Oklahoma football: Nine Sooner defensive sacks sink Longhorns
By Chip Rouse
The high-powered Oklahoma football offense overcame a couple of costly hiccups and was held 20 points below its season scoring average, but it was the oft-criticized Sooner defense that stole the show in a hard-fought 34-27 victory over the Texas Longhorns.
A year ago in the annual Red River Showdown, with many of the same players, the OU defense gave up 48 points and 501 total yards (324 passing and 177 on the ground). What a difference a year makes. The past doesn’t define you, said OU defensive captain Kenneth Murray after the Sooners win in the Cotton Bowl on Saturday.
Although some of the same players are still part of it, this is a new year, and the 2019 Sooner defense has a new identity and a different mentality. And they certainly played like it and with a big chip on their collective shoulders on Saturday. Something else that is new from a year ago is the defensive coordinator.
A year ago, this game was Mike Stoops final one as the defensive coordinator at Oklahoma. Alex Grinch was hired off of the Ohio State staff as the new defensive coordinator, and his influence, trust and defensive philosophy was evident in a big way all over the field on the OU defensive side of the ball in this year’s edition of the Red River rivalry.
The numbers say it all: Texas gained 301 yards of offense, 200 fewer than in last year’s game, and was held to a last-second field goal just before the half and just 83 total yards in the first half.
The major factor for the difference was in the heavy pressure that the Sooners unleashed on Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger. Ehlinger was running for his life throughout the game. The Sooners sacked the Texas QB nine times, tying a school record and were credited with 15 tackles for loss.
Here are some more notable numbers from OU’s fourth win over Texas in the last five meetings:
0 — Times in Saturday’s Red River Showdown when Texas held the lead.
4 — This was the fourth straight game in which Oklahoma has scored on its opening drive against Texas.
10 — CeeDee Lamb had 10 catches for 171 yards and three touchdowns in Saturday’s game. That was a career high for Lamb and tied former Sooner Dede Westbrook (2016) for the most by an OU receiver against Texas.
14 — OU’s biggest lead in the game was 14 points, 34-20, late in the final quarter.
14-7 — Oklahoma’s record against Texas since 2000.
34 — The Sooners have scored at least 34 points in 16 consecutive games and 27 of the last 28.
37 of 39 — OU has won 37 of its last 39 games against Big 12 opponents.
48 — Saturday’s 34-27 win was the Sooners’ 48th over archrival Texas in 115 all-time meetings. The Longhorns have won 62 times and five games have ended in a tie.
100 — Oklahoma had two 100-yard rushers in Saturday’s win (Jalen Hurts 131 yards, Kennedy Brooks 105 yards).
131 — Jalen Hurts’ 131 rushing yards is the most by an Oklahoma quarterback against Texas. Jack Mitchell’s 117 yards in 1947 was the previous record. Hurts’ rushing performance also is a Cotton Bowl record for a quarterback.