Freshman quarterback Jerrod Heard said at Tuesday’s press conference that he’s cherishing the opportunity to play against No. 10 Oklahoma Sooners. He said he loves the two fan bases’ passion and the energy, but he wants to quiet Sooner fans early and often.

“I love it when OU fans are screaming at me, cursing me, calling me names,” Heard said. “I love that because I feed off it. When that ball snaps, I just play and react to the defense. When we score, it’s going to be a party in the end zone. It will be a lot of fun.”

The matchup will mark Heard’s first Red River Rivalry appearance. Growing up in North Texas, he paid close attention to the rivalry. Now, he looks to make his mark on the historic matchup.

“[My favorite moment] was two years ago, when Case McCoy beat OU, and he threw that deep ball to Mike Davis, and the crowd erupted,” Heard said. “When I look back at that, that’s what I want to do.”

Norvell set to face former team

After spending seven seasons coaching at Oklahoma, play-caller Jay Norvell gets his first chance to coach on the other side of the Red River Rivalry.

“It’s my favorite game,” Norvell said. “It’s just unique. It’s one of the reasons I wanted to be here at Texas. I love this game, [and] I wanted to stay in this game.”

Norvell downplayed his extra motivation in facing his former team. However, his passion comes out during practice, and his team is taking notice.

“We feed off [Norvell],” Heard said. “Today at practice was one of our most amped-up practices. … I think this is the week that we are amped up and anxious, and we are out there in practice working hard.”