Game Primer: OU vs. Texas

Saturday, October 8

Dallas, Texas

11 a.m.

University of Oklahoma

Texas

Photo by: © Copyright Joshua R. Gateley 2021

October 06, 2022 | Football

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Oklahoma

Texas

Saturday, Oct. 8 / 11 a.m. CT / Cotton Bowl

ABC / Radio / Live Stats / Game Notes

OPENING KICK

• In a matchup of the Big 12's two most successful programs, Oklahoma (3-2, 0-2) plays Texas (3-2, 1-1) for the 94th straight year in Dallas when the teams meet on Saturday at 11 a.m. CT at the Cotton Bowl. The AT&T Red River Showdown will be televised by ABC with Joe Tessitore, Greg McElroy and Katie George announcing. OU is the designated home team.

• Saturday's game will mark the 118th meeting between Oklahoma and Texas, with the first matchup occurring Oct. 10, 1900, in Austin. Since 1929, the Sooners and Longhorns have played annually at Fair Park. The game has been played inside the Cotton Bowl every year since 1937.

• Oklahoma and Texas are tied with Notre Dame for fourth nationally with 931 all-time wins. OU is 931-333-53 (.727) while Texas is 931-387-33 (.701). The Sooners have played 1,317 games and the Longhorns have played 1,351.

• This marks the first time since the Oct. 18, 2020, poll that Oklahoma is not ranked in the AP Top 25, snapping a streak of 31 straight rankings. OU has been ranked in 115 of the last 120 polls going back to the start of the 2015 season, and has been ranked in the top 10 in 82 of those 120 polls. Texas has made 48 AP Top 25 appearances since the start of the 2015 season (10 top-10 rankings), with its highest position during that stretch at No. 6 in 2018.

• This is the first time since 1998 that neither Oklahoma or Texas are ranked in the AP poll when facing each other. Before this year, OU was ranked in 21 of the 24 meetings (16 of the last 17) since that season while UT was ranked in 19 of those 24 matchups.

• The Sooners are 16-7 against Texas since the start of the 2000 season and have outscored the Longhorns by 189 points in those 23 matchups. Oklahoma has won the last four meetings, six of the last seven and 10 of the last 13. Prior to the current stretch, OU had never won at least 10 matchups against Texas in a 13-or-fewer-game span.

• Oklahoma has won 14 Big 12 titles in the first 26 years of the league, with no other program winning more than three. All 14 of OU's Big 12 titles have come in the last 22 years, with no other program winning more than three during that span. Texas is tied with Baylor for second with three Big 12 titles (last one in 2009; OU has won eight since then).

• Going back to the 2014 season, Oklahoma has won 32 of its last 37 games against teams from the state of Texas. Also going back to 2014, the Sooners have won 22 of their last 27 games played in Texas.

• OU is 153-35 (.814) in regular season Big 12 play since the start of the 2000 season. That's 29 more wins than the program with the next most victories during that period (Texas; 124-64) and 44 more than the program with the third most (Oklahoma State; 109-79).

• Oklahoma is 54-10 (.844) in regular season Big 12 play since the start of the 2015 season. Oklahoma State ranks second during that period (43-21; .672), TCU third (34-30; .531), Texas and West Virginia fourth (33-31; .516) and Iowa State fifth (33-32; 508).

Coach Venables

KEY STORYLINES

• Over the 13 seasons (1999-2011) that first-year Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables served as a Sooners assistant coach, OU posted an 8-5 record against Texas (he was co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach from 1999-2003 and associate head coach, defensive coordinator and linebackers coach from 2004-11). The Longhorns scored 21 or fewer points in eight of the 13 contests, 17 or fewer points six times and 14 or fewer points four times. OU won five straight from 2000-04, outscoring UT 189-64 (average of 38-13). In a 55-17 OU win in 2011, the Sooners scored three defensive touchdowns (on two fumble returns and an interception).

• Texas is the only Big 12 program with a winning record against the Sooners. Oklahoma trails 62-50-5 in the series but owns a 29-20-3 advantage since 1971. In the Big 12 era, OU is 17-10 against the Longhorns and has won 10 of the last 13 meetings and 16 of the last 23.

