Oklahoma football: Five great games in the OU-Texas rivalry

1984 — Oklahoma 15, Texas 15

This was one of just two games in the now 116-year history of the Oklahoma-Texas rivalry series when the two teams faced off against one another as the top two teams in the country. Texas came into the game ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press poll, and the Sooners were No. 2.

Despite making just one first down in the first half, the Longhorns capitalized on two Oklahoma turnovers and took a 10-0 lead into halftime.

Brian Bosworth forced a Texas fumble inside the Longhorn 10-yard line in the third quarter, leading to the Sooners’ first score in the game on a five-yard TD run by running back Steve Sewell. On the next series, the OU defense forced a Texas punt from its own goal line. The snap from center, however, sailed over the punter’s head and out of the end zone for a safety. That brought the Sooners within a single point of Texas at 10-9.

The Sooners got the ball back on a free kick following the safety. Quarterback Danny Bradley marched OU downfield, aided by two crucial third-down conversions and a couple of big gainers by Sewell. The Sooner running back capped off the drive with a 12-yard touchdown that put Oklahoma up 15-10 with under three minutes left in the third quarter. Head coach Barry Switzer elected to go for a two-points but the  to give the Sooners a seven-point advantage, but the attempt failed.

With six minutes to go in the game, Texas had the ball, goal-to-go, at the Oklahoma two-yard line, but failed to punch it in from there. Backed up deep in their own territory and facing fourth down, Switzer made a game-changing decision. He elected to take a safety rather than punt from his own end zone. That made the score 15-12.

The ensuing free kick by Oklahoma gave Texas the ball at the Longhorn 44-yard line with just two minutes to go in the game.

With 10 seconds left, Texas had the ball at the OU 15. Instead of kicking a field goal, Texas head coach Fred Akers elected to run one more play before having to settle for a game-tying field goal. Quarterback Todd Dodge fired a pass targeted for receiver Bill Boy Bryant in the end zone but the pass appeared to be picked off by OU defensive back Keith Stanberry. Only the interception was waved off by officials who ruled that Stanberry did not have control of the ball when he stepped out of bounds.

Texas then settled for a 32-yard field goal as time expired ending the game in a 15-15 tie.

As the teams left the field, fans of both teams reportedly yelled from the stands, “We’re number one. We’re number one.”