Texas Football: Ranking the Top 10 Red River Rivalry Moments

The Stone Cold Stop? Ricky's tribute to Doak? McCoy vs. Bradford? Peter Gardere to Johnny Walker?

Almost 110 years of the Red River Rivalry has provided more than its fair share of iconic moments in Texas history. The game has historically brought out the best from the best players in Longhorns history.

Really, one could argue that no Texas legend ever truly reached that status without leaving his mark on the rival Oklahoma Sooners. Darrell Royal's first title, both Earl Campbell's and Ricky Williams' Heismans, Vince Young's iconic 2005 season and even Colt McCoy's run at all-time greatness were all sparked by big moments in the Cotton Bowl.

The hardest part is figuring out, based on the importance of the moment and sheer improbability, which of these moments stands above the rest.

10. Gerald Ford Mediates the End of an Era

Associated Press

As coaches of the rival programs, Darrell Royal (pictured) and Barry Switzer were never shy about their disdain for each other.

For some perspective on just how bitter the Red River Rivalry can get, please note that an active president of the United States had to mediate a coin toss between the coaches of the two programs.

Though the Longhorns were in the midst of the Earl Campbell era, Oklahoma held a distinct edge heading into the 1976 Red River Showdown. The back-to-back champion Sooners had won the last three meetings under Barry Switzer, with eyes on a fourth over the fading Horns.

Adding to the intrigue, Texas head coach Darrell Royal finally had put a name to Switzer's alleged spy at the Texas facilities. This led to a war of words between the two old-school football minds, culminating at the coin toss with President Gerald Ford, in which both coaches refused to speak to each other.

That intensity carried over to the field, as recounted to Barking Carnival:

"

Royal had his team cut to a razor's edge, especially on defense. They were as focused a unit as I have ever seen. Once the game began, every play was a train wreck. You didn't hear much trash talk, mainly because it was drowned out by the violent hits. No one stood around, because it was the best way to get de-cleated.

"

Led by Brad Shearer and Bill Hamilton, the Texas defense stifled the Sooners to 95 rushing yards on 50 carries, nearly shutting them out for their first scoreless affair in nine years.

Then came Ivey Suber's fumble, which the Sooners turned into the game's only touchdown to put them in position to end it on an extra point.

But the snap soared over Uwe Von Schamann's head, finishing the game in a 6-6 stalemate that seemed to thrust the entire Cotton Bowl into the Twilight Zone. 

Royal resigned as Texas' head coach at the end of the season, making the unbelievable tie his last bout with his archrival.

9. Mack Brown Gets the Last Laugh

Riding a three-game losing streak against the Sooners in which they had been outscored by 88 total points, Texas head coach Mack Brown desperately needed a strong showing to keep his job. And he got it to spark an unlikely run at the conference title.

Fresh off a one-point win over lowly Iowa State, the Horns were primed for another beatdown. They had been handled by both BYU and Ole Miss to start the season, whereas the Sooners had recently crushed No. 14 Notre Dame.

Instead, the Longhorns turned in their best performance of the season, tormenting Sooner quarterback Blake Bell all afternoon while tallying 255 yards on the ground to win 36-20.

The unlikely win was punctuated by a 31-yard interception return by defensive tackle Chris Whaley, a former high school running back, whose rumbling score kept Texas riding high throughout the game.

Texas' upset was the third victory of a six-game winning streak that put it in the hunt for a Big 12 title until a late-season collapse cost the Horns a bowl victory and their head coach his job.

At least Brown got the last laugh over a program he only beat seven times during his 16-season tenure.

8. Ricky Williams Pays Tribute to Doak Walker

The Cotton Bowl is known as "The House that Doak Built," so when the former Heisman Trophy winner passed away, Longhorn tailback Ricky Williams did his best impression of the Hall of Famer.

Donning Walker's No. 37, Williams rumbled through the Sooners for 139 yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries. It was Williams' second straight two-touchdown performance in the Shootout, and his effort paced an easy 34-3 win in Mack Brown's inaugural matchup with OU.

Williams finished the season with an NCAA-best 2,124 yards and 27 touchdowns, winning Texas' second Stiff-Arm Trophy to cap off his tribute to Walker.

7. Former Sooner Turns Rivalry in Favor of the Horns

SS/Associated Press

A Sooner alum himself, Royal turned the rivalry back in Texas' favor.

Darrell Royal is considered the greatest coach in Longhorns history, partly because the former Sooner redefined the Red River Rivalry when he arrived at Texas in 1958.

Prior to Royal's hiring, Oklahoma dominated the Longhorns under the direction of his mentor Bud Wilkinson. Between 1948 and 1957, OU won nine of 10 over the Horns, including six a row heading into the '58 matchup.

The two-point conversion was introduced prior to Royal's second faceoff against his alma mater, and he planned to use it. Both teams went for two after their first touchdowns, though only Royal's Longhorns found success with the new post-touchdown option.

By virtue of that advantage, Texas went on to win 15-14 despite being outgained by 28 yards on the day. The Horns would go on to claim 14 of their next 15 matchups with their bitter rivals.

