Tate Sandell’s right leg delivered the kind of finish Oklahoma could only dream up late Saturday afternoon in Dallas.
Sandell drilled a 47-yard field goal as time slipped away, pushing the Sooners to a wild 27-24 win over No. 1 Texas in the 122nd Red River Rivalry at the Cotton Bowl. Oklahoma erased a 10-point halftime hole, piled up 17 points in the fourth quarter and walked off the top-ranked Longhorns in one of the game’s most dramatic swings.
For much of the first half, Oklahoma looked stuck in quicksand. The Sooners managed only 69 total yards before the break, including just 1 yard on the ground, while Texas built a 17-7 lead. But the game turned sharply after halftime, with Oklahoma leaning on freshman back Lloyd Avant, a huge defensive score from Peyton Bowen and Sandell’s two big kicks.
Sandell had already trimmed the Texas advantage earlier with a 53-yard field goal in the third quarter. That kick pulled Oklahoma within 17-10 and gave him his 11th career field goal of at least 50 yards.
Avant then gave the Sooners some real life. He ripped off a 42-yard run - Oklahoma’s longest of the season - and later finished the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 17.
Then came the play that flipped the rivalry on its head.
With 10:07 left, Bowen picked off a deep throw from Texas quarterback Arch Manning and raced 42 yards for a touchdown, giving Oklahoma its first lead at 24-17. Texas answered fast.
Manning hit Cam Coleman for a 42-yard gain to get the Longhorns moving, and two plays later he found J. Bishop Jr. for a 15-yard touchdown to make it 24-24 with 6:32 remaining.
Oklahoma’s next drive went nowhere after an intentional grounding penalty and a holding call helped force a punt. That could have been the end of the comeback story.
It wasn’t. The Sooners got the ball back, and Sandell finished it.
Even with the victory, Oklahoma was outgained 382-238. John Mateer went 18 of 26 for 155 yards without a touchdown or interception, while Avant led the ground game with 72 yards and a score on 10 carries. Isaiah Sategna III caught five passes for 64 yards, and Rocky Beers added four catches for 29 yards.
Manning was productive in defeat, finishing 19 of 31 for 261 yards and three touchdowns, but he also threw two interceptions. Coleman led Texas with five receptions for 110 yards and a touchdown.
Texas struck first after a short Oklahoma punt set up Manning’s 41-yard touchdown pass to Coleman in the opening quarter. Oklahoma answered in the second when Danny Okoye blocked a Texas punt and Dakota Fields recovered it in the end zone to tie the game at 7. Manning then connected with Ryan Wingo on a 34-yard touchdown before Texas added a field goal just before halftime to take control at 17-7.
The Sooners’ offense never found much rhythm early, but the defense kept the game from getting away. Texas was held scoreless in the third quarter, and that opened the door for Oklahoma’s surge in the final 15 minutes.
By the end, the Sooners had turned a sluggish start into a stunning rivalry win, sealed by Sandell’s kick and a fourth quarter that changed everything.
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Texas Just Handed Oklahoma Fans A New Rivalry Talking Point
The Red River Rivalry rarely needs any extra fuel, but this one came with plenty of it after Oklahomas 27-24 win over Texas. Tate Sandell delivered the finishing touch with a 47-yard field goal as time expired, capping a game that swung late after Arch Manning threw two interceptions, including one that killed a Texas drive that could have changed the outcome.
Colin Simmons added a new layer to the postgame conversation by framing the loss as one Texas handed away through its own mistakes rather than one Oklahoma earned through superior play. For Sooners fans, that kind of take is exactly the sort of thing that lingers after October meetings with the Longhorns, especially when the box score already points to missed chances, late tension and a finish that left Texas searching for answers. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Let Red River Slip Away In The Worst Possible Moment
The Red River Rivalry delivered the kind of finish that can linger all season, and Oklahoma found the final answer when Tate Sandell drilled a 47-yard field goal as time expired to beat No. 1 Texas. The Sooners had already forced the issue with a defense that kept pressing all afternoon, and the games turning point came when Texas quarterback Arch Manning was intercepted in the final seconds, setting up the winning drive.
For Oklahoma, it was a complete showcase of complementary football in one of the sports loudest stages. A punt-return touchdown helped swing momentum early, and a pick-6 off Manning added another jolt to a game that already had enough twists to fill a rivalry decade. In the end, the Sooners walked away with a victory that felt as big as the setting, and Texas was left to sort through how quickly a tight game slipped away. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Just Delivered The Rivalry Jolt Sooners Fans Desperately Needed
A season that had already started to feel heavy for Oklahoma got a surge of life in Dallas, where the Sooners stunned No. 1 Texas 27-24 in the Red River rivalry on a final-play, 47-yard field goal by Tate Sandell. It was the kind of win that can reset the mood around a program in a hurry, and Oklahoma earned it with more than just one late kick, getting touchdowns from special teams and defense to keep pace in a game that swung back and forth all afternoon.
The Sooners also took advantage of Texas quarterback Arch Mannings mistakes, as his three touchdown passes were offset by two costly interceptions. For Oklahoma, the result was about more than bragging rights in one of college footballs biggest rivalries. It was proof that a team can still manufacture a signature win when the margins are thin, the pressure is high, and every phase has to come through at once. [Read more 🡒]