There wasn’t much comfort to mine from Texas’ loss to Oklahoma, but the Red River Rivalry did leave the Longhorns with a few things to hang onto.
The biggest one might have been the return of tight end Nick Townsend. After missing a few weeks with a knee injury suffered in the comeback win over Ohio State, the second-year tight end was back in the offense and made his presence felt right away.
Arch Manning never found steady rhythm, but Townsend still gave Texas something it badly needed. He finished with three catches for 18 yards, and his value went well beyond the box score.
Against OU’s relentless pass rush, he helped in protection when Texas’ offensive line was under pressure all afternoon. He wasn’t just another receiving option - he was a stabilizing piece for an offense that had none of that on Saturday.
The backfield also offered a glimpse of what could be coming next. While the buzz centered on Hollywood Smothers returning, it was true-freshman Derrek Cooper Jr. who made the strongest case for more work.
Cooper led Texas with 41 rushing yards on only eight carries, topping Smothers and Raleek Brown. Smothers added 19 receiving yards, but Cooper’s efficiency stood out once Steve Sarkisian finally gave him some touches.
He averaged more per rush than anyone else in burnt orange, and the performance hinted at a bright future - ideally one that stays in Austin. Still, Sarkisian gave Cooper only eight carries, compared with 12 for Smothers.
There’s also the schedule. Texas’ next stretch should be much more manageable for Manning and the offense than what they just dealt with.
Ohio State came in with the No. 1 defense in the nation per SP+, Tennessee was 23rd, and Oklahoma was eighth. The upcoming opponents don’t bring that same level of resistance: Florida is 59th among P4 teams, Ole Miss is 57th, and Mississippi State is 65th.
And even with the three interceptions and the loss, the offense wasn’t a total wipeout. Texas averaged 6.0 yards per play against Oklahoma, which was the highest yards-per-play mark the Sooners’ defense has allowed in 20 games, dating back to the 2024 season. It wasn’t pretty, but it wasn’t nothing either.
In Other News...
Arch Manning Takes Brutal Hit As Texas Collapses Against OU
The Red River Rivalry turned sour in a hurry for Texas, which saw an undefeated season slip away in a 27-24 loss to unranked Oklahoma. Arch Manning was at the center of it all, and not in the way the Longhorns wanted, as two late interceptions and a special teams mistake opened the door for the Sooners to steal a game Texas appeared ready to control.
Mannings Heisman buzz took a major hit in the process, and the finish only deepened the frustration. After his final interception, Oklahoma lined up for the walk-off field goal that ended the game and left Texas searching for answers from a loss that carried both immediate and lasting consequences. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Faces A Bigger Texas Test Than Fans Expected
Ole Miss is stepping into a stretch that should tell a lot about where the Rebels really stand after their win over Vanderbilt. First comes Missouri, a matchup with extra familiarity because of former Ole Miss players Austin Simmons, Cayden Lee and Chris Graves Jr., and then comes Texas, a primetime road date in Austin that brings a very different kind of pressure.
Texas arrives off a loss to Oklahoma, but the Longhorns still carry one of the more difficult home environments in the league and have matched Ole Miss with only one conference defeat this season. With both teams protecting strong home winning streaks, the meeting feels less like a midseason checkpoint and more like a test of which program can handle the moment when the stage gets bigger. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Found A Few Young Reasons For Hope In Red River
The Red River Rivalry snapped Texas long unbeaten run, but the loss in Dallas also offered a clearer look at a few younger pieces who may matter later this season. Cam Coleman gave the offense a needed spark with a breakout performance through the air, Derrek Cooper handled the top rushing workload, and Colin Simmons continued to flash as a disruptive edge presence.
For a Longhorns team that had not tasted defeat in well over 300 days, the 27-24 setback stung, especially after three straight years of success in the rivalry. Still, the encouraging part for Texas was that the game did not just expose problems, it also hinted at a future core taking shape, even if the bigger questions from Saturday remain unanswered for now. [Read more 🡒]