• During their four-game winning streak over Texas, the Sooners have outrushed the Longhorns in each contest and by 495 total yards (952-457). OU is averaging 238.0 yards per game and 5.5 yards per carry during the stretch to UT's 114.3 and 3.5.

• Also during OU's four-game Red River winning streak, the Sooners have dominated the sack category. Over the last four matchups, they have registered 22 sacks (for 138 yards) to Texas' seven sacks (for 36 yards). OU outsacked UT 3-2 in the 2018 Big 12 Championship game, 9-0 in 2019, 6-2 in 2020 and 4-3 last season.

• Saturday's game will feature two of the Big 12's top rushers. OU running back Eric Gray ranks second in the league and eighth nationally with his 7.0 yards per rush while UT's Bijan Robinson ranks fifth in the conference with his 5.9 average. Robinson ranks second in the Big 12 with his 103.0 rushing yards per game while Gray ranks fifth (92.0). Both backs are also weapons in the passing game, with Gray catching 12 passes for 92 yards and Robinson catching 10 for 188 yards.

• The Sooners rank 126th out of 131 FBS teams this season in average time of possession (25:22) and have not held a time-of-possession advantage in any of their five games. Texas ranks 123rd with an average TOP of 26:11. Its only game with a TOP advantage was in its second contest of the season against No. 1 Alabama (30:44-29:16).

• Since the start of the 2015 season, OU leads the country with its 5.5 yards per rush and ranks fifth nationally (second in Power 5) with its 243 rushing touchdowns. This season, the Sooners are averaging 5.2 yards per carry and have rushed for 12 TDs. They have rushed 211 times (12 of those have been sacks) and attempted 152 passes.

• The Sooners' defense is tied for fifth in the country with its 40 tackles for loss, tied for eighth with its 8.0 TFLs per game and ranks third with its 189 TFL yardage. OU also ranks 20th with its 14.0 sacks (despite registering one total over the last two games) and 16th with its 106 sack yards. Texas has allowed nine sacks over its five games.

LAST YEAR VS. TEXAS

• No. 6/4 Oklahoma rallied from a 28-7 first-quarter deficit and a 41-23 hole with 2:45 remaining in the third quarter to post a 55-48 win over No. 21/23 Texas at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas on Oct. 9, 2021. The 21-point deficit marked OU's largest overcome in victory against the Longhorns (previous record was 11) and tied for the second largest in any win in program history. The 103 points were the most ever in the series.

• In his first start of the season, running back Kennedy Brooks rushed 25 times for a career-high 217 yards (8.7 per carry) and Oklahoma's final two touchdowns. His 217 rushing yards were OU's most in 36 games and fourth most ever vs. Texas. Brooks gave the Sooners their first lead of the day (48-41) with 7:10 remaining in the fourth quarter on an 18-yard run and scored the game-winning touchdown with three seconds to go on a 33-yard burst. He was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week.

• Freshman Caleb Williams took over quarterback responsibilities with 6:41 left in the second quarter (when OU trailed 35-17) and directed scoring drives on seven of the team's final nine possessions. Williams finished with 300 yards of offense (the most ever by an OU freshman vs. Texas), completing 16 of 25 passes for 212 yards and his first two passing TDs of the season and rushing four times for 88 yards. His first appearance of the day came on a 4th-and-short play at the start of the second quarter when he raced 66 yards for a TD.

• Williams' touchdown passes went to Marvin Mims and were the first of the season for the sophomore receiver. The first came on a 14-yard play with 1:02 left in the third quarter that trimmed UT's lead to 41-30 while the second came on a 52-yard bomb with 7:25 to go and resulted in a 41-41 tie after a Spencer Rattler two-point conversion pass to Drake Stoops. Mims finished with five receptions for a then-career-high 136 yards (27.2-yard average).

• Sixth-year defender Caleb Kelly turned in one of the biggest plays of the game when he stole the ball from Texas' kickoff return man after Mims' second touchdown. Brooks gave OU its first lead of the game (48-41) on the ensuing play. Because of injury, Kelly played in only four games in 2019 and missed all of the 2020 season.

