The Oklahoma Sooners improved to 3-2 overall and 1-1 in SEC play for the 2026 season with a thrilling 27-24 win over the archrival Texas Longhorns on Saturday. The 122nd edition of the Red River Rivalry at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas, certainly did not disappoint, delivering another game for the ages.
OU, led by head coach Brent Venables, was far from perfect in the win. However, the Sooners hung around after going down 17-7 and made some pivotal plays in the fourth quarter, culminating with just the second walk-off game-winning play in the history of this series.
Venables is now 2-3 against the Longhorns, ultimately winning this year's chess match with Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian (now 3-3 against OU). The Sooners were big underdogs
heading down to the State Fair of Texas, but Venables coached them to an improbable victory.
Oklahoma still has their flaws, especially on offense, but the Sooners made it happen when they had to have it on Saturday afternoon. Venables gets a huge win, and now it's about capitalizing on this success over the next seven weeks.
Here are four star duos from OU's wild win over the 'Horns.
1. Danny Okoye and Dakoda Fields
OU's only points of the first half came in exciting fashion, as defensive lineman Danny Okoye blocked Texas' punt while the Longhorns were backed up deep in their own end. Then, defensive back Dakoda Fields gained possession of the ball just before he went out of bounds, and the Sooners tied the game at seven apiece.
Obviously, this was a massive play for the Sooners, but it was also the first real sign of hope in South Dallas. The Oklahoma offense was sputtering, and the defense had already given up a touchdown, but a special teams score evened the game. The Sooners weren't perfect on special teams, but they did enough to win the battle.
2. Peyton Bowen and Courtland Guillory
Oklahoma's secondary was down two key players, with both Eli Bowen and Jacobe Johnson missing the game. That meant defensive backs Peyton Bowen and Courtland Guillory had to have big games, and they did. Bowen grabbed the momentum for the Sooners, breaking a tie with a pick-six off of Texas quarterback Arch Manning. It gave OU its first lead of the game, setting up the dramatic final minutes.
On Texas' final drive, with the Longhorns one first down away from field goal range, Guillory picked off Manning, covering star wide receiver Cam Coleman perfectly. OU's defensive backfield had its down moments in Dallas, as Manning threw for three scores, but it also made two huge plays. Guillory's pick set up a piece of history just a few seconds later.
3. Lloyd Avant and Isaiah Sategna III
The Sooners have struggled on offense this season, and that was true for much of Saturday's contest. However, running back Lloyd Avant gave the unit a boost with tough running in the second half. The Sooners had one rushing yard at halftime, but Avant finished with 72 yards on the ground to help open things up. It wasn't pretty, but it was enough on Saturday.
Wide receiver Isaiah Sategna III was held in check for almost the entire game, but in the final 19 seconds, he made two incredible catches to gain 33 yards and take OU from Hail Mary desperation to field goal range. Both catches came along the sideline and required remarkable footwork to stay in bounds and give the Sooners a chance to win with a kick. A quiet day from Sategna suddenly turned into him being one of the main characters of a crazy win.
4. John Mateer and Tate Sandell
Quarterback John Mateer didn't play well against Michigan, New Mexico, or Georgia, and he didn't light the world on fire against Texas. However, he took care of the ball and didn't turn it over, which was exactly what he had to do. Mateer made some plays in the second half that helped the Sooners hang in there, but his finest moment came on two throws to put OU in position to win the game. Mateer threw two beautiful passes to Sategna that set up a game-winning field goal attempt. After weeks of everyone calling for him to be benched, Mateer delivered in the waning seconds.
However, kicker Tate Sandell still had to put the kick through the uprights; no easy task on a 47-yard attempt. Sandell had missed his last three field goal attempts before knocking through a 53-yarder in the third quarter. Then, with all of the pressure on him, he nailed the game-winner as time expired, giving the Sooners a stunning victory. It was only the second time in OU history the Sooners won in regulation with no time left, and Sandell's name will live on in the history of the Red River Rivalry.
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X@Aaron_Gelvin.
This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: 4 star duos from Oklahoma's thrilling win over Texas
