Texas Football: 5 Keys to the Game vs. Oklahoma

In the 107th Red River Rivalry, the Longhorns and Sooners will go at it as top-15 teams Saturday morning at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.

No. 13 Oklahoma (3-1, 1-1) comes off its confident win over Texas Tech, winning in Lubbock 41-20 to pick up its first Big 12 win of the season.

No. 15 Texas (4-1, 1-1) goes into the weekend following a tough loss to West Virginia 48-45 in Austin.

With a two-loss record awaiting the loser and a position likely outside of the Big 12 title race, a win is that much more important.

A still-young Texas will have something to prove following its disappointing defeat last weekend.

Here are five keys to beating the Sooners.

Stop the Run

The history of this rivalry has seen the team that stops the run win a vast majority of the time.

We all know that Texas is a very capable team on the ground, but against the Mountaineers, the Longhorns looked incapable of bringing down Andrew Buie, who racked up 207 yards on the night.

Oklahoma's Damien Williams and Dominique Whaley have impressed in spurts this season, and controlling their exploits will be critical in squeezing the Sooners' offense.

When Kansas State left Norman with a 24-19 win, the Wildcats held Oklahoma to just 88 net rushing yards.

The formula is there, but stopping the run is only one ingredient.

Win the Turnover Battle

Texas has done very well in securing a positive turnover ratio and turning those takeaways into points, creating instant shifts in momentum.

We saw that against West Virginia in multiple phases, including special teams, and it helped weather the storm that was the Mountaineers' offense.

If the Longhorns continue to build on their +7 turnover ratio, they will have put themselves in a strong position to come away with a win in Dallas.

Tackle

As simple a concept it is, the Longhorns have suffered greatly in this area, and it has served as a the catalyst for a number of big plays allowed on defense.

With Oklahoma sporting a receivers corps that features a handful of very serviceable talents, including Kenny Stills and Justin Brown, Texas simply cannot afford to have them, or any other Sooners ball-carrier, to break loose on a long run because of missed tackles.

It has plagued them before, and there was constant talk it being fixable. But the Longhorns are five games into the season, and there has been no evidence of a remedy.

Be Big in the Trenches

Controlling the line of scrimmage on both sides of the football means control of the game.

Offensively, it means that the running game will be powerful and the passing game will be effective. When David Ash has had time to make his reads, the scheme of the offense will fold into itself for production.

Defensively, it means disruption for Oklahoma's offense. We have seen Alex Okafor and Jackson Jeffcoat impose their wills along the edges, and their presences will be invaluable against a solid offensive unit.

Big Play from Special Teams

Texas has fed on some blocked kicks and punts this season, big plays that have evaded the Longhorns for some time.

Make no mistake, the Longhorns' special teams are getting after it in coverage by pinning their ears back and making plays with a controlled and powerful approach.

A blocked punt or kick on Saturday could signal a shift in momentum and provide a scoring opportunity that can change the direction of the game.

Additionally, the potency of Marquise Goodwin and D.J. Monroe can hardly be ignored in the return game.

Those plays are piling up, and the Horns look threatening for more.