Three Quick Takeaways From No. 12 Oklahoma's Victory Over No. 3 Texas
DALLAS — The 2023 Red River Rivalry lived up to the hype.
Oklahoma and Texas met as undefeated teams at the Cotton Bowl for the first time since 2011, with the Sooners ranked No. 12 and the Longhorns at No. 3.
Both teams survived a chaotic opening five minutes that featured two interceptions and a punt block, and Texas looked like it dealt the final blow.
But Dillon Gabriel and Nic Anderson had one last moment of magic.
With the pocket collapsing, Gabriel perfectly dropped a game-winning touchdown pass into Anderson’s hands in the back of the end zone.
The connection sealed a 34-30 win for the Sooners (6-0 overall, 3-0 Big 12) over the ‘Horns (5-1, 2-1), and forever enshrined Gabriel in Oklahoma lore as a Red River hero.
Signature Saturday
Brent Venables has his signature win.
One year after getting blanked by Texas, the Sooners upset the No. 3-ranked team in the country and will suddenly head into the bye week at the forefront of the College Football Playoff conversation.
Saturday’s victory over Texas was Oklahoma’s first win over a top three team since waling out of The Horseshoe with a victory over No. 2 Ohio State in 2017.
Entering the week, most of the national coverage surrounding this coverage was focused on Steve Sarkisian’s Longhorns, with many in wait-and-see mode due to OU’s schedule so far.
Now there isn’t any doubt.
Oklahoma may not run the table the rest of the way or start December by winning the Big 12 Championship, but winning a heavyweight fight with Texas proved the Sooners are for real and still on the climb in Venables’ second season.
Failure to Convert Nearly Proves Costly
Turnovers are always crucial when Oklahoma and Texas meet.
But teams can weather the storm if turnovers don’t lead to points.
The Sooners forced three turnovers, two interceptions and a fumble, but only came away with a touchdown to show for it.
Gentry Williams’ interception on the first drive of the game set OU up for the early score, but the Longhorns responded from there.
Kendel Dolby caught a tipped pass on the goal line, which initially erased a Texas touchdown.
Instead, the offense was unable to pick up a first down, and the Longhorns blocked Josh Plaster’s punt in the burnt orange end zone to tie the ballgame.
Early in the second half, Peyton Bowen and Ethan Downs combined to force a Quinn Ewers fumble, giving the Sooners a chance to extend a 10-point lead.
Another three-and-out ensued for Oklahoma’s offense, and Texas cut the deficit back down to 27-20, leaving everything to play for in the fourth quarter.
Gabriel’s heroics allowed the Sooners to overcome the hiccup, but there is still plenty of room for improvement for Oklahoma throughout the back half of the season.
Dillon Gabriel Carries the Load
One huge question entering Saturday’s contest was how the Sooners were going to move the ball on the ground.
To this point in the season, none of Oklahoma’s running backs had separated themselves, and one answer was quarterback Dillon Gabriel.
He combined to run for three touchdowns in OU’s first two Big 12 contests of 2023, but he only ran for 60 yards total against Cincinnati and Iowa State.
Taking snaps for the first time in the Cotton Bowl, Gabriel didn’t hesitate to pick up tough yards on the ground.
The Sooner signal caller led the team in rushing, carrying the ball 14 times for 113 yards and a touchdown.
Early on, he feasted on designed runs while the offensive line worked to settle into the contest in pass protection.
As things steadied up front, Gabriel found himself tucking the ball and exploiting when OU’s wide receivers cleared defenders out of the middle of the field.
Gabriel nearly iced the game with a 44-yard scramble in the fourth quarter, ensuring the Sooners would win the always important rushing battle in the Cotton Bowl.
His arm ultimately clinched the game for Oklahoma, and completed 23-of-38 passes for 285 yards and a score through the air, but OU would not have been in position to win without Gabriel’s contributions on the ground.
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