The No. 6 Oklahoma Sooners (5-0, 1-0 SEC) and the Texas Longhorns (3-2, 0-1 SEC) renew one of the biggest rivalries in the country Saturday afternoon at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, TX, in the 121st edition of the Red River Rivalry game.
Sporting News presents five defining moments – which have shaped of the Oklahoma-Texas series over the years.
Mayfield-Andrews connection
Oklahoma appeared to be on its way to a blowout of Texas in the Oct. 14, 2017 meeting – as it led 20-0 in the late stages of the first half.
The Longhorns put a wrench into any plans of a one-sided affair as they scored 24 of the next 27 points to take a 24-23 lead in the fourth quarter.
The legend of Sooners quarterback Baker Mayfield elevated another notch with a little under seven minutes left in regulation with a connection to tight end Mark Andrews for a 59-yard touchdown to go ahead 29-24 on Texas and never looked back.
Oklahoma rode the win all the way to a Big 12 championship and a trip to the College Football Playoff semifinal, while Texas finished the season at 7-6 overall.
Dicker the Kicker
The Oct. 6, 2018 installment of the Longhorns and Sooners came down to special teams – placekicker Cameron Dicker in particular.
Despite points coming left and right throughout the game, Dicker proved to be deciding factor in the closing seconds of regulation. Tied at 45 all, quarterback Sam Ehlinger drove the Longhorns into field goal to set Dicker up for a 40-yard attempt.
Dicker delivered the kick right down the middle and converted with nine seconds left as Fox play-by-play announcer Gus Johnson coined the phrase, “Dicker the Kicker” – which lives forever in rivalry lore as Texas escaped with 48-45 win over Oklahoma.
Despite the win, Oklahoma exacted revenge in the Big 12 title game that season and went on to the CFP semifinal, while Texas settled for the Sugar Bowl and defeated Georgia.
Superman strikes
Points proved difficult to come by in the Oct. 6, 2001 edition of the Red River Rivalry. Both defenses put on a clinic throughout the game as OU took a 7-3 lead into the fourth quarter after both teams were held scoreless in the third.
The fourth quarter proved to be the same for the first 12:54 minutes of game time until one final chance for Texas to score to win the game, but needed to go 97 yards in 2:06 against a tough Oklahoma defense.
On the first play of the Texas drive, OU linebacker Teddy Lehman showed blitz as quarterback Chris Simms dropped back in the pocket ready to use his check downs, but safety Roy Williams jumped over blocking back Brett Robin and jarred by the ball loose as Lehman caught it mid-air and walked right into the end zone for the touchdown.
The play known to many as “Superman” sealed an Oklahoma 14-3 win over Texas as it would be the second of five consecutive wins in the series from 2000-04.
1 vs 2
The Oklahoma-Texas series elevated to new heights as the rivals met in a 1 vs 2 matchup on Oct. 12, 1963.
The game failed to live up to the hype as the Longhorns seized full control with a 21-0 lead behind three rushing touchdowns with the game in the early stages of the third quarter and never looked back in a dominant 28-7 win over the Sooners.
The win propelled Texas to a consensus national championship later in the season with a 28-6 win over Heisman trophy winner Roger Staubach and No. 2 Navy in the Sugar Bowl to finish 11-0.
Points galore
The Oct. 9, 2021 edition of the Red River Rivalry produced a little bit of everything as Oklahoma and Texas combined for 103 points – the highest amount in the history of the series.
The first 15 minutes of the game appeared to have painted a different picture as Texas blitzed out to a 28-7 lead as Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler would be benched in favor of backup Caleb Williams. The move paid immediate dividends as Williams ran 66 yards for a touchdown on the first play of the second quarter to cut the Longhorns lead to 28-14.
The Sooners managed to hang around as they trailed 41-30 going into the fourth quarter and went on a 25-7 run in the fourth quarter – highlighted by a pair of go-ahead touchdowns by running back Kennedy Brooks, including a direct snap on a 33-yard game-clincher with three seconds left for a 55-48 win over the Longhorns.
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