Second half update: It didn’t take long for Texas to get on the board in the second half, finding the endzone on a 63-yard strike from freshman quarterback Shane Buechele to freshman Devin Duvernay.
But the Sooners struck back on their next possession. Junior quarterback Baker Mayfield found senior wide receiver Dede Westbrook on a long one once again, reaching the endzone from 42 yards out. It took Oklahoma just three plays to regain the lead, and the two teams put up 14 points in less than three minutes.
The air raid continued when Texas regained the ball. Buechele found a different receiver down the right sideline — this time, junior Dorian Leonard — but the result was the same. The Longhorns reached the endzone from 45 yards away, giving them a 27-21 lead with just over 10 minutes to play in the third quarter.
Texas’ defense failed to stop the Sooner attack on its next possession, allowing Oklahoma to find the endzone once again. Mayfield flung a deep completion to sophomore wide receiver Dahu Green to place the Sooners deep in Texas territory, and then took it to the endzone himself on a quarterback keeper. The touchdown placed Oklahoma up 28-27.
It became the Dede Westbrook show after a Longhorn punt. The senior sprinted into the endzone for the third time of the day after receiving a slant route from Mayfield, scoring from 47 yards away to extend the Sooner lead. With the score, Westbrook improved his stat-line to 10 catches for 232 yards, setting a school record.
The Longhorns seemed to have caught a break when Sooner running back Joe Mixon muffed a punt in his own territory. Texas regained possession just outside the Oklahoma 20-yard line, but turned it right over to the Sooners. Buechele threw his first interception of the afternoon, attempting to hit junior wide receiver Armanti Foreman while rolling out to his right.
Oklahoma capitalized on the turnover, driving 93 yards en route to running back Samaje Perine’s second touchdown run of the evening. The Sooners’ touchdown gave them a 15-point lead, but Texas answered right back on its next possession. Foreman carried the Longhorn attack, placing the burnt orange deep in Sooner territory. From there, Buechele found wide receiver Armanti Foreman in the corner of the endzone, cutting the deficit to eight points. With just over 10 minutes to go in the fourth quarter, Texas trailed 42-34.
But the Longhorns couldn’t get the stop it needed to give the ball back to their offense. The Sooners racked up first down after first down on a drive that deflated the Texas defense. Oklahoma kept the ball for nearly eight minutes on the drive, resulting in a field goal that pushed the difference to a two-possession game, 45-34.
Texas looked to be down and out after the Sooners’ field goal. But the Longhorns racked up first downs of their own, going 69 yards in only five plays on a drive that culminated on a D’Onta Foreman 22-yard touchdown rush. The score pulled the Longhorns back to within five with 1:45 left. Texas went for two but could not convert, leaving the score at 45-40.
Oklahoma recovered Texas’ onside kick, the last hope for a Longhorn comeback. The Sooners’ crowd, clad in crimson, erupted as their team recovered the kick. Texas burned its final timeout, forcing a third and five for Oklahoma. Oklahoma fumbled, but recovered and punted with less than half a minute left. Texas ran out of time in its 45-40 defeat. — Tyler Horka
First half update: Texas defense looked to rebound on its first two series, stopping the Sooners’ offensive attack. Oklahoma missed a 49-yard field goal attempt on its first drive and turned it over upon receiving the ball once again early in the first quarter.
The Longhorns received their first interception of the season thanks to safety Dylan Haines. The senior caught a tipped pass off the hands of Oklahoma wide receiver Mark Andrews, giving Texas the ball at the 50-yard line.
Haines found the ball for the second time after a Longhorn punt. He took advantage of a fallen Sooner receiver and made an easy interception, taking it to the Sooners’ 13-yard line. Texas couldn’t find the endzone from there but settled for a field goal.
But Texas coughed up the football on its next possession, leading to a Sooner score. Running back D’Onta Foreman lost his first fumble of the season, giving Oklahoma the ball on Texas’ 16-yard line. The Sooners then punched it in from 2 yards out, giving them a 7-3 lead near the end of the first quarter.
The burnt orange were the beneficiary of some costly penalties on their next drive, as the Sooners accumulated of 30 yards of them on a pass interference and personal foul.
The miscues placed the Longhorns into Oklahoma territory, where they found the endzone on a 1-yard run by Foreman. Less than a minute into the second quarter, Texas led 10-7.
After the two teams exchanged punts, Oklahoma found the endzone through the air near the end of the second quarter. Sooner quarterback Baker Mayfield connected with Dede Westbrook from 71 yards out, giving Oklahoma a 14-10 lead. The touchdown was Westbrook’s seventh of the day, giving him 121 yards on the afternoon.
Texas got on the board once more before the half with a 28-yard field goal from kicker Trent Domingue. The Longhorns trail 13-14 heading to halftime and will receive the ball after the break. — Michael Shapiro
Kickoff: The Longhorns (2–2) will attempt to eliminate their two-game losing streak as they face Oklahoma (2–2) on Saturday at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. Texas’ defense has struggled of late, allowing over 45 points in its past two contests. Things won’t get any easier against the Sooners’ attack, led by quarterback Baker Mayfield, the 2015 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year. — Michael Shapiro
