Red River Rivalry
Encyclopedia
| Oklahoma Sooners - Texas Longhorns | |
|---|---|
The Red River Rivalry, commonly known as the OU-Texas Game or Texas-OU Game, is an American college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
rivalry
College rivalry
Pairs of schools, colleges and universities, especially when they are close to each other either geographically or in their areas of specialization, often establish a college rivalry with each other over the years. This rivalry can extend to both academics and athletics, the latter being typically...
game played annually by the Oklahoma Sooners football
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
team of the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
and the Texas Longhorns football
Texas Longhorns football
The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National...
team of the University of Texas
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
. The series is considered one of the major rivalries in NCAA football. Both schools consider the game to be one of their biggest rivalries, alongside their in-state rivalries with the Texas A&M Aggies
Texas A&M Aggies
Texas A&M Aggies refers to the students, graduates, and sports teams of Texas A&M University. The nickname "Aggie" is common at land-grant or "Ag" schools in many states. The teams compete in Division I of NCAA sports...
, for the Longhorns (the Lone Star Showdown) and the Oklahoma State Cowboys
Oklahoma State Cowboys
Oklahoma State Cowboys are the athletic teams that represent Oklahoma State University. Their mascot is a cowboy named Pistol Pete. Oklahoma State participates in the NCAA's Division I-A and in the Big 12 Conference's South Division. The university's current athletic director is Mike Holder...
, for the Sooners (the Bedlam Series
Bedlam Series
The Bedlam Series refers to the athletics rivalry between the University of Oklahoma Sooners and the Oklahoma State University Cowboys, of the Big 12 Conference...
). The name is derived from the Red River
Red River (Mississippi watershed)
The Red River, or sometimes the Red River of the South, is a major tributary of the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers in the southern United States of America. The river gains its name from the red-bed country of its watershed. It is one of several rivers with that name...
that forms part of the boundary between the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
s of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
. The game originated in 1900, while Oklahoma was still a United States territory
United States territory
United States territory is any extent of region under the jurisdiction of the federal government of the United States, including all waters including all U.S. Naval carriers. The United States has traditionally proclaimed the sovereign rights for exploring, exploiting, conserving, and managing its...
and the Oklahoma campus was still in Oklahoma Territory
Oklahoma Territory
The Territory of Oklahoma was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 2, 1890, until November 16, 1907, when it was joined with the Indian Territory under a new constitution and admitted to the Union as the State of Oklahoma.-Organization:Oklahoma Territory's...
. Until the 2005 meeting, the 100th meeting between the schools, the game was called the Red River Shootout. In 2005 it was sponsored by SBC Communications, and the game was officially renamed the SBC Red River Rivalry, with the word "Rivalry" replacing "Shootout" out of a desire not to convey an attitude of condoning gun violence. Since 2006, with SBC's merger with AT&T
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
, the game is referred to as the AT&T Red River Rivalry. The term Red River Shootout or Red River Rivalry is also sometimes applied to meetings between the two schools in sports other than football.
The game typically has conference or even national significance. Since 1945, one or both of the two teams has been ranked among the top 25 teams in the nation coming into 61 out of 66 games. Texas leads the all-time series 59–42–5, with a 47–38–4 edge in Dallas. Since 1945, considered the post-war era, the series is very close with Texas holding a three-win lead, 33-31-3. Six of the last ten showings featured one of the participants in the Bowl Championship Series
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
National Championship Game (2000, 2003–2005, and 2008–2009), including national titles won by Oklahoma in 2000
2000 Oklahoma Sooners football team
The 2000 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the college football season of 2000-2001. This season was Bob Stoops's second as head coach. The Sooners finished with a 13-0 record winning the Big 12 Conference and the national championship, the seventh national...
and by Texas in 2005
2005 Texas Longhorn football team
The 2005 Texas Longhorn football team represented the University of Texas at Austin during the 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season, winning the Big 12 Conference championship and the national championship. The team was coached by Mack Brown, led on offense by quarterback Vince Young, and played...
. In 2005, the Dallas Morning News asked the 119 Division 1A football coaches to identify the top rivalry game
Sports rivalry
A sports rivalry is intense competition between athletic teams or athletes. This pressure of competition is felt by players, coaches, and management, but is perhaps felt strongest by the fans. The intensity of the rivalry varies from a friendly competition on one end to serious violence on the...
in college football. The Red River Rivalry ranked first, ahead of Michigan-Ohio State, Alabama-Auburn
Iron Bowl
The Iron Bowl is an American college football rivalry game played annually by the Alabama Crimson Tide football team of the University of Alabama and the Auburn Tigers football team of Auburn University. The series is considered one of the best and most hard-fought rivalries in all of sports...
and Army-Navy.