• Redshirt junior Gabe Brkic tied the single-game school records for points by a kicker (17) and field goals (4 for 4), and was named Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week. His conversions from 40, 35, 29 and 26 yards helped the Sooners chip away at UT's advantage and made him only the second OU kicker to make four field goals in a game vs. the Longhorns (other was Mike Vachon in 1966).

• Redshirt senior Michael Turk averaged 58.0 yards on his three punts, the second-best single-game average in school history at the time. His 85-yarder in the first quarter tied as the third longest in program annals.

• OU's 662 total yards were its third most ever against Texas (third 600-yard game). The Sooners outgained UT by 285 yards after the first quarter (587 yards to 302). UT held a 214-75 advantage in total yards after the first period.

NOTING OU'S OFFENSE

• The Sooners have scored on 17 of their 18 red zone opportunities this season (14 touchdowns and three field goals). The 94.4% conversion rate is tied for 16th best nationally.

• Despite ranking 32nd nationally in total plays, OU is tied for fourth with its 17 plays of at least 30 yards.

• Quarterback Dillon Gabriel has completed 85 of 133 passes (63.9%) this season for 1,215 yards, 11 touchdowns and no interceptions. He has also rushed for 126 net yards and two touchdowns, including a 61-yard score at Nebraska. Gabriel ranks 15th nationally in passing efficiency rating (167.9) and yards per completion (14.3), and 17th in yards per pass attempt (9.1).

• Gabriel's 133 pass attempts without an interception are the most by a player to start an OU career, breaking the previous record of 80 set by Jalen Hurts in 2019.

• Through five games this season, junior wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. ranks 21st nationally (third in the Big 12) with his 19.9 yards per catch, 25th (second in Big 12) in receiving yards (438) and 31st (third in Big 12) in receiving yards per game (87.6).

• Senior running back Eric Gray leads an OU rushing attack that averages 220.8 yards per game, 5.2 yards per carry and 2.4 touchdowns per game. Gray ranks eighth nationally with his 7.0 yards per carry and fifth in the Big 12 (29th nationally) with his 92.0 rushing yards per contest. He ran for 102 yards against UTEP, 71 versus Kent State, 113 at Nebraska (two TDs), 114 against Kansas State and 60 at TCU (one TD). Redshirt junior Marcus Major paces the team with four rushing TDs (also has a receiving score) in his four games (did not play at TCU). He is averaging 41.0 rushing yards per game and 5.0 yards per rush.

• Mims and Gray rank fourth and fifth in the Big 12 in all-purpose yards per game with their 111.8 and 110.4 respective averages.

• Oklahoma has scored touchdowns on 24 offensive possessions this season, and only seven of those TD drives have taken longer than two minutes of game clock. OU's 24 touchdown drives this season have averaged 6.7 plays, 65.8 yards and 1:54 of game clocK.

09/10/2022 Oklahoma football v Kent State. Photo by Joshua R. Gateley

GETTING DEFENSIVE

• Oklahoma is tied for fifth nationally with its 40 tackles for loss and ranks fourth with its 189 TFL yardage. The Sooners also rank 16th in sack yardage (106) and are tied for 20th with their 14 sacks.

• OU's 40 tackles for loss are tied for its fifth most since 2000 through the first five games of a season, and are the most since 2011. Only the 2007 (52 TFLs through five games), 2009 (44), 2008 (43) and 2010 (42) teams had more in the last 23 years.

• Senior linebacker David Ugwoegbu ranks second in the Big 12 with his 44 tackles while sophomore linebacker Danny Stutsman ranks third with 42. Sophomore safety Billy Bowman entered last Saturday's TCU game ranked fourth in the league with his 33 tackles and logged one against the Horned Frogs before leaving the contest in the first quarter with an injury. His 34 tackles are tied for eighth most in the conference.

• Twenty-five of Ugwoegbu's 44 tackles (57%) have come over the last two games. His career-high 15 tackles against Kansas State were the most by a Sooner since the 2018 season, and he followed that output with 10 stops at TCU. He has made at least six tackles in every game this season.

