A wild beginning, middle and finish ends in heartbreak for Texas in Red River Shootout
DALLAS — Where to begin? The beginning of the 117th Red River Shootout that saw Texas take a 28-7 lead in the first quarter? The middle when Caleb Williams replaced Spencer Rattler at quarterback for the Sooners? Or the end, when Kennedy Brooks’ 33-yard touchdown run capped a monumental Oklahoma comeback and sealed a 55-48 victory for those in crimson and cream?
Wherever you look, Texas’ annual matchup with Oklahoma had a lot of crazy. More than 1,000 total yards and 103 points, the most in series history. Wild, game-changing chunk plays, punctuated by several replay reviews. An 85-yard punt from Oklahoma later countered by a 78-yarder from Cameron Dicker.
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Heisman-caliber runs from Bijan Robinson, and 261 receiving yards from Xavier Worthy, who also had a pivotal turnover that set up Oklahoma’s first go-ahead score midway through the fourth. An inspired 20-of-34, 388-yard, five-touchdown performance from Casey Thompson against his father’s team with his father wearing burnt orange as one of the 92,100 in the stands.
Those crazy plays were matched step for step by the Sooners, even though it took a little while for them to get going. OU had a disastrous first quarter that saw Texas score on the first play from scrimmage, block a punt, and score again before two minutes elapsed; that was followed by three glorious 15-minute segments for an Oklahoma program that has seen plenty of glory in recent seasons. Marvin Mims keeping his toe in bounds by millimeters to tie it late was one of the standout events before Brooks’ winning jaunt.
But if you looked in the trenches, you wouldn’t see much crazy. In fact, you’d see a consistent outcome. Texas, despite 48 points, was dominated for the most part along the line of scrimmage. While the offense put up 48, the defense allowed more.
More yards. More points. More opportunities.
It wasn’t just the line, though. The Longhorns’ off-ball linebackers, even with 22 combined tackles, were part of an effort that saw the Sooners tally 339 yards on the ground to make things as easy as possible for Williams during his first extended, meaningful game action.
RECAP: Oklahoma Sooners 55, Texas Longhorns 48
Brooks’ 25th carry was his most important, but the other 24 were of high quality. He rushed for 217 yards and two scores, constantly acting as a menace to Longhorns defenders. When it opted to go to the air, Oklahoma converted those plays, too. In relief, Williams was 15-of-24 for 211 yards and two touchdowns, both to Mims.
Williams brought a different skill set to the quarterback position. Rattler rarely runs, but Williams’ rushing ability is one of the hallmarks of the former five-star recruit’s game. He rushed four times for 88 yards, his 66-yard TD run early in the second quarter the main source of his production.
The secondary wasn’t blameless, either. B.J. Foster turned over Rattler with an interception before his second benching in two Red River Shootouts, but Foster got lost on a downfield 50-50 ball at a crucial juncture in the game.
But Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley knew his team had the advantage up front. The only question was whether OU had enough time left for that rushing onslaught to pay off.
It did, with seconds to spare. It capped a wild comeback the rivalry, and Oklahoma’s program, had not seen before.
The clock ticked and ticked and ticked. Brooks ran and ran and ran. The last moments of possession for the Sooners capped a day that saw them win the time of possession battle 35:23 to 24:37, encapsulating what was an exhausting day not just for Pete Kwiatkowski but for his defense, too.
The Sooners’ defensive line feasted as well. Nik Bonitto had five tackles, including 1.5 sacks. Isaiah Thomas and Perrion Winfrey notched two TFL each. Play after play, Oklahoma’s defensive line made life tough for a new-look Texas offensive line. When Thompson found opportunities, he typically made the most of them. But more often than not, he was running away from white jerseys.
And in the end, there were enough crazy plays outside of the trenches that went the Sooners’ way.
The result is a heartbreaker in multiple ways. First, the obvious of losing a 21-point lead. Then, also the sting of a first Big 12 loss and a difficult pathway toward 10 wins, if that was something considered feasible.
In addition, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian mentioned Jordan Whittington injured his clavicle late, and Jacoby Jones missed most of the game after leaving with an early leg injury.
And the Texas players hurt. Whether it was Joshua Moore, who caught two touchdowns, Robinson, who rushed for one, or Thompson, who played a heck of a legacy game, there was pain in their voices after the game.
But the Longhorns’ players held onto one small glimmer of hope as they left the grounds of Fair Park and begin preparation for Oklahoma State. They think they can see this Sooners team later in the year in the Big 12 Championship Game and envision doing what it takes to get there.
The next step is a week from Saturday against the Cowboys.