Atmosphere
A unique attribute is that ticket sales for the game are equally divided between the two schools, and the Sooner and Longhorn fans are split on the 50-yard line. This creates extraordinary game dynamics, because half of the stadium crowd is simultaneously happy and unhappy depending on the circumstances.There are three Red River Shootout trophies
Red River Shootout trophies
There are three Red River Shootout trophies given to the winner of the annual Red River Shootout which is a college football rivalry game between The University of Texas Longhorns and the University of Oklahoma Sooners. The trophies are the Golden Hat, the Red River Rivalry trophy and the...
exchanged based on the outcome of the game. The best known of these is the Golden Hat
Golden hat
Golden hats are a very specific and rare type of archaeological artefact from Bronze Age Central Europe. So far, four such objects are known...
, which is, appropriately, a gold ten-gallon hat
Cowboy hat
The cowboy hat is a high-crowned, wide-brimmed hat best known as the defining piece of attire for the North American cowboy. Today it is worn by many people, and is particularly associated with ranch workers in the western and southern United States, western Canada and northern Mexico, with...
, formerly of bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
. The trophy is kept by the winning school's athletic department until the next year. A newer trophy, the Red River Rivalry trophy, has been exchanged between the two student governments since 2003. The governor of Texas
Governor of Texas
The governor of Texas is the head of the executive branch of Texas's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Texas Legislature, and to convene the legislature...
and governor of Oklahoma
Governor of Oklahoma
The governor of the state of Oklahoma is the head of state for the state of Oklahoma, United States. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma...
also exchange the Governors' trophy and often place a bet on the game such as the losing governor
Governor (United States)
In the United States, the title governor refers to the chief executive of each state or insular territory, not directly subordinate to the federal authorities, but the political and ceremonial head of the state.-Role and powers:...
having to present a side of beef
Beef
Beef is the culinary name for meat from bovines, especially domestic cattle. Beef can be harvested from cows, bulls, heifers or steers. It is one of the principal meats used in the cuisine of the Middle East , Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Europe and the United States, and is also important in...
to the winning governor, who then typically donates the winnings to charity.
Another annual tradition is the running of game balls by the schools' Reserve Officers' Training Corps
Reserve Officers' Training Corps
The Reserve Officers' Training Corps is a college-based, officer commissioning program, predominantly in the United States. It is designed as a college elective that focuses on leadership development, problem solving, strategic planning, and professional ethics.The U.S...
programs. Each school's ROTC program uses a relay running system to run one game ball all the way from their respective campus to Dallas. Once there, they participate against each other in a football scrimmage, with the winner taking home a rivalry trophy and bragging rights.
For both teams, the rivalry is bitterly emotional and territorial in nature relating to the two states' close proximity, past border disputes and economic and cultural differences. Also, because many players on the Oklahoma football team are from the state of Texas, some Texans refer to OU as "The University of Texas at Norman." Oklahomans, who don't think that having Texans on their team is a negative reflection on the state of Oklahoma, and if anything, believe it's the reverse, frequently counter by referring to Texas as "Baja Oklahoma".
Venue
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
and Norman, Oklahoma
Norman, Oklahoma
Norman is a city in Cleveland County, Oklahoma, United States, and is located south of downtown Oklahoma City. It is part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, Norman was to have 110,925 full-time residents, making it the third-largest city in Oklahoma and the...
— the locations of UT and OU, respectively. This also provides both teams an opportunity to showcase themselves for DFW Metroplex-based alumni and potential high-school recruits of both teams.
Since 1932 the game has been held at the Cotton Bowl
Cotton Bowl (stadium)
The Cotton Bowl is a stadium which opened in 1929 and became known as "The House That Doak Built" due to the immense crowds that former SMU running back Doak Walker drew to the stadium during his college career in the late 1940s. Originally known as Fair Park Stadium, it is located in Fair Park,...
in Dallas, during the State Fair of Texas
State Fair of Texas
The State Fair of Texas is an annual state fair held in Dallas, Texas . The fair season usually begins the last Friday in September and ends 24 days later. The fair is held at the historic Fair Park where it has been held since 1886. The 2012 State Fair of Texas will run from September 28th...
. The designated "home" team alternates from year to year, and ticket sales for the game are split 50–50 between the two schools, with the stadium divided along the 50 yard line. Historically, the Oklahoma fans have occupied the south end zone, which contains the tunnel where both teams enter and exit the field. Beginning in 2007, the teams will have the option to alternate North and South ends of the field, thereby giving the home team fans the seats adjacent to the tunnel leading to both teams' locker rooms. However, Texas declined to exercise its option to move to the south end in 2007 or in 2009.
Officials at both universities had indicated that soon the game may be rotated between each campus because they prefer a venue with more seats, which would mean more revenue — the Cotton Bowl then seated just 68,252; the Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium
Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium
-Major Expansions and Renovations:*1926 - "Horseshoe" built on the north end for US$125,000 raising capacity to 40,500*1948 - Two L-shaped sections added to the east and west stands, raising seating capacity to 60,130. General contractor for this work was Farnsworth & Chambers Inc...
seated 94,113 (but has subsequently been expanded to 101,000 and will soon be expanded further, and the Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
The Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium is the on-campus football facility for the University of Oklahoma Sooners in Norman, Oklahoma. The official capacity of the stadium, following recent renovations, is 82,112, making it the 16th largest college stadium in the United States and the third...
holds 82,112. Additionally, the Cotton Bowl has no luxury suites, is cramped, has narrow seats and its plumbing can be faulty. Renovations to the stadium, however, were completed shortly before the 2008 match solving many of these problems.