• Stutsman established career highs in tackles in each of the first two games, logging nine stops against UTEP and 12 (4.0 TFLs) against Kent State before making 10 stops against Kansas State and seven at TCU. He has recorded at least seven stops in four of five games. Prior to his performance vs. Kent State, the last Sooner to register four TFLs in a game was Ronnie Perkins, at Baylor in 2019.

• Junior defensive end Reggie Grimes leads the Sooners with 6.0 tackles for loss (total 36 lost yards) and 4.0 sacks (totaling 31 lost yards). Six of his 10 tackles this season have been for lost yardage. He ranks 21st nationally by averaging 0.8 sacks per game and is 18th in sack yardage.

FRESH FACES

• Thirty-four players (30 of them first-year Sooners) have made their first appearance in an OU uniform this season. The 30 newcomers who have seen the field this year are redshirt seniors Jeffery Johnson (DL), C.J. Coldon (DB), Kyle Ergenbright (OL), Jonah Laulu (DL) and Daniel Parker (TE), senior Trey Morrison (DB), redshirt juniors Davis Beville (QB), Dillon Gabriel (QB) and McKade Mettauer (OL), redshirt sophomores LV Bunkley-Shelton (WR), Tyler Guyton (OL) and J.J. Hester (WR), sophomores General Booty (QB) and Tawee Walker (RB) and freshmen Nic Anderson (WR), Jovantae Barnes (RB), Gavin Freeman (WR), Jayden Gibson (WR), Gracen Halton (DL), Kaden Helms (TE), Jaren Kanak (LB), Jason Llewellyn (TE), Jayden Rowe (DB), Gavin Sawchuk (RB), Robert Spears-Jennings (DB), Peter Schuh (DB), Jacob Sexton (OL), Jake Taylor (OL), R Mason Thomas (DL) and Gentry Williams (DB).

Lead, Barnes TCU

FIRST-TIME STARTERS

• Eleven players have made their first OU starts this season. Against UTEP, they were were redshirt senior transfer Jeffery Johnson (DL; started 44 games at Tulane), redshirt senior Jordan Kelley (DL), redshirt junior transfers Dillon Gabriel (QB; started 25 games at UCF) and McKade Mettauer (OL; started 28 games at Cal), redshirt sophomore transfer Tyler Guyton (OL; started one game at TCU as an H-back) and sophomores Ethan Downs (DE) and Danny Stutsman (LB). Versus Kent State they were redshirt junior Isaiah Coe (DL) and sophomore Jalil Farooq (WR), at Nebraska, sophomore Damond Harmon (DB) made his first career start and against Kansas State, Wanya Morris (OL; started 19 games at Tennessee) made his first start as a Sooner.

OU'S BIG 12 DOMINATION

• Oklahoma's win over Iowa State in the 2020 Big 12 Championship resulted in the Sooners' sixth straight Big 12 title and 14th since 2000 (no other program has won more than two during the span). For perspective, the two Power Five programs with the next most conference titles this millennium are Ohio State (11 in Big Ten) and Oregon (eight in Pac-10/Pac-12).

• OU's 14 Big 12 titles are 11 more than the program with the next most. Baylor and Texas have each won three Big 12 championships and are followed by Kansas State and Nebraska (two each), and Colorado, Oklahoma State, TCU and Texas A&M (one each). Colorado and Nebraska left the Big 12 after the 2010 season and Texas A&M departed after the 2011 campaign.

• Since 2010, OU has won eight Big 12 titles and is followed by Baylor (three) and Kansas State, Oklahoma State and TCU (one each).

• Since 2000, OU has won more Big 12 championships (14) than it has lost home games (12).

• Oklahoma is the only program to win at least three straight Big 12 titles, and it has done so twice (2006-08 and 2015-20). Baylor (2013-14) is the only other program to win two Big 12 championships in a row.

• At 11-1, the Sooners are the only program with a winning record in Big 12 Championship games. Texas (3-3) and Baylor (1-1) have the next best marks.

• Since the start of the 2015 season, OU has posted a 54-10 (.844) record in regular season Big 12 play. The next best mark during the stretch is 43-21 (.672) by Oklahoma State.

