Oklahoma-Texas: LIVE In-Game Observations

John Hoover and Ryan Chapman offer their real-time observations from Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas as the No. 18-ranked Sooners take on No. 1 Texas in their first SEC meeting.

Oct 12, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Oklahoma Sooners linebacker Danny Stutsman (28) walks off the bus before the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at the Cotton Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

DALLAS — Sooners on SI offers real-time observations from Cotton Bowl Stadium throughout Saturday's Week 7 matchup between Oklahoma and the Texas Longhorns. Newest posts are at the top. Just keep your browser open and refresh often.

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4:17 p.m.

Anyway, Oklahoma is now getting its brains beat out and here’s the stat you’ve all been waiting for:

Jacobe Johnson is the first player to get snaps on both sides of the football in one game since Andre Woolfolk in 2000. Steve Zabel did it in 1969 as well. 

That’s from the OU communications staff, led by the inimitable Mike Brooks and the one and only Patrick Dunn.

— JH

4:13 p.m.

After going 36 and 43 on his last two touches, Tre Wisner has 96 yards on five carries and the Longhorns have two touchdowns. It’s 21-3 — and now Taylor Tatum just lost a fumble on first down, and Texas has the football. The official said the call on the field is Tatum is down before the fumble, but replay changes that. It’s a fumble and Texas is gonna score again.

— JH

4:11 p.m.

The “OU Sucks” chants are pouring in from the Orange half of the Cotton Bowl. 

There’s little hope on the other end of the field that the Oklahoma offense will suddenly be competent. 

Venables has already had to wear a 49-0 defeat in this rivalry. 

This one is trending toward the ugly as well in Year 3. 

That’s the kind of stuff you can’t have. 

— RC 

4:08 p.m.

You’re asking too much of Michael Hawkins to carry the offense like that. Poor kid is getting stomped on every play, and he’s running for his life.

The result is a fumble, which Texas immediately turns into a 43-yard touchdown run.

Now this thing feels like 2022 all over again.

— JH

4:06 p.m.

After gaining 8, 6, and 3 yards on his first three carries, three of Jovantae Barnes’ last four carries have gone for negative yards: -2, -4 and -1.

— JH

4:03 p.m.

After refusing to try and run clock on the last drive, Oklahoma doesn’t get a snap off when Hawkins’ run ended 14 seconds before the two-minute warning. No urgency, nothing. 

Seth Littrell’s game management continues to be questionable at best. And this is off a bye week. 

— RC 

4:00 p.m.

And there it is, the worst of bad breaks for Oklahoma: after a third-and-medium pickup goes for a 44-yard completion to Ryan Wingo, Tre Wisner pops around the left edge and breaks to the end zone — but Robert Spears-Jennings forces a fumble into the end zone — which is then recovered by Silas Bolden.

It’s 14-3 with just 2:21 to play before halftime.

— JH

3:56 p.m.

Oklahoma was going to go for it on fourth and short if they didn’t go backwards on third-and-2 — and Jovantae Barnes ends up going backwards. He might have had a chance to get something but he cut back into the pursuit and was clobbered.

— JH

3:52 p.m.

Isaiah Bond hobbled back to the sideline after that third down play, Billy Bowman Jr. tossed him to the ground. Just some rivalry love. 

Will have to see if that actually hampers Bond or not throughout the rest of this one. 

Sooners taking over on their own 24. 

— RC 

3:50 p.m.

Jacobe Johnson took snaps at receiver on that last drive, and now is in at cornerback.

We’ll try to find the last player who took snaps on both sides of the ball in this game. There can’t be many.

— JH

3:48 p.m.

Texas has five tackles for loss with 8:48 til halftime. That’s like, on pace for 16 or 17. Oklahoma can’t survive that kind of uphill climb.

— JH

3:43 p.m.

This game certainly hasn’t slowed down for Michael Hawkins yet. He looks quite hurried on every play under duress, and is uncertain about everything, and for good reason. He’s been hit a lot. OU bailed out by a late hit on the QB, but it's another Sooner punt.