To ensure that the game — which produces about $17 million annually for local businesses — stays in Dallas, Dallas mayor Laura Miller
Laura Miller
Laura Miller served as mayor of Dallas, Texas from 2002 through 2007. She did not run for re-election in the 2007 mayoral race. She was the third woman to serve as mayor of Dallas.- Education and career :...
supported a bond referendum to pay for more expansion and renovation at the Cotton Bowl. Additionally, the governing board of the State Fair engaged a consultant to prepare plans for a complete renovation. In November 2006, Dallas voters passed a $30 million bond issue for improvements to the stadium in addition to $20 million to come from the city and the State Fair of Texas.
Texas and Oklahoma agreed in 2006 to keep their game at the Cotton Bowl through 2010, but the future of the series remained in doubt. In February 2007, the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic announced it would move to Cowboys Stadium in Arlington
Arlington, Texas
Arlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas within the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. According to the 2010 census results, the city had a population of 365,438, making it the third largest municipality in the Metroplex...
in 2010. The game receives a subsidy of $700,000 from the city of Dallas, which will end when the game moves out of Dallas.
In April 2007, Miller announced that Texas and Oklahoma have agreed to keep the game at Fair Park through 2015. The deal increases payouts to the two schools from $250,000 to $850,000, funded in part by the savings from the end of the Cotton Bowl Classic's grant. The stadium has now been renovated with a new video scoreboard, new seats, and many other improvements. Its capacity has been increased to more than 90,000 due to the addition of surrounding upper decks in both end zones.
Game results
Rankings based on the Associated Press PollAP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
released prior to the game.
|}
1900–1990
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
. At that time, the Texas team was typically called "Varsity". The write-up in the Austin American-Statesman
Austin American-Statesman
The Austin American-Statesman is the major daily newspaper for Austin, the capital city of Texas. It is an award-winning publication owned by Cox Enterprises. The Newspaper places focus on issues affecting Austin and the Central Texas region....
article referred to the game as a "practice game". The paper reported:
The game of football yesterday afternoon at the Varsity athletic field was an interesting contrast, notwithstanding the rather one-sided score of 28–2 in favor of the Varsity.
The Oklahoma men played a very good game, but they had weak points and the Varsity men found this out, and proceeded to take advantage of them. For instance, the visitors' tackles and ends were weak, and the Varsity men made most of their gains through these men. Their guards and center, though, were stiff enough, and the Varsity's attack at these points never netted large gains, and were frequently futile.
While Oklahoma should be given credit for the stiffness of her center trio, the fact that the Varsity backs made but small headway at these points is partly due to the Varsity backs themselves. They had not the life and dash that is necessary to successful line plunging, and they failed to heed Coach Thompson's oft repeated admonition to hit the line low and with speed, and the consequence was that when they got to the line they did not have the necessary momentum to plunge on through.
This was the case, notwithstanding the fact that the men are coached to play a good distance behind the line, so that they can get up speed by the time they reach it.
In 1958, Texas defeated Oklahoma by one point, breaking OU's series dominance of the 1950s. The game was notable in that UT coach Darrell Royal had 10 years earlier been the quarterback for the Oklahoma Sooners. Royal defeated his former coach and mentor Bud Wilkinson in the game. Wilkinson would lose to Texas the next five years before retiring in 1963.
In 1976, the game was overshadowed by allegations by Texas coach Darrell Royal that Oklahoma had been spying on his practices. A claim that was later confirmed in OU Coach Barry Switzer's book, Bootlegger's Boy. Royal and Switzer (who was 3–0 against Texas as a head coach coming into this game) were involved in a serious feud at the time. The 1976 game was attended by then-U.S. President Gerald Ford. Ford made an appearance with Royal and Switzer before the game. Switzer and Royal both spoke to Ford but not to each other. The game ended in a 6–6 tie. It was Royal's final Red River Shootout.
In the 1977 game, Texas lost both their starting and backup quarterbacks in the first half. Yet, behind the power running of eventual Heisman Trophy winner Earl Campbell, a strong defense led by cornerback Al "Oatmeal" Edwards, and the unheralded composure of third-string-quarterback Randy McEachern, the Horns prevailed 13–6.
In a rain-soaked 1984 game, Texas entered the game ranked #1, Oklahoma #3 (#2 in some polls). OU coach Barry Switzer wore a ballcap during the game that read "Beat Texas." This game also marked the only time that future UT head coach Mack Brown participated in the Red River Shootout not as a Texas Longhorn (Brown was OU's offensive coordinator). Texas jumped to a 10–0 halftime lead but OU rallied to lead 15–12 in the game's closing seconds. With 10 seconds remaining, trailing by 3, Texas was driving and was within field goal range but decided to take one more shot at the end zone. Texas QB (and future North Texas head coach) Todd Dodge appeared (in replays) to be intercepted in the end zone by OU's Keith Stanberry, but the officials ruled it incomplete. Texas's Jeff Ward subsequently kicked a field goal and the game ended in a 15–15 tie.
