How Oklahoma beat Texas in a Red River Rivalry classic: Sooners win a Big 12 thriller

April 13, 2024

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Oklahoma scores in the closing seconds to knock off Texas in a Big 12 showdown

Stewart Mandel and The Athletic College Football Staff

October 7, 2023 at 10:57 PM EDT How Oklahoma beat Texas in a Red River Rivalry classic: Sooners win a Big 12 thriller

Matthew Pearce / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Oklahoma hands Texas first loss of season in wild Red River Rivalry game

Oklahoma (6-0) QB Dillon Gabriel completed 23 of 38 passes for 285 yards and rushed for 113 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries, including a 44-yard run midway through the fourth.
Texas (5-1) quarterback Quinn Ewers had three turnovers, including two interceptions, as he went 31-of-37 passing for 346 yards.
The Longhorns tied the game thanks to Jonathon Brooks’ 29-yard touchdown run with 6:10 to play in the fourth, and Texas kicker Bert Auburn hit a go-ahead 47-yard field goal with 1:17 left in the game. But the Sooners stormed back with a five-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to retake the lead with 15 seconds left.
Oklahoma’s special teams struggled in the contest, including allowing a fake punt, having a punt blocked for a touchdown and coming up short on a 44-yard field goal attempt.

Texas fails to impose its will when it matters most

Early in the fourth quarter Saturday, with Texas down by seven, the Longhorns moved the ball to the Oklahoma 1. First-and-goal. There was no doubt what they wanted to do.

“You want to run it,” right tackle Christian Jones said. “You want to punch it in.”

All 670 pounds of defensive linemen T’Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy lined up in the backfield, in front of running back Jonathon Brooks, to bolster Texas’ goal-line package. No receivers, five offensive linemen, two tight ends and those two D-linemen turned fullbacks.

Brent Venables has long known what we now are witnessing

When Oklahoma players returned to campus in January for winter workouts earlier this year, they began sessions with medicine ball sit-ups, always the first part of team training workouts.

In 2022, the first season under head coach Brent Venables and head strength and conditioning coach Jerry Schmidt, Oklahoma players had done 25 sit-ups each, on Schmidt’s count. During this January period, players hit 25 … and Schmidt kept counting. All the way to 49.

Red River once again decided by a single possession

The universe, and the Red River Rivalry, both tend towards chaos. Last year's 49-point Texas win was a bit of an anomaly, and this year OU wins a 34-30 classic.

An epic ending for Dillon Gabriel and the Sooner fans in Dallas

Dillon Gabriel wrote his name in the history books of Oklahoma, leading his Sooners on a game-winning drive into the heart of the Crimson crowd.

Longhorns' defense crumbles at the end

The Texas defense folds against a team that had no timeouts left and the entire field to go with 1:17 remaining. OU gets chunk plays of 11, 16, 28 and a crucial pass interference call. That is exactly how you don't defend a lead against a team that has no timeouts. What a collapse.

Dillon Gabriel stands firm in the pocket and gives Oklahoma the lead with seconds remaining

DILLON. GABRIEL.

The quarterback is Oklahoma’s undisputed MVP today. His decision-making and patience in the pocket is the reason the Sooners are on the verge of winning. His touchdown pass to Nic Anderson with 15 seconds left gives Oklahoma 34-30 lead over Texas.

Dillon Gabriel did not play in this game last year due to injury.

Welcome to Red River. —Chris Vannini

Texas takes the lead, but this game will go to the wire

Texas leads. After all the mistakes and miscues, the Longhorns’ defense (and Oklahoma’s special teams miscues) have kept them in this one.

Bert Auburn’s go-ahead field goal with 1:17 left gives the Longhorns a 30-27 lead over Oklahoma. The Sooners have one last shot to force overtime or win it here.

Jonathan Brooks to the house

Texas RB Jonathan Brooks was my Player to Watch in this game. In order for Texas to win, Brooks needed to alleviate pressure on Ewers — that was before Ewers' three turnovers so far.

Brooks' 29-yard touchdown run brings the Red River Rivalry to 27-27 with 6:10 left in the fourth. Brooks is up to 119 yards rushing on 19 carries.

Oklahoma special team slip-ups continue

There are three phases to the game of football, and sometimes going 2-of-3 comes back to haunt you. . .

