Named for the border that separates the two states, the Red River Rivalry has been a staple of college football since the first matchup in 1900, even preceding the statehood of Oklahoma. Played at the iconic Cotton Bowl stadium at the Texas State Fair, practically halfway between the two schools, the game is circled on players and fans calendars every year.
The Longhorns lead the overall series 64-51-5, but since 2000 the series has been dominated by the Sooners 17-8. The past decade has seen some of the games highest scores and greatest moments, from Cameron Dicker’s game winning kick in 2018 to Caleb Williams’ breakout game in 2021.
TWO DIFFERENT SEASONS
Oklahoma, who has been led by transfer QB John Mateer, hopes to make up for their embarrassing 34-3 defeat last year. Mateer, who broke his hand during the Sooners 24-17 victory over Auburn, underwent successful surgery and remains questionable to play in the game. If he can’t go, OU will lean on Sophomore Michael Hawkins, who started 4 games and threw for 783 yards in his freshman year. Coming off just a 6-7 record last year, the Sooners have started off the season 5-0 with impressive wins over Michigan and Auburn. A victory would be a huge step forward for national respect and the furthering of title aspirations.
Coming into the year as the preseason #1 team, UT has been majorly disappointing and left many questions to be answered for who they are as a team. They have begun the year 3-2, remaining without a win over a Power 4 team so far. Coming off a 29-21 defeat vs Florida has left them sitting outside the AP top 25 in a shocking position. Arch Manning has faced a lot of criticism for his performance, as the new QB has struggled with the hype of being the former #1 recruit in the country. While his stats are solid, he has seemed uncomfortable at times with decision making and keeping the ball out of harm’s way. In a must-win game, UT has to move on from their painful losses to effectively keep their season alive.
In an effort to bring the Red Rivalry closer to home at LTHS, I sat down with Jack Transou, a senior and self-proclaimed UT superfan, for a quick Q&A.
Q: “What are your overall thoughts about Arch Manning so far?”
A: “Especially in accordance with what the media talks about him, I think he’s been doing fine, especially last week when he caught a lot of heat for the Florida game, when I think he played just about as good as he could’ve. The interceptions were pretty bad but it was just him trying to force stuff. He’s still young, it’s just so much to live up to and so much pressure … . I think he’s a good player and better than what a lot of people give him credit for.”
Q: Do you think Steve Sarkisian is on the hot seat? Why or why not?
A: “I’m going to say no, I think there’s reasons why people think he could, but I think that’s just another factor of how much national attention Texas brings … .You can’t fire a guy who recruits as good as he does. And especially his consistency with back-to-back semifinals and top four finishes, you can’t argue with that. If this continues he might be fired, but at the end of the day I think he’s a great coach and I don’t think he should be fired anytime soon.
Q: What would you say is your favorite Red River Rivalry game ever?
A: “I would say my favorite one was when [UT] beat them 49-0, that was an awesome game, but the most entertaining was either when [Dillon Gabriel] had the game-winning touchdown or when Caleb Williams came in after half time. Those two were very entertaining but obviously not very enjoyable to watch.”
Q: What makes this game so special?
A: “I think it’s the best rivalry in college football. I think the main thing is how close it is, not only the historical record being very close, but it feels like almost every year it’s extremely close. On a game to game basis it’s the most entertaining rivalry consistently.”
Q: What are the keys for a bounceback game?
A: “It’s gotta be the O-line and D-Line. There was no run game which starts with the line. The pressure on Manning was pretty bad too. The D-line was getting run all over, so that’s gotta be better. … The pass rush was also terrible.
Q: Your score prediction?
A: “If Mateer doesn’t play it will be a blowout, something like 35-10. If he does play it will be a really close one that could go either way. I’ll say 31-28 Texas if he does play. I have to stay a bit optimistic.”
Q: Could you say one nice thing about OU?
A: “John Mateer’s got a chiseled jawline, that’s all I got. He’s a pretty good looking guy.”
Regardless of who wins this year’s Red River Rivalry on Saturday, October 11th, one thing is certain – this 121st meeting will be yet another great game in the storied history of one of the biggest rivalries in college football. The game will be shown on ESPN starting at 2:30pm.