— JH

3:42 p.m.

Huge break for the Sooners. 

Michael Hawkins Jr. draws a roughing the passer to move the chains. 

Wiped out a bad start to the series. 

OU avoided punting immediately after going backwards on first down, a rarity. 

— RC 

3:39 p.m.

Before the timeout, Jacobe Johnson logged his first offensive snap of the season on that first down play. 

But liked the one Zion Kearny catch, any more of that in the playbook?

— RC 

3:32 p.m.

And there’s the answer: Texas sees Oklahoma pursuing hard after the football, so the Longhorns go to more change-of-direction plays, including the throwback pass to Gunnar Helm for the touchdown. Really good misdirection package from Sarkisian there. 

Now — how does Venables respond?

— JH

3:32 p.m.

And just like that, a fantastic first quarter is moot. 

Texas moved the chains for the first time, and turned it into a touchdown drive. 

Nobody thought the Longhorns were going to get shut out, which is why the OU offense had to get points on the first two drives with the average starting field position at the plus-47. 

Instead, the Sooners trail 7-3.

— RC

3:22 p.m.

First quarter stats: Texas has 13 yards and zero first downs. And zero points.

— JH

/ OU stats

/ OU stats

3:21 p.m.

The best part about that drive (other than the points, duh Ryan)? OU took nearly five minutes off the clock. 

The defense is playing lights out, and now Venables and Zac Alley’s unit can stay fresh to keep coming at Texas. 

— RC 

3:20 p.m.

Nice drive there by the Oklahoma offense, and Tyler Keltner caps it off with a 42-yard field goal as OU takes  a 3-0 lead.

Keltner and his FG unit got onto the field that time with plenty of time — started on at 33 seconds on the play clock, got set at 15 seconds and got the kick off with 3 to go. Give Keltner time to go through his routine, and it looks good.

— JH

3:15 p.m.

What a run by Jovantae Barnes on third-and-short. Had a defender on his legs and another wrapping up his shoulders, and he pushed them both for a 2-yard gain. Wow.

— JH

3:13 p.m.

Another three-and-out for the Oklahoma defense. Quinn Ewers doesn’t know what to do. The game plan isn’t working for Texas. 

Now the question becomes how do the Longhorn coaches adjust to the Brent Venables-Zac Alley scheme — and then how do OU coaches react?

— JH

3:07 p.m.

We’re killing the Oklahoma offense after two possessions, but it’s the Sooner special teams that has had a broken field goal operation and two false starts on a punt.

OU’s got to be better in the margins of a game like this, or it’ll slip away fast.

— JH

3:06 p.m.

Oklahoma’s two drives have started on the Texas 45-yard line and the OU 49-yard line. No points. 

The Sooners actually lost field position because of a pair of false starts on the punt team. 

This offense continues to be awful. Simply cannot flounder like this and upset a good football team. 

Defense is going to have to score all the points. 

— RC 

3:04 p.m.

Young Michael Hawkins has entered the chat. He lost his footwork and missed a throw on what should have been a short gain, then couldn’t decide what to do on a blitz right behind his screener and took a loss of 13. After a short completion to Brenen Thompson and a couple of false starts on OU, the Sooners are punting.

This game does not have a normal feel to it whatsoever.

— JH

2:59 p.m.

What a start by the Oklahoma defense: a quick INT and a three-and-out punt. 

After a 15-yard facemask penalty on Texas, Oklahoma has it at their own 49.

The Sooners’ path to victory is paved with takeaways, Texas mistakes and field position.

This absolutely can not be an empty possession.

— JH

2:59 p.m.

Last year, OU’s defensive line generated a lot of pressure up the middle. 

That was an awkward pass from Ewers on third down, but the Sooners’ d-line got push again on the interior, which will make any quarterback uncomfortable. 

The face mask on the punt return will give OU great field position again. 

Defense doing its part two drives into this one. 

— RC 

2:54 p.m.

Sooners get nothing with the interception, not even really a field position advantage. 

