Leading up to the Red River Rivalry game the question wasn’t so much the annual one, “Is Texas back?” but rather, “Is Oklahoma’s defense back?”
That was answered in a big way Saturday in the Sooners’ 34-27 win over the Longhorns, a game that found UT’s QB Sam Ehlinger on his back nine times, setting school records for most sacks in a game for Oklahoma.
The Sooners defense made 15 total tackles in the game for a loss.
Linebacker Kenneth Murray had the game of his career, making sure the Texas offense never got comfortable.
Texas had only 12 rushing yards total at halftime. The Sooners had 165.
Two uncharacteristic first half turnovers by QB Jalen Hurts — one a fumble ending a drive that seemingly destined to end in the end zone for six points, and the other an errant interception in the endzone — kept the Longhorns in this game.
But WR CeeDee Lamb stepped up to lead the offense with three TDs on 10 receptions for 170 yards. And the Texas defense had no answer.
“We knew that the game was going to be like this, and we knew that these guys were going to fight,” Lamb said. “In my mind, I’m just thinking, ‘Why not me? Why can’t I make that play? Why can’t I be the reason that we turn it up a notch?’ On offense, I just wanted to get the guys clicking and be the leader for this team.”
Lamb’s 1-yard fourth-down reception in the game’s opening drive set the businesslike tone of the offense. A 51-yard flea-flicker pass from Hurts in the third quarter delivered the unpredictable. And then Lamb’s 27-yard catch where he stepped his way to the end zone in the fourth quarter for a 10 point lead in the fourth quarter secured the win.
The game started before it even started. Thirty minutes before kickoff a shoving match between teams during warm ups caused referee Mike Defee to flag both teams and announce any additional unsportsmanlike penalties during the actual game would result in ejection.
That might have been the best thing to happen, causing players to be focused on the task at hand, instead of becoming distracted by the jawing and emotion that often comes in this game to trigger errant plays and the unexpected.
“To eliminate all the clutter that goes with the game — it was pretty cut and dried at that point. No talk,” said Defensive Coordinator Alex Grinch, the man credited for making a monumental turnaround for the Sooners defense.
Follow
