Red River Shootout 2018: 3 Bold predictions for Texas vs Oklahoma

1. Kyler Murray goes off, again

It’s no secret that Kyler Murray has been as good as advertised so far this season. The Texas A&M transfer waited his turn behind Baker Mayfield and has inserted himself into the offense as seamlessly as head coach Lincoln Riley could have possibly dreamed.

Through five games, Murray has thrown for 1,460 yards with 17 passing touchdowns and two interceptions. He’s also added 285 yards rushing with four more scores on the ground. His 21 touchdowns responsible for leads the Big 12, four more than runner-up Will Grier. Those quarterbacks are two of seven Big 12 players that have accounted for double-digit touchdowns in 2018.

Murray is coming off a seven-touchdown performance against Baylor, and while the Texas defense poses much more of a challenge, it’s hard to believe them being able to contain him consistently. He’s a big-play player and Texas has proven to be vulnerable — the Longhorns rank 81st in the nation in plays of 40+ yards allowed.

Oklahoma might not pile up 600 yards of total offense again this week, but they’ll have more than enough firepower to give the Texas defense fits.