1994
Texas 17–Oklahoma 10Stoney Clark's "Stone Cold Stop". Oklahoma drove into the red zone at the end of the game, looking to tie the score. Texas defensive lineman Stoney Clark stopped Oklahoma runningback James Allen at the 1 on fourth down to end the game.
1996
Oklahoma 30–Texas 27Oklahoma wins in overtime
The first Big 12 Conference overtime game, the 1996 meeting featured a John Blake
John Blake (American football)
-External links:...
squad under the direction of freshman quarterback Justin Fuente. The game saw an amazing come from behind victory in the final seven minutes. Jarrail Jackson returned a punt 51 yards for a Touchdown, then Fuente completed a 2-point conversion pass to Stephen Alexander
Stephen Alexander
Stephen Todd Alexander is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. He was originally drafted by the Washington Redskins in the second round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Oklahoma.Alexander was selected to the Pro Bowl while with the Redskins in 2000...
to cut the lead to 24–21. The Sooners forced the Longhorns to punt, and drove to the Texas 28. Jeremy Alexander kicked a 44-yard field goal to tie the game at 24.
In overtime, Texas was forced to settle for a 43-yard Phil Dawson field goal, after losing 1 yard on three plays. Lining up at the Texas 25, James Allen
James Allen (running back)
James Allen is a former American football running back for the Chicago Bears, rushing for over 1100 yards in 2000, before being displaced as starter by Anthony Thomas. He caught a Hail Mary pass from Shane Matthews that was tipped by David Terrell to tie a game against the Cleveland Browns in...
broke a ten-yard run, carried for two and three yards, then caught an 8-yard screen pass from Fuente on 3rd and 5 from the 10. On the next play, Allen took a pitch from Fuente two yards into the endzone, doing what he was unable to do two years before.
2000
Oklahoma 63–Texas 14Griffin sets Oklahoma record for touchdowns in a game
The 2000 game was marked by rain and 49-degree weather, but it ended up being noted for bringing the most lopsided margin of victory in the history of the match-up (at that time; Oklahoma would top its feat three years later). Oklahoma came into the game ranked 10th, with Texas ranked 11th. This was the highest combined rankings of the teams since 1984. The Sooners got up to a 42 point lead before Texas was able to prevent the shut-out, and Oklahoma won the game 63–14. OU also held Texas to minus-7 yards rushing, an all-time regular-season low for the Longhorns.
Longhorn coach Mack Brown
Mack Brown
William Mack Brown is head coach of The University of Texas at Austin Longhorn football team.Prior to his head coach position at Texas, Brown was head coach at Appalachian State, Tulane, and North Carolina. Brown is credited with revitalizing the Texas and North Carolina football programs...
said "It wasn't even a game because we did not play in the first half." Sooner coach Bob Stoops
Bob Stoops
Robert Anthony "Bob" Stoops is the head coach of the University of Oklahoma football team. During the 2000 season, Stoops led the Sooners to an Orange Bowl victory and a national championship....
said, "This was a total team victory, everybody made plays. ...We had a little bit of everything." Stoops improved his record vs the Longhorns to 1 win, 1 loss as a result of the game.
Sooner running back Quentin Griffin
Quentin Griffin
Quentin LaVell Griffin is an American football running back.-Early years:Griffin started his football career as a youth playing in the Humble Area Football League.-High school:Griffin starred at Nimitz High School in Houston....
scored six touchdowns, tying the all-time NCAA record for most rushing touchdowns in a game. Oklahoma went on to an undefeated season, and won the 2000 National Championship.
2001
Oklahoma 14–Texas 3Roy Williams and the play
The 2001 game was a classic defensive struggle that will be forever remembered for one incredible play late in the 4th quarter.
Both the Sooners' and the Longhorns' defenses were outstanding, holding their counterparts to less than 100 yards rushing for the entire game. When either offense could muster any momentum, they were often let down by their kicker-OU's Tim Duncan missed two field goals and UT's Dusty Mangum had one blocked.
OU led 7–3 at the half on a Quentin Griffin 2-yard touchdown in the second quarter. That score held until late in the fourth quarter.
The Sooners got the ball with just over eight minutes to play on their own 20-yard line, and put together a 12-play, 53-yard drive that took them all the way to the Texas 27-yard line. Facing a 4th & 16, OU sent out Tim Duncan for what appeared to be a 44-yard FG attempt. Instead, Duncan sent a pooch punt deep into the Texas zone, which caught UT's Nathan Vasher
Nathan Vasher
Nathaniel DeWayne Vasher is an American football cornerback who is currently a free agent in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft...
off guard. Confused, Vasher caught the ball at his own 3-yard line and was immediately downed.