6. Vince Young Ends Five-Year Skid

TONY GUTIERREZ/Associated Press

Vince Young delivered with a near-perfect performance in the 2005 Red River Shootout.

The Sooners flourished in this rivalry under head coach Bob Stoops, knocking off the Horns five times in a row, starting with a 63-14 thumping in 2000 and ending in 2004 with a 12-0 shutout.

We say "ending" because Vince Young happened in 2005.

Texas' dual-threat quarterback was brutal in the '04 shutout, Texas' first in almost 300 games, totaling just 86 passing yards on 23 attempts and rushing for 54 yards on 16 carries.

He more than redeemed himself the next time around, passing for 241 yards and three touchdowns with another 45 yards on the ground in a 45-12 win. Jamaal Charles also had a standout performance, needing only nine carries to pile up 116 yards and a score of his own.

The win got King Kong off Texas' back, sparking an undefeated run to the program's third national championship.

5. McCoy Bests Bradford in Battle of Heisman Hopefuls

It seems like ages ago that there was legitimate concern Colt McCoy was the wrong quarterback for Texas. He silenced those critics with a win over the No. 1 Sooners in 2008.

Texas took punch after punch from the Sam Bradford-led Sooners, trailing twice by double digits in the first half only to answer immediately with a score of its own. McCoy continued to inch the Horns back the rest of way, taking the lead for good on an eight-play, 74-yard drive that the junior capped off with a two-point conversion for a 38-35 lead.

An insurance touchdown later, and the Longhorns were celebrating their first upset of a No. 1 Oklahoma team since 1963. McCoy led the way with 277 passing yards and a touchdown, while receiver Jordan Shipley totaled 225 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns.

The performance thrust McCoy into a loaded Heisman field and kept Texas at the forefront of the national conversation throughout the season.

4. No. 2 Texas Upends No. 1 Sooners En Route to First Title

Associated Press

Royal's upset of the rival Sooners in 1963 sparked Texas' first national title run.

Take what Texas did to the Sooners in 2005, except make Oklahoma the No. 1 team in the country and consider that the win led to the program's first national title. Your end result is the Longhorns' 28-7 victory in 1963.

The Horns absolutely pounded their opponent from start to finish, running the ball 65 times for 239 yards while holding a shutout until almost the two-minute mark in the third. In all, three Longhorns ran for touchdowns, and another trio each hauled in an interception apiece, giving their team a 68-46 edge in plays run.

Royal's team trucked its way through the rest of the schedule in similar fashion, ending with a 28-6 manhandling of Roger Staubach's Navy team for the national championship.

3. Peter Gardere Throws Game-Winner in Red River Debut

Peter Gardere is the only Longhorn quarterback to beat Oklahoma in all four tries as a starter. We should have seen it coming after his debut against Norman's finest.

Once again, Texas was in the midst of another long losing streak against the Sooners, this one for five games. There was little optimism that would change with a freshman under center against the No. 15 Sooners.

But the Longhorns came out swinging, scoring on their opening drive and taking a 20-7 lead into halftime. That lead was quickly erased by Sooners, who scored 17 unanswered points to take a 24-20 lead with under four minutes.

Despite the physical toll of taking seven sacks, Gardere rallied his team down the field in short order. When a roughing-the-passer penalty gave the Horns 1st-and-10 at the Oklahoma 25, the young passer took his shot, zipping it to receiver Johnny Walker on the post route.

Walker hauled it in, came down in the end zone and the Longhorn half of the stadium lost its collective mind.

2. The Stone Cold Stop

Now some love for the defense and nose tackle Stonie Clark, who turned in one of the most iconic goal-line stands in Longhorn history.

Up 17-10, Texas was on its heels at its own 3-yard line, trying to mount one final stand against a Sooner rushing attack that had taken control of the game. On fourth down, it was all or nothing for both teams with 43 seconds to play.

Opting for a little trickery, quarterback Garrick McGee handed off to James Allen on a reverse, who had only Clark to beat for the game-tying score. Except Clark was having no part of it, using every ounce of his 343-pound frame to de-cleat Allen just short of the goal line.

The play will live forever as "The Stone Cold Stop."

1. Third-Stringer McEachern Delivers Win over No. 2 Sooners

Both the starting quarterback and his backup go down against a bitter rival, and the third-string no-namer steps in to save the day. If it was a movie, you'd have walked out.

Mark McBath and Jon Aune each succumbed to season-ending injuries, forcing first-year Texas coach Fred Akers to turn to Randy McEachern, who had thrown only four passes in his career. That spelled bad news against the No. 2 Sooners, who were in the midst of another six-game winning streak in the Shootout.

Luckily for McEachern, he could hand it to eventual Heisman Trophy winner Earl Campbell, who was full speed ahead as a senior. The Tyler Rose dominated with 124 yards and a touchdown, while Russell Erxleben nailed field goals from 58 and 64 yards out.

Cornerback Johnnie Johnson and the defense also chipped in on the complete effort, highlighted by Johnson's pasting of OU quarterback Thomas Lott on 4th-and-1 at the goal line.

In all, McEachern managed a clean game, allowing Texas to emerge with a 13-6 victory and ride their new starter to the No. 1 ranking by season's end.