Game Primer: OU vs. Texas

#12/12 Oklahoma

#3/4 Texas

Saturday, Oct. 7 / 11 a.m. CT / Cotton Bowl / Dalllas

OPENING KICK

• In a matchup of the Big 12's only ranked teams in the AP and AFCA Coaches polls, No. 12/12 Oklahoma (5-0, 2-0) plays No. 3/4 Texas (5-0, 2-0) for the 95th straight year in Dallas when the teams meet on Saturday at 11 a.m. CT at the Cotton Bowl. The AT&T Red River Rivalry will be televised by ABC with Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Holly Rowe announcing. OU is the designated visiting team.

• Saturday's game will mark the 119th 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 in Dallas. The game has been played inside the Cotton Bowl every year since 1937.

• Texas and Oklahoma rank fifth and sixth, respectively, in all-time wins. OU is 939-338-53 (.726) while UT is 941-390-33 (.702). The Sooners have played 1,329 games and the Longhorns have played 1,364. UT has played two more seasons than OU.

• This marks the first season since 2011 (both teams were 4-0) in which Oklahoma and Texas are undefeated at the time of their October meeting. That season, No. 3 OU downed No. 11 UT 55-17.

• OU has won six of its last seven games against Texas and 12 of its last 16 when both teams are ranked in the AP poll. The Sooners are 23-16 in the series under the circumstance.

• Texas' No. 3 AP ranking is its highest when playing Oklahoma since 2009 (UT edged No. 20 OU 16-13).

• OU has posted a 10-8 (.556) regular season record against AP top-5 teams since the start of the 2000 season. Only Stanford (.600; 9-6) owns a better winning percentage during the period.

• The last time OU held each of its first five opponents to 20 points or fewer was in the 2000 season (the Sooners won the national title).

• The 2023 season marks OU's and Texas' last as members of the Big 12. The Sooners and Longhorns move to the Southeastern Conference on July 1, 2024.

• Oklahoma has won 14 Big 12 championships in the league's first 27 years. Texas, Baylor and Kansas State are tied for second with three each.

• The Sooners are a league-best 171-58 (.747) in regular season Big 12 play since the conference began in 1996. The current Big 12 program with the next best winning percentage is Texas (151-78; .659).

• OU went 5-0 in September for the second time in program history (also in 2018).

• Oklahoma's 19.2 improvement from last season in opponent points per game (30.0 to 10.8) is best in the country (UCLA is second; 18.0).

• The Sooners' 54 points allowed are their fewest over the first five games of a season since 2009 (gave up 42).

• OU ranks in the top four nationally in both scoring offense (No. 3 at 47.4 ppg) and scoring defense (No. 4 at 10.8 ppg). Its +36.6 average scoring margin ranks second in the country (Oregon is at +39.8).

• The only time the Sooners trailed this season was for a 7:05 stretch in the first quarter at Cincinnati (3-0). They have led for 276:24 out of 300 minutes on the year.

• The 2023 season marks the 129th in OU football history. The Sooners lead the country with their 50 all-time conference championships, 27 11-plus-win seasons, 33 AP top-five finishes, seven Heisman Trophy winners (tied) and five No. 1 overall NFL Draft picks (tied). They rank second with their 430 all-time weeks ranked in the top five of the AP poll, third with seven AP national championships and their 101 weeks as the AP's No. 1 team, and fourth with their 56 bowl appearances and 414 NFL Draft picks.

KEY STORYLINES

• Texas is the only Big 12 program with a winning record against the Sooners. Oklahoma trails 63-50-5 in the series but owns a 29-21-3 advantage since 1970. In the Big 12 era, OU is 17-11 against the Longhorns and has won 10 of the last 14 meetings (16 of the last 24).

• Oklahoma has allowed a total of 14 points (one touchdown) after halftime this season (eight by SMU and three each by Tulsa and Cincinnati) and just 612 total yards for an average of 122.4 yards per second half. OU has limited two opponents (Tulsa [92] and Iowa State [82]) to fewer than 100 total yards in the second half. The Sooners have allowed just six points in the third quarter.

• OU redshirt senior quarterback Dillon Gabriel is off to a pristine start this season, ranking in the top 10 nationally in several categories. The Mililani, Hawaii, product ranks fourth in the country in passing touchdowns (15) and points responsible for per game (22.8), fifth in pass completion percentage (.752; for perspective the OU single-season record is .709 by Baker Mayfield in 2016), sixth in passing efficiency rating (189.4), seventh in total offense (337.6 ypg) and eighth in passing offense (318.6 ypg). Gabriel sat out the entire second half vs. Arkansas State and the fourth quarter at Tulsa.

• Gabriel is one of six FBS players since the start of the 1996 season to complete at least 75% of his passes through the first five games of a season while throwing at least 15 TDs and two or fewer interceptions.

