DALLAS – Technically, the scoreboard might disagree, but Texas lost to Oklahoma 24-27 late Saturday afternoon.
That may come across as a little backward, but that was the direction the burnt orange took for much of this game and perhaps the path it’s headed down from here on out, barring an amazing offensive turnaround the next seven games.
Texas sure looked like a team going nowhere.
Yes, OU was officially the winner when Lou Groza Award winner Tate Sandell calmly booted a walk-off, 47-yard field goal in the final seconds to help the spiraling but inspired Sooners shock the No. 1-ranked Longhorns 27-24 before 92,100 at a sun-drenched Cotton Bowl. It marked OU’s first win over a top-ranked team since beating Missouri in 2007 and first over a No. 1 Longhorn team in six tries.
In doing so, Brent Venables’ 3-2 flawed team snapped a two-game losing streak to Texas and resurrected its season after it was given up for dead, while the 4-1 Longhorns (1-1 in SEC play) fell for the first time this year with one of the ugliest, offensive performances in the Steve Sarkisian era. Unfortunately, that’s becoming an alarming trend because a loss to an unranked Florida team last year kept Texas out of the playoffs and could again this time.
Sign up for Kirk Bohls’ newsletter
Sign up for Kirk Bohls’ new newsletter for news, exclusive analysis and insights on University of Texas sports.
Listed as a touchdown favorite, Texas lost this game in every way imaginable.
The Sooners scored 14 of their points off a blocked punt and recovery in the end zone and a dazzling, 42-yard interception return by safety Peyton Bowen, Arch Manning’s first pick-six in his career and one of two critical interceptions in the fourth quarter.
Besides that, not much. But not much else was necessary since Texas was getting no cheapies.
“Credit to Oklahoma,” Sarkisian said. “They hung around and made the plays they needed to win. For us, there’s a level of disappointment, a level of anger and frustration for things we have to get fixed, but also a level of optimism. We’ve got a long season to go. We’ve got a good football team, so we’re not dead. We’re going to be OK. We’ll get well and get back up off the mat.”
On Saturday it was as if the Longhorns were pinned to the mat. This was downright embarrassing.
Oklahoma defensive back Courtland Guillory (4) intercepts a pass intended for Texas wide receiver Cam Coleman (8) during the Red River Rivalry at the Cotton Bowl on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. (Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman)
Texas’ offense malfunctioned all day long. It betrayed its awesome defense, which held OU to 1 yard rushing in the first half for an 0.1-yard average and 83 in the game. And, despite three terrific touchdown passes from Manning to Cam Coleman, Ryan Wingo and Jermaine Bishop Jr., it scored only a touchdown in the second half.
The Longhorns were undone with three series that went three and out (seven for the game) and the two Manning picks in the last eight drives. They’ve had a distressing 13 three-and-out possessions in their past two games.
All these weapons, all this playmaking firepower, and the team still fizzles. As for Manning, he’s looking like just a guy, a seasoned quarterback who plays well at times but has trouble processing a pass rush consistently and finding receivers under pressure and doesn’t look strong under duress.
As he so often does, he completed only 61% of his throws, connecting on 19 of 31 for 260 touchdowns. But he’s not keeping enough drives alive or making enough big plays in crunch time like so many other elite quarterbacks in college football. For every big moments of spectacular performances like the fourth quarter against Ohio State there are far too many letdowns like Saturday.
His pick-six was a killer.
“Yeah, I was trying to extend a play,” Manning said. “Can’t do that.”
But it’d be wrong to put all of this at his feet.
Once more, Texas was its own worst enemy, drawing constant penalties and finishing with eight for 61 yards.
They jumped offsides twice in a span of three plays. A questionable pass interference against Kade Phillips in the end zone let to Lloyd Avant’s 2-yard touchdown run to start the fourth quarter and tie the game at 17-all. A roughing-the-passer call against linebacker Rasheem Biles, who hit receiver Isaiah Sategna III – who was throwing a pass on a trick play – negated a Texas interception earlier in that scoring drive.
The special teams also bordered on disaster.
Texas had a punt blocked for a touchdown, had its first kickoff go out of bounds, had no running room for punt returner Ryan Niblett and Gianni Spetic missed his 53-yard field goal try in the final two minutes. That in itself was a huge admission by Sarkisian that even he knows his offense isn’t very good, given he chose the kick over a fourth-and-2 play. It was probably the right decision, simply because this offensive line can’t block well enough to assure a 2-yard run.
“I thought long and hard about it,” Sarkisian said of the Memphis kicker, who has six 50-yarders in his career but pushed his attempt wide right. “He’s a heckuva kicker. I have a ton of faith in Gianni. I went round and round about it trying to figure it out, but I felt like that was the right way.”
This was more Cotton Bowl clunker than classic.
Quite simply, Texas got exposed.
“We definitely beat ourselves,” Longhorn edge rusher Colin Simmons said. “Only Texas can beat Texas.”
No doubt, Texas sure played its part, but that also unfairly minimizes the impact of a ferocious OU defense and others like Danny Okaye and his blocked punt.
That unit, led by linebacker Owen Heinecke and Bowen crumpled the Longhorns at nearly every turn. Sandell was clutch. Even harassed OU quarterback John Mateer, who was unremarkable in leading an offense to a paltry 238 yards, didn’t have a turnover and found his magnificent receiver Sategna for two critical completions of 13 and 20 yards against Texas’ terrific cornerback Graceson Littleton to set up the winning kick.
But Sarkisian insists it’s all fixable.
Would he consider relinquishing play-calling?
“Not a chance,” he said. “We got to play better.”
Would he re-evaluate Jeff Banks, his special teams coordinator?
“No,” he said.
The questions are only getting harder. The answers? Well, those may have to change soon, much like his beleaguered offense.
Subscribe
There’s more to Houston with the Chronicle. Subscribe today for just 25¢.
This article originally published at No. 1 Texas’ shocking loss to Oklahoma leaves plenty of questions about Longhorns, Steve Sarkisian.