Down 7–3, Texas had 2:06 to drive 97 yards on the stiff Sooner defense. On first down, Texas quarterback Chris Simms
Chris Simms
Christopher David Simms is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas.Simms has also played for the Denver Broncos and Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
' pass was deflected by OU safety Roy Williams
Roy Williams (safety)
Roy Lee Williams is a retired American football safety. He played college football at Oklahoma before he was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys eighth overall in the 2002 NFL Draft. He spent seven seasons with the Cowboys and earned five straight Pro Bowl selections from 2003–2007...
, who had blitzed and literally leapt over blocker, Brett Robin, to collide with Simms at the moment he released the ball. The ball landed right in OU linebacker Teddy Lehman
Teddy Lehman
Teddy Lehman is an American football linebacker for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft...
's hands, who walked into the endzone for a touchdown. The play happened so fast, many fans did not know exactly what had happened. The play by Williams is often called "The Superman Play" because of the way that Williams resembled Superman flying through the air with his arms stretched out at Chris Simms when he hit him. Duncan's extra point sealed the 14–3 OU victory.
2005
Texas 45–Oklahoma 12Texas beats Oklahoma to break five-year skid
The 2005 game was the 100th meeting in the series
2005 Oklahoma vs. Texas football game
The 2005 Oklahoma vs. Texas football game, played October 8, 2005, was the 100th meeting between the University of Oklahoma and The University of Texas at Austin in a college football game. The annual game between the Texas Longhorns and the Oklahoma Sooners is called the Red River Shootout...
and a special logo was created to commemorate the event. The game logo included both team logos as well as the logo of the sponsor for that game, SBC communications, as well as the number 100. Prior to the game, the Longhorns were ranked 2nd by the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, and the Sooners were unranked for the first time since 1999, which was also Texas's last victory over OU.
By breaking the string of five consecutive losses to Oklahoma, Longhorn coach Mack Brown preserved the Longhorns's National Championship hopes. With the win, Texas tied its largest margin of victory in the series. Freshman running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Jamaal Charles
Jamaal Charles
Jamaal RaShaad Jones Charles is an American football running back for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chiefs in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
set a record for rushing yards by a Texas freshman in the series. With his 80-yard scamper, Charles also had the longest touchdown from scrimmage by a Texas running back in the series.
The game also featured one of the most violent hits in the series history, when Texas DE, Brian Robison
Brian Robison
Brian Gale Robison is an American football defensive end for the Minnesota Vikings. He played college football for the Texas Longhorns...
, blindsided Oklahoma quarterback, Rhett Bomar
Rhett Bomar
Rhett Matthew Bomar is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL Draft...
, in the 4th quarter, causing a fumble and ensuing touchdown by Longhorn tackle, Rodrique Wright
Rodrique Wright
Rodrique Charles Wright is an American football defensive end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
.
As had occurred the two seasons prior, the road to the National Championship game went through Dallas. Oklahoma left the game with a 1-1 conference record and a 2–3 record overall, finishing with a 6–2 conference and 8–4 overall record, including a victory in the Holiday Bowl
Holiday Bowl
The Holiday Bowl is a post-season NCAA-sanctioned Division I-A college football bowl game that has been played annually at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California, since 1978. Beginning with the 2010 playing the bowl will officially be known as the Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl after...
. The Longhorns improved to 5–0 overall, 2–0 in the Big 12 on their way to an 8–0 conference, 13–0 overall record, including a victory in the Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl Game
The Rose Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game, usually played on January 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on Monday, January 2...
and the 2005 football National Championship.
2007
Oklahoma 28, Texas 21The 2007 match-up between Oklahoma and Texas was predicted to be the #3 game to watch in 2007 by SI.com's "Top 20 Games To Watch In 2007" list, and it did not disappoint. The game was close from start to finish as the Sooners struck first with a quick touchdown pass to TE Jermaine Gresham. QB Colt McCoy's passing attack responded quickly to tie the game for the 'Horns, then again to take a lead, particularly off the efforts of TE Jermichael Finley. The Sooners were able to tie the score going into the half off of another Sam Bradford
Sam Bradford
Samuel Jacob "Sam" Bradford is an American football quarterback for the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League. He was the first overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, and played college football at Oklahoma. In 2008, as a redshirt sophomore, Bradford became the second sophomore to win a...
-to-Jermaine Gresham connection. The Longhorns were able to get into the red zone at the beginning of the second half, but a costly fumble by RB Jamaal Charles at the 5-yard line cut short the momentum. A few series later, RB DeMarco Murray ripped off a 65-yard TD run to give the Sooners a 21–14 lead. The 'Horns did not take this lying down, as they were able to score soon thereafter. The Oklahoma passing attack scored the final touchdown of the game about ten minutes from the end of the game, with a 35 yard touchdown pass to WR Malcolm Kelly from Bradford. The 'Horns threatened twice in the final waning minutes, as it took a CB Reggie Smith interception and defensive play against star WR Limas Sweed to secure the win for Oklahoma.