• The Sooners are tied for the national lead with their 10 interceptions. That's their most through the first five games of a season since 2001. Texas is tied for fifth nationally by throwing just one interception.

• OU is one of two teams in the country that hasn't allowed a rushing touchdown (Iowa is the other). Texas is tied for third in the Big 12 with 11 rushing TDs and is averaging 191.8 rushing yards per contest.

• After ranking 49th nationally last year in third-down conversion percentage (.405) and 87th in third-down conversion percentage defense (.409), OU is off to a stellar start in both categories in 2023. The Sooners have converted 37 of their 67 third downs through four games, good for the nation's sixth-best percentage (.552) out of 130 teams. And OU has allowed foes to convert just 21 of their 76 combined third-down tries. The .276 opponent conversion figure has the Sooners ranked 10th in the country.

• Oklahoma added nine defensive scholarship transfers in the offseason and has made a huge jump on that side of the ball through five games. After ranking 98th in scoring defense (30.0 ppg) and 121st in total defense (461.0 ypg) last year, the Sooners rank second (10.8 ppg) and 30th (318.0 ypg), respectively, this season. OU is tied for first nationally with its 10 interceptions and ranks seventh in pass efficiency defense rating (102.7), No. 8 in tackles for loss per game (8.4) and No. 20 in yards per play allowed (4.6).

• The Sooners have allowed just 11 scores (five touchdowns and five field goals for 54 total points) on 61 possessions through five contests. They didn't permit a touchdown until the fourth quarter by SMU in the second game. OU has allowed a touchdown in just four of 20 quarters.

• OU ranks fifth nationally with its +1.6 turnover margin per game. The Sooners have registered 12 takeaways to rank third in the country and have committed just four turnovers. They also blocked a punt against SMU that led to a touchdown and one vs. Iowa State that resulted in a safety. OU's two blocked punts are tied for the national lead.

Gabriel, Dillon vs. Iowa State

ESPN COLLEGE GAMEDAY BACK IN DALLAS

• "ESPN College GameDay" will air from Dallas on Saturday morning, marking the 40th time the show will have been on hand for a game involving Oklahoma. Only Ohio State (57 times), Alabama (55) and Florida (42) have been featured more often than OU, and the Sooners are 26-13 in such games.

• This will mark College GameDay's eighth appearance at a Red River Rivalry contest (Oklahoma is 4-3). The last was in 2021, a 55-48 Sooners win. OU overcame a 21-point deficit (trailed 28-7 in the first quarter) and a 41-23 hole with 2:45 left in the third quarter to register its largest comeback victory against UT. Kennedy Brooks scored on a 33-yard rush with three seconds remaining to win the game. It was the highest-scoring game in series history.

• Saturday will mark Texas' 23rd appearance on College GameDay.

GABRIEL A TD MACHINE

• Redshirt senior quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who has started 42 of his 43 career games between UCF (2019-21) and OU (2022-23), including each of his last 42, ranks first nationally since the start of the 2019 with his 110 touchdown passes despite missing 11 games during the span due to injury (he is two ahead of current Notre Dame and former Wake Forest QB Sam Hartman; Hartman has played in two more games).

• Gabriel also ranks first nationally since the start of 2019 with his 12,793 passing yards. Hartman is second (12,441 in 45 games) and Oregon's Bo Nix is third (12,303 in 52 games).

• Gabriel needs 21 TD passes to move into the top five in FBS career history. He ranks 19th on the all-time chart and needs four to tie Florida's Danny Wuerffel (114) for 15th.

• If Gabriel continues to average 2.5 TD passes per contest like he did in his first 38 games entering this season (he is averaging 3.0 this season), he would finish with 127 career TDs in a 13-game 2023 campaign, which he would accomplish in a 51-game career. The 127 passing touchdowns would rank seventh in FBS history. Landry Jones is the OU record-holder for career passing TDs with 123 in 52 games (Baker Mayfield passed for 131 career TDs, but 12 of those were as a Texas Tech Red Raider).

• Through five games this season, Gabriel has accounted for 19 touchdowns and three turnovers (two interceptions and one fumble). He ranks fifth nationally with his .752 completion percentage and sixth with his 189.4 pass efficiency rating, going 118 for 157 for 1,593 yards (318.6 average) and 15 scores. He has also rushed for 95 yards and four TDs.

MORE ON THE OFFENSE

• The Sooners rank in the top 10 nationally in a multitude of categories through five games, including second in passing touchdowns (17), third in scoring offense (47.4 ppg), completion percentage (.762) and first downs per game (27.2), sixth in pass efficiency rating (192.5), third-down conversion percentage (.552) and fourth-down conversion percentage (.875), seventh in passing offense (352.4 ypg) and ninth in total offense (510.0 ypg). OU leads the Big 12 in each of those categories except total offense (ranks second).

