Sooners OUtshoot, OUtlast Longhorns in Red River Showdown
By Chip Rouse
Determined not to be outplayed in this game for a second successive year, the Oklahoma Sooners survived four turnovers and were able to outgain and outlast Texas, 45-40, in the annual Red River rivalry game in Dallas between these two bitter rivals.
Baker Mayfield set a single-game passing record in the OU-Texas rivalry, and wide receiver Dede Westrook, with three touchdown catches, and bruiser-back Samaje Perine, with two rushing TDs, combined for more offensive yards than the entire Texas offense.
The Sooners had over 250 yards of offense in the first half, nearly doubling the Texas offensive production, but led by just a single point, at 14-13, after the opening 30 minutes, largely due to three costly Oklahoma turnovers that thwarted Sooner drives.
Texas had not recorded an interception through its first four games, but picked off two Mayfield passes in the first quarter, the second of which led to the Longhorns first points in the game, a 33-yard-field goal by Trent Domingue to open the scoring.
Oklahoma capitalized on a Texas fumble deep in the Longhorns’ territory late in the first quarter, taking it 16 yards in three plays to go up 7-3.
The 13 first-half points by the Longhorns was the fewest they’ve scored this season in the opening half. The much-maligned Oklahoma defense did a superlative job in the first 30 minutes, shutting down the Texas running game led by sophomore running back D’Onta Foreman, putting the Longhorns in third-and-long situations on multiple occasions.
The first 30 minutes of this 111th edition of the Red River Shootout proved to be merely a warmup for these two high-scoring offenses. Both teams came out of the locker room at halftime with guns blazing, as the second half in this longtime rivalry series more than lived up to its “Shootout” billing.
A combined 35 points were scored in the third quarter alone, 28 of those coming on the first two possessions by both teams in just over six-minutes time. Four of the five touchdowns recorded by the two teams in the third quarter were on deep touchdown throws of more than 40 yards (three by Oklahoma and two by the Longhorns).
The critical point in the game came late in the third quarter. The Sooners had forced a Texas punt, holding on to a 35-27 lead. Joe Mixon misplayed the punt, allowing the ball to inadvertently glance off of him after hitting the ground in front of him, and the loose ball was subsequently corralled by the Longhorns’ Kris Boyd at the Oklahoma 23-yard line.
Texas advanced the ball to the 15, then on third-and-two, OU backup defensive back Will Sunderland made the play of the game, picking off a pass from Texas quarterback Shane Buechele at the Sooner seven-yard line, the first interception of the day by the Sooners’ defense.
Oklahoma immediately responded to the Texas turnover by marching 93 yards in a little over six minutes for what turned out to be the deciding touchdown and a 45-27 advantage with just under 12 minutes remaining in the game.
Texas scored a couple of touchdowns late, reminiscent of the defensive breakdowns by the Oklahoma defense in allowing TCU to make a late charge from 25 points down a week ago.
An onside kick by the Longhorns was unsuccessful with under two minutes left in the game, but the Sooners were stopped on three downs and opted to punt to Texas with under a minute remaining.
The Longhorns had one last chance, down by five with 17 ticks on the clock remaining in the game. The game finally came to an end after a series of laterals and forward passes actually sent Texas backward instead of toward the goal line. Jerrod Heard, a former Longhorn quarterback, was finally wrestled to the turf on the Texas eight-yard line long after the game clock had expired.
Despite the high-scoring affair, both defenses played better than they had in recent weeks, but it was the Oklahoma rushing attack that netted almost 300 yards on the ground that ultimately turned this game in the Sooners’ favor.
Perine was a workhorse, attacking the Texas defensive front on 35 rushing attempts, averaging over six yards per carry and 214 net yards. Meanwhile, Westbrook had a career game with 10 catches and an Oklahoma single-game receiving record with 232 receiving yards.
Mayfield, who entered the Cotton Bowl on Saturday morning wearing a protective boot also got in the record books. His 390 passing yards on 22 of 31 passing and three touchdowns is an all-time best by an OU quarterback against Texas, breaking the previous mark held by Sam Bradford.
In the end it was a huge win for the Sooners, who go to 2-0 in the conference and 3-2 overall, with Kansas State coming to Norman next weekend. Bob Stoops is now 11-7 in games against Texas, the most wins over the Longhorns of any Oklahoma head coach.