2008
Texas 45, Oklahoma 35The 2008 Meeting of the Red River Rivalry was a major one. Oklahoma
2008 Oklahoma Sooners football team
The 2008 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the college football season of 2008-2009. It was the 114th year of season play for the Sooners. The team was led by head coach Bob Stoops, a two-time Walter Camp Coach of the Year award winner, who has a contract...
ranked #1 in the nation and Texas
2008 Texas Longhorn football team
The 2008 Texas Longhorn football team represented the University of Texas at Austin in the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Mack Brown, who has a contract lasting through the 2016 season...
was ranked #5. Both were 5-0 coming into the game. In the first quarter, Bradford completed a 5 yard touchdown pass to Manuel Johnson. The Sooners led 7-0. With 6:41 left in the first quarter, Texas answered with a Hunter Lawrence 26 yard field goal. OU scored 2 touchdowns in the second quarter and Texas scored two touchdowns and a field goal including a 96 yard kickoff return by Jordan Shipley. The score at the half was 21-20 OU.
Texas ended up winning this 103rd meeting, 45–35. It was the highest scoring event in the history of rivalry, and it was seen by the most fans, a record 92,182.
2009
Texas 16, Oklahoma 13In a low scoring game, Texas scored only one touchdown and three field goals, while OU scored one touchdown and two field goals.
Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford
Sam Bradford
Samuel Jacob "Sam" Bradford is an American football quarterback for the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League. He was the first overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, and played college football at Oklahoma. In 2008, as a redshirt sophomore, Bradford became the second sophomore to win a...
had injured his shoulder earlier in the year when playing the BYU Cougars
BYU Cougars
BYU Cougars is an American soccer team based in Provo, Utah, United States. The team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference....
, at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, TX. Despite this injury, Bradford started in the 2009 Red River Rivalry confident that his shoulder was healed. However, early in the first quarter a sack by Aaron Williams re-aggravated his injury, and forced him out of the game.
Texas quarterback Colt McCoy
Colt McCoy
Daniel "Colt" McCoy is an American football quarterback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Browns in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft...
threw for 127 yards, while the team combined for 142 yards. OU's replacement quarterback, Landry Jones, replaced Bradford and threw for 250 yards of passing with 2 interceptions. The most notable statistic of the game was that the Sooners were held to minus 16 yards of rushing by the Longhorn defense.
All-time Red River Rivalry teams
Jimmy Burch and Mike Jones selected Red River Shootout all-time teams for Texas and for Oklahoma, Fort Worth Star-TelegramFort Worth Star-Telegram
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram is a major U.S. daily newspaper serving Fort Worth and the western half of the North Texas area known as the Metroplex. Its area of domination is checked by its main rival, The Dallas Morning News, which is published from the eastern half of the Metroplex. It is owned...
, October 8, 2005.
Oklahoma
OffenseQB Jason White
Jason White (American football)
Jason White is a former American football quarterback who played for the University of Oklahoma from 1999 to 2004, during which he won the 2003 Heisman Trophy...
(2001–04) Was 2-0 as a starter and saved the '01 game after Nate Hybl was injured.
RB Adrian Peterson (2004–2007) Was 1-2 against Texas, with a breakout performance in 2004.
RB De'mond Parker
De'mond Parker
De'Mond Keith Parker was an American football running back for the Oklahoma Sooners, one of their all-time greats, that had a limited career in the National Football League...
(1996–98) Rushed for 491 yards and scored 3 TDs.
RB Greg Pruitt
Greg Pruitt
Gregory Donald Pruitt is a former American football running back in the NFL from 1973 through 1984. He was selected to five Pro Bowls, four as a member of the Cleveland Browns and one as a member of the Los Angeles Raiders, the last one as a kick returner...
(1970–72) Two-time All-American rushed for 310 yards, averaging 9.1 yards per carry.
RB Quentin Griffin
Quentin Griffin
Quentin LaVell Griffin is an American football running back.-Early years:Griffin started his football career as a youth playing in the Humble Area Football League.-High school:Griffin starred at Nimitz High School in Houston....
(1999–2002) Ran for a school-record 6 TDs in 2000, had 248 yards and 2 TDs in 2002 and finished his career with 9 TDs against Texas.
WR Mark Clayton (2001–04) 18 catches for 287 yards and 1 TD, including 190 yards in '03.
TE Keith Jackson (1984–87) All-American averaged 34.3 yards per catch (4 rec., 137 yds, 1 TD).
OL Bill Krisher (1955–57) All-American on two national champs, was 3-0 vs. UT.
OL Jim Weatherall
Jim Weatherall
James Preston Weatherall was an American football defensive tackle in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, and the Detroit Lions. He also played in the Western Interprovincial Football Union for the Edmonton Eskimos...
(1948–51) Outland Trophy winner was two-way star with 3-1 record in series.
OL Anthony Phillips (1985–88) All-American whose teams were 4-0.