• Fourteen Sooners have scored at least one offensive touchdown this season, tied for the most nationally.

• OU is the only team in the country to score at least 60 points twice this season.

• The Sooners are tied for first nationally with their nine pass plays of at least 50 yards this season. They rank fourth with their 13.0 pass plays per game of at least 10 yards and fifth with their 5.6 pass plays per game of at least 20 yards.

• Three Sooners rank in the top 61 nationally in yards per catch (Nic Anderson second at 27.9, Jalil Farooq 36th at 19.0 and Andrel Anthony 61st at 17.6). They rank first, seventh and eighth in the Big 12 in the category.

• Anderson has five touchdowns on 10 catches. He got to five TDs on fewer receptions in a season than any Sooner since running back George Thomas Jr. did it on six catches. Prior to this year, the fastest to five receiving TDs in a season since 1949 was Anderson's brother, running back Rodney Anderson, who had five TDs on 17 catches in 2017.

• Quarterback Dillon Gabriel leads the Big 12 in total offense (337.6 ypg), passing offense (318.6 ypg), total touchdowns (19), passing TDs (15), completion percentage (.752), passing efficiency rating (189.4) and points responsible for per game (22.8). He also ranks second in yards per pass attempt (10.2).

• Freshman quarterback Jackson Arnold was the 2022 Gatorade National Football Player of the Year at Guyer High School in Denton, Texas, enrolled at OU in January and won the backup job. All Arnold has done in his four games is complete 13 of 15 passes (86.7%) for 169 yards and two touchdowns, and run 12 times for 54 yards and one TD. He was 11 for 11 for 114 yards and a touchdown in his debut against Arkansas State and threw a 50-yard bomb to Anderson for a TD at Tulsa in week three.

Bowman, Billy vs. Iowa State

MORE ON THE DEFENSE

• With 19 returning defensive letterwinners (26 total returning defensive players) and 32 total newcomers (nine transfers, 22 freshmen and one junior college transfer), the Sooners have a deeper group of players on that side of the ball in 2023.

• Out of 130 teams, Oklahoma ranks first in the country in interceptions (10), fourth in scoring defense (10.8 ppg) and defensive touchdowns (two), seventh in pass efficiency defense (102.7 rating), eighth in tackles for loss (8.4 per game), 10th in third-down conversion defense (27.6%), 19th in opponent completion percentage (.545), 20th in opponent yards per play (4.6) and 30th in total defense (318.0 ypg).

• One year after leading the Big 12 in tackles, junior linebacker Danny Stutsman is at it again by averaging a league-high 9.8 stops per game (next most is 8.8). He has led OU in tackles in each game and against SMU in week two was named Walter Camp National FBS Defensive Player of the Week after logging 17 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, a QB hurry and a fumble recovery. He also ranks second in the league and fifth nationally with his 8.0 TFLs and returned an interception for a touchdown at Tulsa.

• OU signed nine defensive scholarship transfers in the offseason, six of them defensive linemen in redshirt seniors Rondell Bothroyd (Wake Forest), Trace Ford (Oklahoma State), Jacob Lacey (Notre Dame), Phil Paea (Utah State), Davon Sears (Texas State) and Da'Jon Terry (Tennessee). The sextet combined for 185 games played, 58 starts, 62 tackles for loss and 33.5 sacks. Bothroyd has started all five games this season, while Lacey has started four and Ford and Terry one each.

• Safety Reggie Pearson, who started each of OU's first three games this year before missing the Cincinnati contest, returned to action vs. Iowa State and is in his sixth season of college football after spending his first three years at Wisconsin and the last two at Texas Tech. He started 20 of 23 games the last two years for the Red Raiders, racking up 109 tackles, three interceptions and seven pass breakups. He also started 13 of 14 games for Wisconsin in 2019 and logged 60 tackles.

• Defensive back Peyton Bowen, who was a five-star player last year at Guyer High School in Denton, Texas, has made an early impact this year with his 14 tackles, team-high four pass breakups (one on fourth down late vs. SMU) and blocked punt vs. SMU and Iowa State (the latter for a safety). He made his first career start in week three at Tulsa, getting the nod at OU's "Cheetah" position.

• Linebacker Dasan McCullough transferred from Indiana following a stellar freshman season in 2022 and figured to see the field a lot this year, only to sustain an injury early in week one that kept him out the next two games. McCullough made his first OU starts at Cincinnati and vs. Iowa State, totaling nine tackles and a QB hurry. He was named a freshman All-American last year by ESPN, The Athletic (second team) and College Football News (second team). Playing in all 12 games, making four starts and registering 49 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks and three pass breakups.

