The Texas Longhorns played as if head coach Mack Brown‘s job was on the line. If that was the case, then Brown should be pretty secure as the head coach for at least one more week. Texas snapped a dismal three-game losing streak to Oklahoma with a 36-20 victory in the Red River Rivalry, giving the Longhorns even more momentum in Big 12 play. The Longhorns are now 3-0 in Big 12 play and have control of their path to a Big 12 title. Not so long ago that felt like more of a dream than a reality.
Texas executed a game plan that worked very well against Oklahoma, and perhaps having extra time to prepare for it benefitted Texas. Texas played last Thursday night at Iowa State while Oklahoma played last Saturday. Texas put up 444 yards of offense, including 254 rushing yards and the Longhorns thrived on third down conversions, ending the day with 13 third downs conversions in big spots. The defense allowed just 263 yards to the Sooners, just the first time Texas held their opponent to fewer than 346 yards this season. The team was disciplined as well, getting called for just three penalties for 15 yards compared to eight Oklahoma penalties for 63 yards.
This was exactly the game Texas needed, and not just for Brown’s job security. Few believed Texas had what it took to beat Oklahoma. Few believed Texas should even enter this weekend with a perfect Big 12 mark, considering the controversial call that went in their favor against Iowa State. A win against Kansas State meant far less than it would have a year ago, and the images of BYU gashing Texas on defense still linger. But all of that is behind them now, because Texas played well on offense,defense and special teams. The coaching was brilliant on this afternoon, a welcomed change for Longhorn fans suffering from past editions of the Red River Rivalry.
There are still some questions about this team moving forward, but slowly but surely Texas may be answering them as this season unfolds. As you might expect, Brown is not worried about what this game means for his future.
“I’m not worried about that, we’ll worry about TCU,” Brown said in a postgame interview.
Texas visits TCU next weekend to get their second half of the season underway. The second half includes three road games, highlighted by the season finale at Baylor on December 7. After next weekend’s game against the Horned Frogs, Texas may get their toughest challenges before Baylor at home, with Oklahoma State and Texas Tech visiting Austin in November. Entering this weekend, the Cowboys and Red Raiders were ranked in the top 25.
Time will tell how this season continues to develop for the Longhorns, but for one afternoon at the Texas State Fair, all was good and that’s all that matters.