Tony Thomas
Writer
In the grand edifice that is the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, TX., gridiron warriors will face off in their annual battle for supremacy on the Red River. The battle colors are crimson and cream and burnt orange.
Sooner fans and Longhorns fans will divide the arena and cheer on their favorite team, all the while shouting obscenities at each other from across the aisle, fueled in part by passion, the other part by adult beverages.
Texas (3-2, 0-1) leads the Red River Rivalry with 64 wins, but Oklahoma (5-0, 1-0) has won seven of the last 10 meetings.
Date: Saturday, October 11
Time: 2:30 PM CST
Location: Cotton Bowl, Dallas, TX
T.V.: ABC
Point spread: Texas -2.5
Over/under: 42.5
Moneyline: Texas -140, Oklahoma +115
QB1 starter John Mateer is sidelined with a surgically repaired throwing hand. The injury and subsequent surgery required a month of rehab. Word around the Gatorade cooler is that Mateer is pressing coaches to let him play against the Longhorns after just two weeks of not throwing the pigskin.
Regardless, backup quarterback Michael Hawkins, Jr. will get the start against Texas. Hawkins led the Sooners to a 44-0 win over Kent State last week. He passed for 162 yards and three TDs and rushed for another score in only his second game of action this season.
The real strength of this team is their defense, a vaunted unit that ranks in the top five in every significant defensive category:
Quarterback Arch Manning has passed for 1,151 yards for 11 touchdowns and five INTs. In the loss at Florida, Manning threw for two TDs, but also threw two INTs and completed just 55 percent of his passes. Manning is also the team’s leading rusher with five touchdowns.
What has hurt the Longhorns this season is the blocking by the offensive line and penalties. With only one starter returning on the offensive line, Texas is ranked 65th in the FBS in sacks allowed with nine through five games. That is an average of 1.8 sacks per game.
In the yellow flag department, the Longhorns are ranked 15th in the Southeastern Conference at 8.8 penalties per game.
The Texas defense is a top 20 unit and allows just 12 points per game.
This game very well could be a defensive battle. Texas gets the edge in quarterback experience, unless, of course, Mateer makes a cameo. However, the Sooners are going to be in Manning’s face mask all day. The pressure will be relentless.
When the final horn sounds, the victory colors will be crimson and cream flying high at the State Fair of Texas on the second Saturday in October.
Final Score: Oklahoma 27 – Texas 14
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