SUPER SPECIAL TEAMS

• Redshirt junior Zach Schmit, in his second year as OU's placekicker, has made all 29 of his PAT attempts and six of his seven field goal tries this season. He is 86 for 86 on career PAT tries, which is the fifth-longest streak of made PATs in school history.

• The Sooners lost 2021 and '22 first-team All-Big 12 punter Michael Turk, who set OU records for punting average in a game (59.7 yards on three punts in 2021 against TCU), season (51.2 yards in 2021) and a career (48.4). Redshirt seniors Josh Plaster and Luke Elzinga have split punting responsibilities this season, with Plaster taking the field in longer situations and Elzinga serving as the team's short-field specialist. Plaster is averaging 40.7 yards on his 12 punts (long of 50, four fair catches, four inside the 20-yard line) while Elzinga is averaging 35.3 yards on his three punts (long of 42, two fair caught inside the 20).

• OU's kickoff and punt return games have been strong through five games. The Sooners rank 15th nationally with their 26.1-yard kickoff return average (seven of eight returns by Jalil Farooq) and 28th with their 12.7-yard punt return average (Gavin Freeman is averaging 14.2 yards on his eight returns to rank 11th nationally). Farooq returned a kick 62 yards vs. Tulsa and Freeman returned a punt 82 yards for a TD vs. Arkansas State.

• OU ranks fourth in the country by holding opponents to -0.8 yards per punt return (four for -3 yards; long of two yards) and ranks 25th by limiting foes to 16.0 yards per kickoff return.

OU'S BIG 12 DOMINATION

• OU's 14 Big 12 titles are 11 more than the program with the next most. Baylor, Kansas State and Texas have each won three Big 12 championships and are followed by Nebraska (two) 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.

• 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).

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

• Since 2000, OU has won more Big 12 championships (14) than it has lost home games (13).

• Oklahoma is 59-14 (.808) in regular season Big 12 play since the start of the 2015 season. Oklahoma State ranks second during that period (46-27; .630), TCU third (43-31; .581), Texas fourth (40-33; .548) and Kansas State fifth (38-35; .521).

• 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.

• Every OU freshman class from 1999-2020 has won at least one Big 12 title and all but the 2011 and 2020-22 freshman classes 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 (695) than any other program (next most is 661 by Alabama).

• Oklahoma has finished in the top 5 of the AP poll a nation-leading 33 times (Ohio State is second with 30).

• OU leads all FBS programs with 50 all-time conference championships. The rest of the top five includes Nebraska (46), Michigan (44), 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 11-win seasons than Oklahoma's 27. And since the start of the 2000 season, OU and Ohio State have produced a nation-leading 18 campaigns of at least 10 wins.

• Since former head coach Bob Stoops arrived in Norman in 1999, OU leads the country with its 12,473 points scored, which is 613 more than second-place Boise State (11,860) and 944 more than third-place Oregon (11,529).

• OU's 80 consensus All-Americans since 1950 are the most nationally (Alabama ranks second with 75 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 16 years.

EXTRA POINTS

• The last time Oklahoma played a regular season game against an AP top-5 opponent was in 2017 when the No. 5 Sooners won 31-16 at No. 2 Ohio State.

• OU's 25 total touchdowns are seven more than the Big 12 team with the next most (UCF).

• The Sooners are 14-6 all-time as the No. 12-ranked team in the AP poll (3-3 at neutral sites; 2-2 vs. Texas).
OU last faced Texas as the AP's No. 12 team in 2017 and won 29-24. Oklahoma and Texas have met once before as the respective 12th- and third-ranked teams: a 20-13 UT win in 1980.

• Over the 13 seasons (1999-2011) that second-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). 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).

• Since the start of the 2014 season, Oklahoma leads the nation with its 5.5 yards per rush and ranks fifth nationally (second in Power Five) with its 310 rushing TDs.

OPENING KICK

KEY STORYLINES

ESPN COLLEGE GAMEDAY BACK IN DALLAS

GABRIEL A TD MACHINE

MORE ON THE OFFENSE

MORE ON THE DEFENSE

SUPER SPECIAL TEAMS

OU'S BIG 12 DOMINATION

COLLEGE FOOTBALL'S BEST

EXTRA POINTS

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Nic Anderson

Andrel Anthony

Jackson Arnold

Rondell Bothroyd

Peyton Bowen

Luke Elzinga

Jalil Farooq

Trace Ford

Gavin Freeman

Dillon Gabriel

Jacob Lacey

Dasan McCullough

Phil Paea

Reggie Pearson

Josh Plaster

Zach Schmit

Davon Sears

Danny Stutsman

Da'Jon Terry

Michael Turk

Sponsors

University of Oklahoma Athletics