Red River Recap
Michael Taaffe celebrates another Golden Hat victory with his teammates. Photo: Tom Fox, Dallas Morning News
Recap
How about those Horns??
That was a gritty, inspired, and emphatic performance by the Texas Longhorns. And oh so much fun!! For the third time in four seasons, Texas won the Golden Hat, and did so without allowing a touchdown in all three. It was a complete team win for the Longhorns - with the offense getting things moving in the second half, the defense putting on a dominant display with a multitude of turnovers and sacks, and special teams contributing the moment of the game. Trailing 6-3 at the half after an extremely sluggish start offensively marred by drive-killing penalties, Texas flipped a switch and ended the game on a 23-0 run. This was something we haven’t seen often in the Sark era for Texas - he had been just 2-10 with the Longhorns when trailing at the half. But it was one of the best halves of football we’ve seen from Sark’s teams, and not a moment too late. With the season hanging in the balance, these Longhorns responded emphatically and put the hurt on OU.
Texas dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides, rushing for 136 yards against a tough Oklahoma front, and holding the Sooners to just 48 yards on the ground (on 30 carries!). This had to feel good after they got outplayed on both sides a week ago. Additionally, QB Arch Manning outplayed his counterpart John Mateer, efficiently completing 21/27 passes for 166 yards and a key third down score with no turnovers. Mateer completed just 52.6 percent of his passes, notably threw 3 interceptions, and was sacked 5 times by an angry Texas defensive front. This one had to feel so so good for Arch, the Longhorn offensive line, the defense, and the entire coaching staff.
Tre Wisner came alive on Saturday, accounting for 128 scrimmage yards. Photo: Tom Fox, Dallas Morning News
Offensive Player of the Game: Tre Wisner
Tre, you dawg!! While this might not have been as flashy on the stat sheet as his previous warrior-like game at Kyle Field last year, this one was just as impressive. This had been an Oklahoma defense, and defensive front, playing at the very top of college football up to now. Wisner was able to grind out 94 rushing yards on 22 carries, and added 35 yards receiving including a massive 3rd down pickup on a 19-yard catch and run late in the third quarter.
Quintrevion has now produced back-to-back stand out games in the Red River Shootout. An unheralded player and special teams standout only a little over a year ago, Wisner has now etched his name in Longhorn lore with these rivalry game performances. Oh, did I mention he’s still playing on a bad hamstring? Tre Wisner: warrior, and Longhorn legend.
Malik Muhammad showed he was desperately missed the previous week. Photo: Smiley N. Pool, Dallas Morning News
Defensive Player of the Game: Manny Muhammad
It was so, so good to have you back, Manny.
Malik Muhammad (nicknamed “Manny”), the junior cornerback out of Desoto came up with two of the biggest plays of the day for Texas. The first came in the first quarter as he intercepted a 3rd down pass from Mateer, one that was definitely a bad decision into traffic and a desperation throw early in the game when they didn’t need it. Despite not leading to points (Texas missed a field goal on the ensuing drive), it was a moment and a momentum swing in this game to say, yeah we’re here to win and we’re not playing scared today.
His second interception of the day came at the very end of the first half, as Mateer flung up a wild, ill-advised heave to the end zone straight into the arms of Muhammad. What Mateer, or any of the Oklahoma coaching staff were thinking during that sequence, is beyond comprehension. Manny let them know that was not one, but two confounding decisions by the Sooner quarterback that severely cost his team momentum. This one was really important to the psyche of the Longhorn team and faithful, keeping the game to just a field goal deficit at the half.
Ryan Niblett’s game-sealing punt return for a touchdown will be long remembered in Longhorn Red River lore. Photo: Smiley N. Pool, Dallas Morning News
Play of the Game: Ryan Niblett, 75-yard Punt Return Touchdown
This was an easy selection. Niblett all but put the nail in the coffin with this one, putting Texas up multiple scores in the 4th quarter, when its defense was not showing any signs of letting the Sooners into the game.
With Texas leading 13-6 with just under 10 minutes to go in the game, Niblett fielded the punt of Grayson Miller from his own 25, following his (perfectly legal, right??) blockers, and sidestepping a couple defenders before breaking free down the near sideline for the 75-yard score. He raced right into the Texas end of the Cotton Bowl and blew the top off the stadium, and Longhorn fans erupted knowing their team had put away their bitter arch-rival for good. What a moment!
All the live long day. Photo: Smiley N. Pool, Dallas Morning News
The Takeaway
This game didn’t always look like it was going the way it did. But the Longhorn defense led the way for a second half bullying by Texas, where the result of the game was no longer in doubt by the early 4th quarter. This was a response to adversity, not only to the humbling loss to Florida, but to the adversity of the first half of this game. While it doesn’t guarantee success moving forward, it’s a huge shot in the arm for a team that desperately needed one. A win in your biggest rivalry game will do that. For the first time in a meaningful game this season, the Texas Longhorns showed some heart, some swagger, and some true Texas Fight. They even looked like a possible contender again (well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves). Let’s enjoy this one! Hook ‘em baby!!
Final score: Texas 23, Oklahoma 6
Hook ‘em
