NORMAN - Oklahoma’s running game looked dead in the water for a half against Texas, then Lloyd Avant took over and gave the Sooners something they’d been missing.
OU managed just 13 rushing attempts for 1 yard in the first half and was sitting at 0.1 yards per carry by halftime. But after the break, the ground game finally woke up, and Avant was at the center of it. The Sooners ran 18 times for 82 yards in the second half and averaged 4.6 yards per carry.
Avant, a Colorado State transfer, finished with 10 carries for a game-high 72 yards, averaged 7.2 yards per rush and broke a 42-yard run, OU’s longest rushing play of the season. He also scored on a 2-yard run in the fourth quarter to tie the game.
“It was just the will and the mentality to come out and just execute the plan that we had,” Avant said, “and just to come out and do it.”
That kind of finish is exactly what Brent Venables said he expected if the Sooners stayed patient against a strong Longhorns defense. They did, and Avant ended up looking like the back who can give this offense a little traction after weeks of shuffling.
After four weeks of rotating backs without much clarity, Avant has started to separate himself as the starter. Freshman Jonathan Hatton Jr. also flashed, nearly popping several runs, and offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle said the response at halftime was immediate.
“The cool thing was we got there at halftime and there was no blink, there was no hesitation or anything from the guys in there,” Arbuckle said. “We had some self-inflicted wounds there in the first few drives and really found our stride right there before half. Those guys, like I said, no flinch.
“At halftime came out, got behind their pads. Lloyd Avant was running hard. Jonanthan Hatton was running hard and the big boys up front were creating lanes for them to get through.”
Avant also pointed to the work put in during the week as part of the turnaround.
“Just preparation, every day at practice, hard, 20 periods, every day with Coach BV,” Avant said. “It's a staple to how we perform and how we just go about our day and prepare for each game. We have those periods, turnt up Tuesday, so it prepared us for this game Saturday coming out and just executing all four quarters.”
Here’s where OU stands coming out of the Red River win:
Stock rising
Defensive back Trystan Haynes: In his first career start, Haynes posted a career-high seven tackles, with five coming in the first half, and added a pass breakup. The Carl Albert product had his hands full replacing injured starter Eli Bowen and was asked to deal with Cam Coleman and Ryan Wingo.
His previous best was two tackles in the opener against UTEP. If Bowen misses more time, OU may need Haynes again.
Defensive back Dakoda Fields: Fields delivered one of the most chaotic plays of the day, scooping up a blocked punt and taking it into the north end zone for a touchdown in the second quarter to tie the game. It was the Oregon transfer’s first career touchdown, and he also logged his second tackle of the season. Venables said Monday on his coach’s show that Fields has gotten more practice reps and has been trending upward.
John Mateer’s confidence: After the Georgia game, Mateer didn’t look like the same quarterback. Against Texas, though, there were signs the swagger may be coming back.
His celebration at the end of the game said plenty, and the two throws he made to Isaiah Sategna III to set up Tate Sandell’s game-winning field goal stood out as some of his best work this season. Still, OU may not need him to be flashy so much as secure with the ball and steady with the offense.
Stock down
Sooners offense: The celebration after Saturday doesn’t change the bigger picture. OU still ranks last among Power Four teams in total offense. The encouraging part is that the group only has to keep grinding forward and protect the football to stay in the mix, much like last season when Arbuckle’s offense never quite solved everything but kept hanging around.
Wide receiver Parker Livingstone: The Texas transfer has one thing going for him - he’s undefeated in Red River Rivalry games. Beyond that, the production just hasn’t been there. Livingstone entered the season expected to be one of OU’s top playmakers, but through five games he has six catches for 51 yards and did not get a target against Texas.
Transfer portal report: How former Sooners fared this past week
Quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr.: Hawkins and West Virginia have now lost three straight after what looked like a promising start to his post-OU run. In a loss to Arizona, he threw for 219 yards and added 98 rushing yards and a touchdown.
Kentucky’s Nic Anderson and Jovantae Barnes: OU gets a look at two former Sooners this week when Kentucky comes to town. Barnes carried three times for 14 yards, while Anderson caught three passes for 29 yards in a win over LSU.
In Other News...
Oklahoma's Bowl Outlook Looks Very Different After Stunning Texas Win
A last-second field goal from Tate Sandell changed the feel around Oklahoma football in an instant, flipping a matchup with the top-ranked Texas Longhorns into one of the seasons most satisfying wins. Beyond the celebration, the result matters because it gives the Sooners a much better footing in the race for a postseason bowl berth, with the kind of momentum that can reshape how the rest of the year is viewed.
It also makes the postseason picture a lot more interesting, since different media outlets are already floating a range of possible bowl destinations for Oklahoma in 2026. The specific matchups can still move around depending on how the next few weeks play out, but this much is clear: after a win that big, the Sooners are no longer looking at bowl season from the same spot they were before the kick sailed through. [Read more 🡒]
Isaiah Sategna's Red River Heroics Changed Everything For Oklahoma
Late in the Red River showdown, Isaiah Sategna III turned a tense finish into the kind of moment Oklahoma can build around. He made two critical catches in the final seconds against Texas, helping set up the game-winning field goal and giving the Sooners a lift when the game was hanging in the balance. Sategna finished with five receptions for 64 yards, tying for the game-high.
Brent Venables and offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle both praised Sategna during that decisive drive, a sign of how quickly he has become part of Oklahomas most important moments. For a team that needed somebody to make a play when it mattered most, Sategna delivered exactly that, and his late-game work added a new layer to what the Sooners can count on down the stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma May Be Getting A Huge O-Line Boost This Week
A potential boost is building along Oklahomas offensive line as Michael Fasusi works his way back from the shoulder injury he suffered in the season opener. Brent Venables said the lineman is nearing a return, and the signs have been encouraging lately, with Fasusi taking part in walkthroughs and dressing for the last four games even while he has remained out of action.
His availability for the Kentucky game still hangs on the SECs next report, which should offer a clearer picture before kickoff. For an Oklahoma front that has been managing without him for several weeks, Fasusis progress is a welcome development, and one that could give the Sooners another experienced option at a position where depth and stability matter every snap. [Read more 🡒]