DALLAS — The Texas State Fair was already roaring when Oklahoma and Texas took the field Saturday afternoon, but the tone of this Red River Rivalry was set almost immediately — and not by points.
Texas got the ball first and confidently went for it on fourth-and-short near midfield. Oklahoma’s defense stuffed it. The Sooners took over, marched down the field, and then returned the favor by going for it themselves on fourth down — only to come up just short.
Two statements. No scoreboard movement. And from that moment on, the game belonged entirely to Oklahoma.
Sixteen seconds later, it was Taylor Tatum crossing the goal line.
“Those first few minutes told me everything I needed to know,” Coach Lovie Mahawg said afterward. “Both teams showed their hand. We showed ours was stronger.”
Early Control, Immediate Pressure
After Oklahoma’s opening gamble failed, the Sooners pinned Texas deep. The defense forced a quick stop, and with just 0:16 remaining in the first quarter, Tatum powered in from three yards out to give Oklahoma a 7–0 lead.
That score wasn’t explosive — it was inevitable.
The second quarter followed the same script. Oklahoma leaned on its run game, dominated the line of scrimmage, and capped another drive with a five-yard Tatum touchdown run at 3:21.
“You don’t beat Texas by being fancy,” Mahawg said. “You beat them by making every yard hurt.”
By halftime, Oklahoma led 14–0, and Texas had managed virtually nothing on the ground.
Defense Turns Ruthless
If the offense was efficient, the defense was punishing.
Texas finished the afternoon with seven rushing yards on 22 carries — a number that will live in rivalry lore. Oklahoma recorded six sacks and 21 tackles for loss, collapsing the pocket repeatedly and never allowing Texas to establish rhythm.
Defensive tackle David Stone delivered one of the most dominant individual performances of the Mahawg era: six tackles, five tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks.
“Stone didn’t disrupt plays,” Mahawg said. “He erased them.”
Linebacker Callum Thomas added a sack, two tackles for loss, and an interception, while James Nesta and free safety Edward Garcia also picked off Texas quarterbacks.
One interception came from Michael Hawkins Jr., the former Oklahoma quarterback who transferred to Texas and entered the game for a single snap.
Mahawg didn’t gloat.
“Football remembers,” he said quietly. “It always does.”
Putting It Away the Hard Way
The third quarter opened with Oklahoma doing what it had done all day — leaning on Tatum. He punched in his third rushing touchdown from a yard out with 0:43 left in the quarter, pushing the lead to 21–0.
Texas finally broke through moments later with an 83-yard touchdown pass, the only real lapse Oklahoma suffered all afternoon.
“You play defense like that all day, one snap’s gonna leak,” Mahawg said. “We fixed it.”
Oklahoma responded by tightening the screws. A 19-yard Liam Evans field goal and a one-yard Braylen Russell touchdown run in the fourth quarter sealed the outcome.
Despite throwing two interceptions, Jake Wakefield managed the game exactly as his coach demanded — completing 19 of 27 passes for 197 yards, taking no unnecessary risks, and keeping Texas on its heels.
“Jake didn’t chase highlights,” Mahawg said. “He chased control.”
What It Means
Oklahoma outgained Texas, dominated possession, and turned one of college football’s biggest stages into a trench war Texas never had a chance to win.
“This rivalry’s about toughness,” Mahawg said. “Always has been. Always will be.”
With Georgia falling earlier in the day, the Sooners emerge as the new No. 1 team in the country, undefeated and firmly in command of the Big 12 race.
Next up is another brief pause before the grind resumes — but Mahawg isn’t interested in rankings or narratives.
“Polls don’t block,” he said. “We’ll keep earning everything.”
On a sunny afternoon at the State Fair, Oklahoma didn’t just beat Texas.
They took the game over, snap by snap — and reminded everyone exactly who owns Red River.
OU Didn't Know? 
Leave a comment