Burned a timeout. Almost needed to burn another. 

That’s not how you win this game as a two-touchdown underdog. 

— RC 

2:50 p.m.

Not an ideal start for Michael Hawkins after the INT by Billy Bowman. Nice completion to Brenen Thompson on a clever play call by Seth Littrell for a first down, but after a keep for no gain,  he faced pressure on second down and overthrew Hester in the end zone, then has to burn a timeout.

The Sooners came out in a diamond backfield formation, motioned out of it, and another keeper (and some more hard hits) pick up 6 yards. On fourth-and-4, Tyler Keltner comes in and misses a 44-yard field goal. Holder Josh Plaster was calling to speed up the snap process several times, but Keltner didn’t call for the ball and then hurried the kick.

Big wasted opportunity for the Oklahoma offense.

Plaster was ready, and everyone looked set, but rushing onto the field late seemed to throw off Keltner’s timing. 

Coaches did run out the FG unit late, meaning Brent Venables wasn’t ready to make that determination based on the down-and-distance. That one’s gotta be on the head coach.

— JH

2:49  p.m.

Oklahoma’s starters on offense:

Tarquin - Taylor - Hickman - Nwaiwu - Taylor 

Thompson - Sharp - Pettaway - Hester 

Hawkins Jr. - Barnes 

— RC 

2:47 p.m.

Oklahoma’s starters on defense:

Downs - Jackson - Williams 

Omosigho - Stutsman - Lewis 

Malone - Spears-Jennings - Bowman - P. Bowen - E. Bowen 

— RC 

2:44 p.m.

Texas won the toss, ‘Horns want the ball. 

Defense up first for the Sooners. 

— RC 

2:18 p.m.

The Sooners are headed to the locker room. 

Texas is following close behind. 

Bands on deck. 

Greatest four hours all year, here we go. 

— RC 

1:58 p.m.

As the Texas players funneled onto the field, Oklahoma coaches Emmett Jones, Jay Valai and James Skalski stepped up to the OU players to ensure there would be no scuffle. 

Yeah, I wouldn’t mess with that trio either. 

— RC 

1:40 p.m.

Tyler Keltner just wrapped up his pregame field goal routine by nailing kicks of 52, 53 and 56 yards into the Texas end, then turned around and made a 52-yarder toward the OU end. He and Zach Schmit also made plenty of shorter ones. 

But Keltner certainly looks relaxed and ready. On his last long one, the Texas fans had started booing OU players as they ran out of the tunnel, and the kick was right down the middle.

— JH

1:29 p.m.

Walking around the fair before the game, the energy from the Texas fans was pretty muted — not what I anticipated with the Longhorns entering this thing the nation’s No. 1-ranked team. 

The Texas student section is already packed with 77 minutes still on the clock until kickoff, though. Think this place will be rocking here in about an hour. 

— RC 

1:20 p.m.

Here’s the latest SEC Availability Report. All Sooners either out or will be present and accounted for in today’s game.

— JH

/ SEC

1:13 p.m.

You guys may have heard me make reference to this being my 21st straight Red River Rivalry game to cover. Started in 2004.

So here’s a couple of observations:

This year’s fairgrounds and stadium security is the tightest I’ve ever seen it. I like feeling safe in a stadium, but this is something else.

Second, the state fair lines — for coupons, for food, even a few rides — are the longest I’ve ever seen before the game. No pregame corndogs. Who’s got that much time?

And third, this is either the hottest or second-hottest pregame I can remember. I don’t recall what year it was, but I do remember a game that was well north of 90 degrees. Today, it’s currently 89 and heading toward 93.

At this point, I’m just looking forward to kickoff.

— JH

1:00 p.m.

The teams have arrived, and of course Danny Stutsman is wearing a gold Horns Down chain. 

— JH

Danny Stutsman and Billy Bowman are here.

Stutsman rocking the chain. #Sooners pic.twitter.com/rQMFgcwwLb

— Jesse Crittenden (@JesseCrittenden) October 12, 2024