Oklahoma vs. Texas: Game Grades, Analysis for Sooners and Longhorns
The Texas Longhorns finally found some life.
Down and counted out all week, Charlie Strong's team was all over the No. 10 Oklahoma Sooners, taking the Red River Rivalry crown by a 24-17 margin.
Texas' defense, which gave up 50 points to TCU last week, was the story of this one. The Horns pounded Baker Mayfield all afternoon, sacking the Sooner quarterback six times. Mayfield showed well with 211 passing yards and a touchdown, but he had to work for every inch.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
On offense, it was all about the run game for Texas. The Horns threw only 12 passes; instead, they ran right at the Sooners 58 times for 313 yards. D'Onta Foreman and quarterback Jerrod Heard led the way, combining for 232 yards on 30 carries.
This team has a lot of work to do, but Strong's seat just got a lot cooler in Austin.
| Passing Offense | D- | B |
| Rushing Offense | D | C- |
| Passing Defense | C | B |
| Rushing Defense | F | F |
| Special Teams | F | F |
| Coaching | F | F |
Grade Analysis for the Sooners
Passing Offense
Mayfield played a really tough game, shaking off multiple big hits to keep the Sooners in the game. However, his offensive line was terrible from the start and was actually tipping plays for most of the day. This group can expect to see a lot of blitzes moving forward. SB Nation CFB posed a "play-at-home" question for fans, asking whether the Sooners would run or pass during the rivalry matchup:
Rushing Offense
Samaje Perine was good when he got a chance, which wasn't often. His 14-yard scamper on a fourth-quarter 3rd-and-11 saved the team from a double-digit loss. He and Joe Mixon should never combine for less than 20 carries.
Overall, the 37 rushes for 67 yards was a brutal showing due to Mayfield's sack yardage.
Passing Defense
Texas stayed away from the pass all day, but this group did a decent job pressuring Heard when he did try to throw. When they didn't get to him, he easily broke contain and broke off big chunks of yardage.
Rushing Defense
When you give up 313 yards on 58 carries, you fail. Texas came out and punched the Sooners in the mouth from the onset, never letting up. This defense just didn't feel like tackling all day.
Special Teams
Alex Ross' fumble, the game's only turnover, after Texas' first score is probably the difference in this game. The Longhorns turned that into a touchdown to grab a 14-point lead, which allowed them to stick to the run and play with a lead all game.
Coaching
You're kidding right, Bob Stoops? Prior to this game, Texas had scored seven points in five quarters and recorded seven sacks all year. The Horns put up 14 in the first frame alone and piled on six sacks in this one, in large part due to the fact that the linemen were tipping plays. Coach Stoops admitted that the Longhorns simply outplayed his team (via Brian Davis of the Austin American-Statesman):
When you're much more talented than your opponent, which the Sooners still are, you have to get the job done. This team wasn't interested in doing that, and this coaching staff shoulders the blame for that failure.
| Passing Offense | C | C |
| Rushing Offense | A+ | A+ |
| Passing Defense | A | A |
| Rushing Defense | A+ | B |
| Special Teams | A | A |
| Coaching | A | A+ |
Grade Analysis for the Longhorns
Passing Offense
Nothing really to judge here, as the big "pass" of the day was a forward handoff to Marcus Johnson for the touchdown. Tyrone Swoopes also lobbed an easy touchdown to Caleb Bluiett to help put the Horns up 24-10.
Rushing Offense
This was a complete effort from the Longhorns. The running backs ran tough, Heard did a great job finding space and the blocking was outstanding. Speaking of great job, Foreman had an impressive 81-yard run, his longest of the day, which the Big 12 Conference highlighted:
Heard and Foreman were both over 100 yards, each for the second time this season. Foreman's 81-yarder from inside the Texas 10-yard line should go down as the play of the season, as it set up the touchdown that wound up being the deciding score.
Passing Defense
Where has this been? The Longhorns almost doubled their season-long total with six sacks of Baker Mayfield, including freshman Malik Jefferson's two-sack performance. The two takedowns on Oklahoma's final drive sealed the Horns upset. Courtesy of ESPN, Lone Star Radio noted the Horns' six-sack performance, breaking down the individual sack stats:
Coverage continues to be spotty, especially from the upperclassmen, but it got the job done.
Rushing Defense
The Sooners bailed out the Horns by refusing to run Perine and Mixon, especially when Hassan Ridgeway left the game. To give credit where it's due, the entire team stepped it up in the tackling department, playing with a real edge all day.
Special Teams
Kevin Vaccaro's forced fumble on Ross ended up being the difference in the game, and coverage was excellent. DeShon Elliott delivered some big hits in his debut.
The kicking game was the best it's been in weeks, though Nick Rose looked really shaky on his 27-yard field goal. Perhaps freshman punter Michael Dickson is finally figuring it out.
Coaching
You can't say enough about the job this staff did. With the youth, locker-room issues and outside noise pointing toward a blowout, Strong got his team ready to fight. The Longhorns delivered and got him the signature win he needed over a Top 10 team. Malik Jefferson commented on the "special relationship" Coach Strong has with his players (via Sean Adams of InsideTexas.com):
It never should have been in serious question, but this victory will keep Strong safe for the rest of the year. His guys laid it out there for him, and the young players looked really good once again. He deserved a win like this.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