• Every OU freshman class from 1999-2019 has won at least one Big 12 championship and all but the 2011 freshman class have won at least two. The 2015, 2016 and 2017 freshman classes each won four Big 12 titles.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL'S BEST

• During the modern era of college football (since the end of World War II), the Sooners are the nation's No. 1 team with more wins (687) than any other program (next most is 650 by Alabama).

• OU has finished in the top 5 of the AP poll a nation-leading 33 times.

• OU leads all FBS programs with 50 all-time conference championships. The rest of the top five includes Nebraska (46), Michigan (43), Ohio State (39) and USC (37). The Sooners' 14 league titles since 2000 are the most among Power Five programs (Ohio State ranks second with 11).

• No program has more all-time 10-win seasons than Oklahoma, which is tied with Alabama with 41 (OU has a nation-leading 18 10-win campaigns since 2000). In addition, OU's 27 seasons with at least 11 wins are the most in college football history.

• Since former head coach Bob Stoops arrived in Norman in 1999, OU leads the country with its 11,994 points scored, which is 567 points more than second-place Boise State (11,427) and 1,024 more than third-place Oregon (10,970).

• OU's 80 consensus All-Americans since 1950 are the most nationally (Alabama ranks second with 74 and Ohio State third with 72). Since 2000, the Sooners have produced 30 consensus All-Americans, second only to Alabama.

• OU is the only program that has produced at least four NFL Draft picks each of the last 15 years.

EXTRA POINTS

• Going back to the start of the 2010 season, Oklahoma has only played four regular season games when unranked in the AP poll. It won all four contests (42-30 at Texas Tech in 2014, 52-46 at No. 21 TCU in 2016, 53-45 in four overtimes vs. No. 22 Texas in 2020 and 33-14 at TCU in 2020). The Sooners have won five straight regular season games when unranked (also beat No. 11 Oklahoma State 27-0 in 2009 in Norman).

• First-year Oklahoma co-defensive coordinator (pass defense/cornerbacks and nickelbacks) Jay Valai was a Texas assistant coach (cornerbacks) during the 2020 season. OU beat the Longhorns 53-45 that year in four overtimes.

• OU quarterback Dillon Gabriel saw his 14-game streak of throwing multiple touchdown passes snapped at TCU Saturday. Gabriel left the game due to injury with 9:39 left in the second quarter and did not return. The streak went back to his sophomore season (2020) at UCF.

• Oklahoma ranks 12th nationally (fourth among teams with at least 1.6 returns per game) with its 15.9 yards per punt return. Marvin Mims Jr. ranks fourth nationally with his 19.7 yards per return (118 yards on six returns). The Sooners have already almost doubled their total punt return yards from last year (12 returns for 69 yards in 2021; eight returns for 127 yards this season).

• In his first season as OU's placekicker, redshirt sophomore Zach Schmit is 5 for 6 on field goal attempts and has made all 24 of his PAT tries. He is 3 for 3 on field goal attempts beyond 40 yards (long of 44). His lone miss came at Nebraska (a 39-yarder).

• Forty-seven of OU's 115 players (41%) are new to the program this season, while 60 players (52%) had never played in a game for the Sooners prior to the opener vs. UTEP. Of the 47 new players, 23 are on offense, 21 are on defense and three are special-teamers (one kicker, one punter and one long snapper).

• Since 2000, OU is the only Power 5 program in the country that has not had a losing record in any season.

• OU has won 80 straight games when holding opponents to 23 or fewer points. The last time OU held an opponent to 23 or fewer points and lost was in 2009 (fell 10-3 at Nebraska on Nov. 7).

• Since the start of the 2012 season, OU is 83-5 when scoring at least 35 points and 72-3 when scoring at least 40.

• The Sooners are tied for third with their four College Football Playoff appearances (2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019). They are the only Big 12 program to qualify for the CFP.

• Oklahoma is tied for the national lead with five No. 1 overall NFL Draft picks. OU has produced three No. 1 overall picks in the last 13 years alone. No other school has produced more than one during that period.