Oklahoma didn’t win this one with pretty offense. It won it with the kind of grit that shows up in the kicking game, on defense, and in just enough timely execution to steal a 27-24 upset of top-ranked Texas on Saturday at the Cotton Bowl.
The result gave the Sooners their first-ever win over a No. 1 team as an unranked squad and their first victory over any No. 1 team since they beat Missouri in the 2007 Big 12 Championship Game.
John Mateer’s afternoon was uneven, but it never turned disastrous. He went 18-of-26 for 155 yards with no touchdowns, no interceptions and no lost fumbles.
The opening sequence was rough, though, as he coughed up the ball after a heavy sack by Colin Simmons on the third play of the game. Ryan Fodje recovered it.
Mateer also left throws on the field, missing Rocky Beers and Isaiah Sategna on key chances and drawing a puzzling intentional grounding call late with Simmons bearing down on him. Still, after that early fumble, he kept the ball out of trouble.
Oklahoma leaned on short throws, and Mateer’s decision-making was a little cleaner. The Sooners didn’t need him to carry the day - they just needed him not to sink it.
When the game was on the line, he came through enough. In the final seconds, Mateer hit Sategna on back-to-back completions to get Oklahoma into field goal range for Tate Sandell.
The run game wasn’t flashy, either, but it got better as the day went on. Oklahoma finished with 83 rushing yards after managing just one at halftime, and for stretches it actually looked capable of breaking something open.
Lloyd Avant provided the burst that changed the feel of the game. Early in the third quarter, he ripped off a 42-yard run - Oklahoma’s longest of the season - and that set up Sandell’s 53-yard field goal to pull the Sooners within a touchdown.
Avant later finished the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run, Oklahoma’s first rushing score since the season opener. He ended with 10 carries for 72 yards and added two catches for 16 yards.
The receiving numbers were quiet for most of the afternoon until Sategna stepped in on the final drive. He finished with five catches for 64 yards, while no other wideout had more than two receptions or 11 yards. Manny Choice had two catches for 10 yards and Elijah Thomas one for 11.
Rocky Beers remained a useful outlet for Mateer, finishing with four catches for 29 yards, and Hayden Hansen added a 10-yard grab. Late in the game, tight ends coach Jason Witten let his group have it after a play broke down.
The blocking wasn’t clean, but Beers kept giving Mateer a dependable safety valve when time was short. Oklahoma was also working around injuries up front, with tackle Michael Fasusi out for the fourth straight game, guard Eddy Pierre-Louis sidelined, and guard Health Ozaeta hurt in pregame warmups.
Ozaeta did play, though Payton Joseph also rotated in.
Texas got to Mateer three times, but Oklahoma’s line did a better job in run blocking than it had all season. The Sooners had seven three-and-outs, yet the front helped fuel two sustained drives.
On defense, Oklahoma kept Texas from ever settling in. The Sooners limited the Longhorns to 122 rushing yards, and the front seven was active from start to finish.
Trent Wilson and Taylor Wein delivered big sacks during a three-play stretch that came right before the blocked punt touchdown that swung the game. Wilson’s sack stood out as a particularly encouraging sign for the Sooners’ depth.
Owen Heinecke, back after getting hurt two weeks ago against Georgia, led Oklahoma with nine tackles in his final Red River Rivalry game. Kip Lewis was steady again, and Cole Sullivan returned for the first time since the Michigan loss and made several solid plays. The linebackers and defensive front worked together to bottle up the run.
The secondary had its share of highs and lows. Courtland Guillory nearly gave Texas a huge break in the final minute when he was flagged for pass interference, but two plays later he jumped in front of Manning’s throw for Oklahoma’s second interception of the day. That kind of boom-or-bust sequence defined the back end all afternoon.
Texas did hit some plays through the air - eight completions of 15 yards or more - but the Longhorns also went three-and-out seven times. Peyton Bowen delivered one of the game’s biggest moments with a 42-yard interception return for a touchdown with just over 10 minutes left.
Redshirt freshman Trystan Haynes made his first career start because of Eli Bowen’s injury, and Texas tested him early. On the Longhorns’ second offensive play, Arch Manning went after Ryan Wingo, but Haynes broke it up and helped force a punt.
Haynes also ended up trailing Cam Coleman on a 42-yard touchdown pass, and Coleman finished with five catches for 110 yards. Haynes still made plays of his own, finishing with seven tackles, the same total as Peyton Bowen.
Reggie Powers III added six tackles and a quarterback hurry.
The Sooners’ special teams were the real difference. Danny Okoye broke through and blocked a punt into the end zone, and Dakoda Fields recovered it for Oklahoma’s first touchdown against Texas since 2023. That score gave the Sooners a badly needed lift after a flat offensive start.
Sandell missed a 53-yard try in the first half, but he made a 53-yarder early in the third quarter and then drilled the 47-yard winner. Jacob Ulrich averaged 41.6 yards on nine punts and pinned Texas inside the 20 twice. Isaiah Sategna fair caught most of the Longhorns’ punts.
In the end, Oklahoma’s special teams and defense carried the day, with just enough from Mateer and the offense to finish the job.
In Other News...
Oklahoma Defense Suddenly Faces More Pressure Before Texas showdown
Oklahomas defense is heading into the Texas showdown with a little less certainty than it would prefer, as Eli Bowen has been listed as questionable for the matchup. Bowens status matters because the Sooners are already dealing with other absences and lingering doubts on that side of the ball, while a few players have at least moved into the probable category. It is the kind of pregame injury report that can quietly reshape a game plan before either team even takes the field.
Texas has its own availability questions, with a few players listed out or probable, but the Longhorns do have tight end Nick Townsend available to play. For Oklahoma, the bigger concern is how much margin for error remains if Bowen cannot go, especially in a game where every depth-chart adjustment gets magnified. The Sooners still have time to sort through it, but the pressure on that defense only feels heavier with kickoff getting closer. [Read more 🡒]
SEC Nation Just Handed Oklahoma Fresh Red River Fuel
The Red River Rivalry is still months away, but SEC Nation already delivered a little early bulletin board material for Oklahoma. On the shows 2026 game picks, Paul Finebaum and the rest of the cast lined up behind Texas, with Finebaum pointing to Oklahomas recent offensive struggles and the Longhorns more balanced profile as the reason for his pick.
For a rivalry that never needs much help finding edge, a unanimous Texas lean from SEC Nation and College GameDay will only add to the noise when October rolls around. Oklahoma still has plenty of time to shape the conversation before the Cotton Bowl meeting, but the early national temperature check is clear, and it is leaning orange. [Read more 🡒]
Sooners Defense Has Oklahoma Fans Believing In Red River Upset Chance
The Red River Rivalry is once again shaping up as one of the biggest draws on the schedule, and this time the conversation has started with Oklahomas defense. ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit pointed to Texas as the favorite, but he also singled out the Sooners ability to get off the field on third down, a strength that has helped keep them in games even when the offense has had trouble finding a rhythm.
Herbstreit also noted the uneven offensive play on both sides of the matchup, including Arch Mannings underwhelming production for Texas and Oklahomas own struggles moving the ball. Even so, his read was that this one should be tight before the Longhorns eventually find a way through, which is hardly the kind of verdict that settles anything for Sooners fans hoping their defense can turn the rivalry into a real upset chance. [Read more 🡒]