Texas Longhorns Fall to Oklahoma Sooners in Upset

The highly-ranked Texas Longhorns had a few chances to clinch their third consecutive Red River Rivalry victory, but they stumbled on one of the biggest stages in college football. Instead, the unranked Oklahoma Sooners seized the moment, capitalizing on a missed field goal in the closing minutes and two fourth-quarter interceptions by Arch Manning to secure a surprising 27-24 win in Dallas.

Initially, the game seemed to favor Texas, as Manning showcased his skills with a strong play, running to his left and delivering a 41-yard touchdown pass. Oklahoma answered back in the subsequent quarter, yet Texas managed to lead 17-7 at halftime.

However, the Longhorns’ offensive momentum faded while the Sooners picked up steam in the fourth quarter. Oklahoma managed to sneak in a field goal during the third, and after a series of punts exchanged by both teams, the Sooners tied the game with a touchdown run by Lloyd Avant at the start of the fourth quarter, recovering from a previously significant deficit.

As both teams traded punts once more, Texas was on the move again when Manning threw an ill-timed pass that was intercepted by Oklahoma’s Peyton Bowen, who returned it 42 yards for a touchdown. This gave the Sooners a 24-17 lead with just over ten minutes remaining in the game.

Though Manning was down, he bounced back with a long completion to Cam Coleman, changing the momentum. Just two plays later, he connected with Jermaine Bishop Jr., tying the game again with 6:32 left on the clock. After forcing a quick Oklahoma punt, Texas was positioned nicely to take control.

The Longhorns quickly advanced downfield but faced a challenging 52-yard field goal attempt, which unfortunately went wide right. This left Oklahoma with the ball again at their own 35-yard line with just 1:54 left in regulation. Texas had another opportunity when they forced an Oklahoma punt, but Manning’s fourth-quarter struggles continued as he threw yet another interception, which killed their chances of winning.

In the final moments, Oklahoma moved into field-goal position with just nine seconds remaining, and Tate Sandell nailed a 47-yard kick as time expired.

This marked the first loss for Texas this season, causing them to drop from the top spot in the SEC with both Alabama and Georgia undefeated at 5-0. Meanwhile, the Sooners improved to 3-2 as they aim for a playoff berth.