Three Quick Takeaways From Oklahoma's Dramatic Upset Over No. 1 Texas

DALLAS — The difference two weeks makes.

Oklahoma stunned Texas with Tate Sandell’s 47-yard walk-off field goal to take down the No. 1 Longhorns 27-24.

As tough as the bye week was following the Sooners’ loss to Georgia, the party in Norman will rage late into the night after Oklahoma’s first win over a top-ranked team since 2007.

In the process, Brent Venables snapped his program’s two-game losing streak to Texas to notch a win in what will become a famous Saturday in OU-Texas history.

Sandell planted the flag at midfield, rewarding his defense’s impressive performance, while the Texas fans watched in stunned silence as the Sooners, who made the trip south, serenaded their crimson-clad heroes.

Here are three quick takeaways from the win.

Sategna Stars Late

It took two video reviews, but Isaiah Sategna’s pair of sideline catches on the final drive will go down in OU-Texas history for the Sooners.

The first was a 13-yard completion to move the ball to the other side of midfield.

Then Sategna was able to keep his left foot inbounds to complete a 20-yard catch, which allowed John Mateer to put the ball on the left hash for Tate Sandell.

OU’s kicker missed his first field goal attempt of the day, but his 47-yard game-winner is all anyone will remember from a famous Saturday on Fair Park.

Sategna finished the game with five catches for 64 yards.

Defense Held it Together

Oklahoma’s offense took a while to find itself at the Cotton Bowl, but the defense was there to save the day.

Texas scored on what appeared to be a coverage bust early, but the defense held out long enough for a special teams play to break OU’s touchdown drought.

Sacks by Trent Wilson and Taylor Wein deep in the Texas end set up a perfect punt block opportunity, and Danny Okoye delivered.

He broke through the middle of Texas' protection and got his hand on the football, and reserve defensive back Dakoda Fields fell on it just inches from the boundary to get the Sooners on the board. The recovery was reviewed and upheld.

Right before halftime, the defense rallied to hold Texas to a field goal — a moment that proved pivotal in keeping the Sooners in the game — and out of halftime, Venables’ unit repelled Steve Sarkisian’s offense yet again.

Sandell’s 53-yard field goal on the ensuing possession cut the Longhorn advantage to one score, setting up a dramatic finish at the Cotton Bowl.

And then Peyton Bowen struck.

The OU safety’s 42-yard interception return for a touchdown sent the Sooner half of the Cotton Bowl into a frenzy and gave OU its first lead of the day.

Texas was able to respond, in large part due to a 42-yard connection from Arch Manning to Cam Coleman, to tie the game.

Manning got the ball back with 4:43 left and two timeouts to go and win the game, and the Longhorns started to move.

A pair of plays by Raleek Brown moved the Longhorns to the edge of field goal range, but Owen Heinecke delivered a big tackle for loss to push Texas back into a third-and-9.

Texas got enough to attempt a 53-yard field goal of its own, but the kick missed wide right.

Courtland Guillory’s interception with 19 seconds left was the final massive moment for the defense, as it allowed Mateer, Sategna and Sandell a chance to win the game.

Oklahoma Finds Rhythm Late

Nothing was pretty for Oklahoma’s offense early.

The Sooners registered only 15 yards of offense in the first quarter, but things started to click a bit close to halftime.

Though the drive ultimately ended in a 52-yard miss by Sandell, the Sooners marched 40 yards on 11 plays to string together their first set of first downs of the day.

The first drive of the second half was a seven-play affair that moved 52 yards for Sandell’s make; then OU was able to move 47 yards on six plays, capped off by a Lloyd Avant 2-yard score, to get into the end zone and tie the game.

Whatever momentum was built in the third quarter and early in the fourth quickly dissipated as Oklahoma struggled to move the ball late in the fourth quarter — until the very last possession.

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