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Red River Rivalry: How Sooners, Longhorns stack up statistically in 2023

By Chip Rouse

Oct 12, 2013; Dallas, TX, USA; A general view of Cotton Bowl Stadium prior to the Red River Rivalry with the Texas Longhorns playing against the Oklahoma Sooners. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 12, 2013; Dallas, TX, USA; A general view of Cotton Bowl Stadium prior to the Red River Rivalry with the Texas Longhorns playing against the Oklahoma Sooners. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports /
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This Saturday is the 119th renewal of the Oklahoma football rivalry versus Texas and the 87th year that the annual rivalry game has been played inside the Cotton Bowl during the Texas State Fair.

It also marks the first time since 2011 that both teams have come into the game undefeated. That season No. 3 Oklahoma dominated the No. 11 Longhorns 55-17. Interestingly — and hopefully only coincidentally — that is almost the same ranking of the two teams this season, albeit in reverse.

It hasn’t happened that often in the past two decades, but the 5-0 and 12th-ranked Sooners come into this year’s Red River Rivalry game as 6.5-point underdogs.

Texas is the only Big 12 team with a winning record against Oklahoma. The Longhorns are 63-50-5 versus Oklahoma, but Oklahoma holds a 17-11 advantage in the Big 12 era, including wins in 10 of the las 14 games. Since 1970, OU is 29-21-3 versus their hated archrivals.

The Sooners have won six of the last seven games and 12 of the last 16 against Texas when both teams have been ranked.

The much-improved Oklahoma defense has been ball hawks this season in the early going, picking off 10 passes, which is tied for the national lead. On the other side, Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers is tied for fifth nationally having thrown just one interception through five games.

Oklahoma’s best quarter this season has been the first. The Sooners have outscored their opponents 91-16 in the first 15 minutes.

Through five games, the Sooners have shown a 19.2-point improvement from last season in points allowed per game (30.0 to 10.8). That is the best turnaround in college football thus far in 2023. Texas comes into this year’s Red River game averaging 36.0 points per game.

Statistical comparisons of Oklahoma and Texas in 2023

(National ranking in parentheses)

                                                                                      OU                Texas

Scoring offense:                                                     47.4 (3)          36.0 (30)

Scoring defense:                                                    10.8 (4)          12.8 (12)

Rushing offense:                                                 157.6 (63)     191.8 (34)

Rushing defense:                                                105.2 (28)       94.6 (17)

Passing offense:                                                 352.4 (7)       286.6 (25)

Passing defense:                                                212.8 (51)    196.2 (36)

Total offense:                                                      510.0 (9)       478.4 (17)

Total defense:                                                     318.0 (30)    290.8 (17)

3rd-down percentage offense:                        55.2 (6)        42.0 (56)

3rd-down percentage defense:                       27.6 (10)     26.9 (9)

Red zone percentage offense:                         88.9 (44)     90.5 (30)

Red zone percentage defense:                        75.0 (28)     50.0 (2))

Turnover margin:                                                 +8 (5)           +4 (18)

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