OL Jammal Brown
Jammal Brown
-New Orleans Saints:He was selected to attend the 2006 Pro Bowl alongside the player he protects, quarterback Drew Brees, after anchoring the line that got the Saints to the NFC Championship Game. Brown's prototypical size at left tackle makes him good at both run and pass blocking. He led the...
(2001–04) Outland Trophy
Outland Trophy
The Outland Trophy is awarded to the best United States college football interior lineman by the Football Writers Association of America. It is named after John H. Outland. One of only a few players ever to be named All-America at two positions, Outland garnered consensus All-America honors in...
winner and two-time All-American was 3-0 as a starter.
C Tom Brahaney
Tom Brahaney
Thomas Brahaney is a former American football center who played nine seasons in the National Football League for the St. Louis Cardinals.He played college football at Oklahoma, where he was an All-American...
(1970–72) Two-time consensus All-American whose teams won two of three.
Coach Barry Switzer
Barry Switzer
Barry Switzer is a former football coach, active in the college and professional ranks between 1962 and 1997. He has one of the highest winning percentages of any college football coach in history, and is one of only two head coaches to win both a college football national championship and a...
(1973–88) Was 9-5-2 against Texas, with two four-game unbeaten streaks.
Defense
DL Rick Bryan
Rick Bryan
Rick Don Bryan was an American football defensive tackle who played for the Oklahoma Sooners and the Atlanta Falcons. He was a consensus All-American in 1982 and 1983 and the Big Eight Defensive Player of the Year in 1982, and Academic All-Conference 1981-1983, he played for the Atlanta Falcons...
(1980–83) Made 33 tackles, with two sacks.
DL Jimmy Wilkerson (2000–02) OU career sack leader vs. UT (4). School-record 3 sacks in 2001.
DL Derland Moore
Derland Moore
Derland Paul Moore was an American football defensive lineman in the National Football League for the New Orleans Saints and the New York Jets. An All-American, he played college football at the University of Oklahoma and was selected in the second round of the 1973 NFL Draft...
(1970–72) Credited with 17 tackles, a blocked punt, fumble recovery and a TD.
DL Lee Roy Selmon
Lee Roy Selmon
Lee Roy Selmon was a Hall of Fame NFL football defensive lineman.-Early life:Selmon was the youngest of nine children of Lucious and Jessie Selmon, raised on a farm near Eufaula, Oklahoma...
(1972–75) 4-0 in series, with fumble recovery, 31 tackles.
LB Rod Shoate
Rod Shoate
Rod Shoate is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He was a 4 time All-Big 8 Conference Player and three time All-American at the University of Oklahoma...
(1972–74) Had 41 tackles, including 21 in '74.
LB Jerry Tubbs
Jerry Tubbs
Gerald J. Tubbs is a former American football linebacker who played for ten seasons in the National Football League from 1957 to 1966, mainly for the Dallas Cowboys. He was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the 1960 NFL Expansion Draft...
(1954–56) Two-way star, who had 3 INTs in 1955.
LB Carl McAdams (1963–65) All-American who had 30 tackles against UT.
DB Roy Williams
Roy Williams (safety)
Roy Lee Williams is a retired American football safety. He played college football at Oklahoma before he was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys eighth overall in the 2002 NFL Draft. He spent seven seasons with the Cowboys and earned five straight Pro Bowl selections from 2003–2007...
(1999–2001) Game-turning hit forced INT in 2001.
DB Darrol Ray
Darrol Ray
Darrol Anthony Ray is a former American football player for the New York Jets of the National Football League.-Early years:...
(1976–79) Made two interceptions.
DB Joe Golding (1941, 46) Returned interception 99 yards for a TD.
DB Rickey Dixon
Rickey Dixon
Rickey Dixon was a defensive back and special teams player for the Oklahoma Sooners and later the National Football League’s Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Raiders.-College football career:...
(1984–87) Had 11 tackles, 3 INTs and was 3-0-1 in series.
Specialists
KR Joe Washington
Joe Washington
Joe Dan Washington, Jr is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the San Diego Chargers, Baltimore Colts, Washington Redskins, and Atlanta Falcons.-Early career:...
(1972–75) Gained 483 all-purpose yards as RB/KR.
K Mike Vachon (1966–67) Kicked four field goals in 18-9 victory, one PAT in 9-7 loss.
P Darrell Royal
Darrell Royal
Darrell K Royal is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Mississippi State University , the University of Washington , and the University of Texas at Austin , compiling a career college football record of 184–60–5...
(1946–49) Also standout QB/DB. Averaged 45.7 yards per punt in 1949.
Texas
OffenseQB Peter Gardere (1989–92) Only QB in series history with 4-0 mark as starter.
RB Ricky Williams
Ricky Williams
Errick Lynne "Ricky" Williams, Jr. is an American football running back for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints fifth overall in the 1999 NFL Draft...
(1995–98) 465 rushing yards, 136 receiving yards, 5 TDs vs. OU.
RB Earl Campbell
Earl Campbell
Earl Christian Campbell , nicknamed The Tyler Rose, is a former professional American Football running back. He, Paul Hornung and O.J Simpson are the only people to have won the Heisman Trophy , were first overall National Football League draft picks and are in both the Pro Football Hall of Fame...