Dillon Gabriel is taking the reins

Jerome Miron / USA Today

Oklahoma QB Dillon Gabriel has been the biggest thorn in Texas’ side today. In instances where Texas has pushed the interior of the pocket to get pressure, Gabriel has escaped and avoided large negative plays.

And when he’s decided to keep it on designed runs, even spies on Texas’ second level haven’t been good enough. On Gabriel’s 44-yard run Texas linebacker Jaylan Ford had eyes on Gabriel and was in position, but Gabriel made a cutback when Ford approached, leaving the linebacker in the dust.

Sooners hold the line, maintain lead over Texas

Back-to-back massive tackles by Oklahoma's Danny Stutsman and Billy Bowman Jr. The Sooners two defensive standouts secure a goalline stand and turnover on downs to keep Oklahoma in front 27-20 early in the fourth quarter.

Injury to Oklahoma wideout

Oklahoma WR Andrel Anthony exits with injury.

Longhorns get massive stops on back-to-back Oklahoma drives

Big moment: Oklahoma was up 10 and got the ball at midfield when Ewers fumbled.

Then the Texas defense responded big time on the next two drives.

- Three-and-out

- Fourth down stop

Longhorns' kicker makes it a seven-point game

The Longhorns needed points and they got ’em … but not without another key miscue.

Texas lined up to go for it on 4th-and-2 from the Oklahoma 22 but a false start on backup center Conner Robertson prompted Steve Sarkisian to opt for a field goal instead. Bert Auburn’s 45-yard kick split the uprights and Texas is back to within one possession.

Oklahoma leads Texas 27-20 with 1:53 left in the third quarter

Texas defense stands tall, but Longhorns need points

Texas with a huge defensive possession. After Quinn Ewers’ fumbled at midfield, Oklahoma had a chance to widen the gap to 13 or 17 points but the Longhorns came up with a three-and-out, forcing a punt.

The Longhorns, trailing 27-17 with 6:10 left in the third … really need some points on this upcoming offensive possession.

Quinn Ewers' no good, very bad afternoon continues

Nightmare afternoon for Quinn Ewers. A fumble on a third-down scramble is his third turnover of the day. Credit to OU's defensive line. They've collectively been the most valuable group in this game to this point. If Sooners win, they should be showered with compliments afterward. Ewers has been on his toes all day. —Vannini

Probably the worst possible time for Quinn Ewers to turn the ball over there. Texas has three turnovers and Oklahoma has zero.

The Longhorns probably need a stop here to still have a chance to win? —Wasserman

Oklahoma opens up a lead in the third quarter

Oklahoma took advantage of the “middle eight” to open up a 27-17 lead over Texas. The Sooners ended the first half with a field goal as time expired and opened up the second half with a 13-play, 75-yard touchdown drive capped by a Tawee Walker touchdown run.

The Sooners have scored on four consecutive drives and all four have taken nine or more plays. They have snapped the ball 56 times to Texas’ 36. The Longhorns will need an answer soon.

Oklahoma leads 20-17 after a mistake-filled half from Texas

Oklahoma, which hadn’t been tested up to this point, came to play in this one. The Sooners clearly game-planned well for much of Texas’ offense, and the Oklahoma defense has swarmed. The Sooners have played with an edge and would probably lead by more than 20-17 if not for so many first-half special teams blunders and a low throw at the end of the first half that cost them a touchdown.

Texas has to be kicking itself for such a sloppy start with those two early picks, Quinn Ewers has settled in a bit but he’s rarely looked comfortable in the pocket, mainly because there hasn’t been one for most of the first half. OU’s defensive front has been impressive in disrupting Texas’ offensive game plan.

I know Ewers led the Longhorns to a win in Tuscaloosa, but winning a nail-biting rivalry game cements your status in program lore. He’s got one more half to put the rough start behind him.

Texas started to move the ball well on its last two drives, but this has all the makings of a game that’ll come down to the end.

Red River continues to be a back-and-forth affair, as Oklahoma scores again

Oklahoma promptly answered Texas’ touchdown with one of its own to reclaim the lead.

Sooners quarterback Dillon Gabriel led an impressive 75-yard march, including a key 19-yard scramble that induced a personal foul penalty when Texas safety Jerrin Thompson hit him as he slid. That 34-yard gain put Oklahoma in the red zone and four plays later, Tawee Walker punched it in from a yard out for a 17-14 lead with 5:23 to go in the second quarter.

The Sooners look up to the challenge so far. A critical stretch coming up as we wind down the first half.

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