goal is 2,200 rushing yards, reached only by Barry Sanders and Marcus Allen in a season.

But more than “A.D.” himself, the question for the Sooners is whether the players surrounding Peterson can get opposing defenses to lay off him enough for him to carry Oklahoma back to the BCS.

Quarterback Rhett Bomar and lineman J.D. Quinn were kicked off the team three weeks ago for violating NCAA work rules. Stoops almost immediately reinstalled fifth-year senior Paul Thompson as the starter, almost a year after Thompson lost the job to Bomar and moved to receiver.

Thompson, who has more than three years of practice as a backup but only one start, certainly knows the impact Peterson can have.

“Anytime you have a guy like that who can break one for 50, 60 yards at any time, it’s definitely going to help the offense and definitely the quarterback as far as guys coming down and trying to stop him,” Thompson said.

Last year, Oklahoma tried to capitalize on Peterson’s notoriety by having Thompson fake a handoff to Peterson before throwing a deep ball on the first play of the season. Thompson just overshot receiver Travis Wilson, who was wide open.

With his return to quarterback, Thompson expects opposing defenses to again crowd the line against Peterson.

“We’re looking for defenses to do that,” Thompson said. “We’ve got some plays for them.”

Thompson will depend on an unproven front line to protect him.

At receiver, Oklahoma will rely on young wideouts — led by Malcolm Kelly and Juaquin Iglesias — who showed signs of brilliance but haven’t demonstrated that they can replace four receivers Oklahoma has lost to the NFL the past two years.

“We’re going to have run the ball in loaded boxes, but we have had to since he’s been here and we will have to after he’s gone because sometimes you’re going to have to run the ball,” Wilson said. “Running the ball is an attitude, a mind-set, a toughness. There’s an approach to rushing the football.”

The defense can’t claim any ill effects from the sudden ouster of Bomar. And it shouldn’t have to.