(1974–77) 124 rushing yards, TD in 13-6 win in 1977.
RB Steve Worster
Steve Worster
Steve Worster is a former American football player. Following an outstanding prep career, he played fullback at the University of Texas under legendary coach Darrell Royal...
(1968–70) 121 yards, last-minute TD in 26-20 win in 1968.
WR Cotton Speyrer (1968–70) Led 1969 comeback with 8 catches, 160 yards, TD.
OL Bobby Wuensch (1968–70) Teams were 3-0, averaged 376 yards per game.
OL Dick Harris (1945–48) Two-way standout, 3-1 vs. OU.
OL Doug Dawson
Doug Dawson
Douglas Arli Dawson was a National Football League offensive lineman from 1984 through 1994. Dawson attended the University of Texas where he was a member of the Friar Society. He currently works for Northwestern Mutual in Houston....
(1980–83) Teams 3-1 in series, averaged 26 ppg.
OL Jerry Sisemore
Jerry Sisemore
Jerald Grant "Jerry" Sisemore is a former American football offensive lineman who played for 12 seasons in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1973–1984...
(1970–72) Team rushed for 310 yards, scored 41 points in 1970 win.
OL Harley Sewell
Harley Sewell
Harley Edward Sewell is a former American football guard for the Detroit Lions , the Los Angeles Rams . He attended the University of Texas.-College career:...
(1950–52) Hall of Famer two-way star in 1951 win.
TE Bob Bryant (1956–58) Game-winning TD catch in 1958 ended six-year losing streak to OU.
Coach Darrell Royal (1957–76) Winningest coach in series history (12–7–1).
Defense
DE Bill Atessis
Bill Atessis
William James Atessis was born July 16, 1949, in Houston, Texas and is a former American football player who played on two NCAA national championship teams at The University of Texas. One of the most honored and productive defensive ends in NCAA history, he was a three-year starter and was...
(1968–70) 14 tackles, two TFL, 3-0 career record vs. OU.
DT Scott Appleton
Scott Appleton
Gordon Scott Appleton was an American football defensive lineman in the American Football League. He played college football at the University of Texas, which won the national championship in 1963...
(1961–63) Dominant 1963 effort included 18 tackles, caused/recovered fumble.
DT Brad Shearer
Brad Shearer
Brad Shearer is a former American football player. He played for the NFL's Chicago Bears from 1978–81. He played college football for Texas. As a senior at Texas, he won the Outland Trophy....
(1974–77) Pivotal in '77 game-clinching goal line stand.
DE Shane Dronett
Shane Dronett
Shane Dronett was an American football defensive lineman, who played for the NFL's Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons between 1992 and 2002.-Early years:...
(1989–91) 21 tackles, four TFL, blocked FG in 1990-91 games.
LB Tommy Nobis
Tommy Nobis
Thomas Henry Nobis, Jr. is a former American football player. He attended Thomas Jefferson High School where he was an all-state offensive end and middle linebacker...
(1963–65) 21 tackles in 1964, INTs in 1963, '65.
LB Johnny Treadwell (1960–62) Two-way star blocked PAT in a 9-6 win in 1962.
LB Jeff Leiding (1980–83) Double-digit tackles in 1981 (11), 1982 (12) and 1983 (10).
DB Johnnie Johnson
Johnnie Johnson
Johnnie Johnson may refer to:*Johnnie Johnson *Johnnie Johnson *Johnnie Johnson See also:*Johnny Johnson *John Johnson...
(1976–79) 22 tackles, two TFL, a fumble recovery vs. OU.
DB Jerry Gray
Jerry Gray
Jerry Don Gray is a former American Football cornerback who played for the Los Angeles Rams from 1985 to 1991, the Houston Oilers in 1992, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1993. He is currently the defensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans.-Playing career:Jerry Gray was a two-time All American...
(1981–84) 5 tackles in 1983, key fumble recovery in 1984.
DB Stanley Richard
Stanley Richard
Stanley Palmer Richard is a retired American football safety in the National Football League. Richard played at the University of Texas from 1987–90, where he was an All-American safety in 1990. He was drafted 9th overall by the San Diego Chargers in the 1991 NFL Draft and played with the Chargers...
(1987–90) 32 tackles vs. OU, including 11 in 1990.
DB Bryant Westbrook
Bryant Westbrook
Bryant Antoine Westbrook is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League.-College career:...
(1993–96) 4 tackles, 2 INT, 2 fumbles caused in 1994.
Specialists
K/P Russell Erxleben
Russell Erxleben
Russell Erxleben is a former American football player and currency investor. He shares the record for the longest field goal in NCAA history, originally set in 1977 while playing for the University of Texas. Erxleben was a three-time All-America punter...
(1975–78) Made FGs from 64 and 58 yards, avg. 48.1 yards per punt in 1977.
KR/PR Bohn Hilliard (1932–34) 95-yard punt return for TD in 1932 still school record.