Texas football lost a heartbreaker on Saturday and we take a look at the impact of the Longhorns loss in the Red River Shootout.
The Red River Shootout rarely disappoints and 2021 was no exception. It truly was a shootout. Texas shot out of the cannon with a 75-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Xavier Worthy. Special teams had been an issue for the Oklahoma Sooners and the Longhorns wasted no time exploiting them.
Not long after that Overshown blocked a punt for the defense. Seconds later Bijan Robinson ran in from the two-yard line for a touchdown. The two quick scores helped Texas football keep a lead for most of the game. Until the very last seconds.
Oklahoma tied the game with 7:45 left in the 4th quarter. The turn of events continued from that and the lead was in jeopardy when Kennedy Brooks rushed for a 33-yard touchdown with 10 seconds remaining. Ultimately Texas could not hold off the Sooners and the Red River Showdown slipped out of its hands.
Bijan Robinson had another fantastic outing with 137 yards and a touchdown. Xavier Worthy had an astounding day with 261 yards on nine receptions and two touchdowns.
Joshua Moore stepped up with a huge two-touchdown showing and 70 yards. While Casey Thompson led the Longhorns with 388 yards passing and five touchdowns.
Linebacker DeMarvion Overshown had a huge defensive game for the Texas Longhorns with a punt block and fumble recovery. Yet with all of that, it was not enough. In the end, the Oklahoma Sooners toppled over the Texas Longhorns and stole the victory winning 55-48.
Head Coach Steve Sarkisian had a few words on the loss: “The key…is accepting that feeling of pain to help springboard you to the next one. The greatest players I have known all have that, and that’s what we need to do.”
What is the impact of the Oklahomas loss?
It dropped the Longhorns in the national rankings to 25th. How far can they climb back up and will there be enough time?
Texas’ defense is to blame for this loss. The pass defense and secondary were major disappointments. The defense gave up 220 rushing yards and you can’t do that against a team as good as Oklahoma and expect to win the game.
Bijan Robinson has had some huge numbers but most of his star moments came in the first half. Texas football is going to be more successful if they spread his game out and give him more of a complete game. He came close but they put a little too much pressure on Robinson to carry the load of this game.
Xavier worthy had the game of his life. He now has 531 receiving yards on 25 catches. The future is bright for Texas fans and this freshman receiver and we are not worthy.
Sarkisian had a few words to say on his performance:
"“That’s totally what he’s capable of. You guys heard me talk about it last week. I thought how we played last week was totally out of character. I think this is what he’s capable of. This guy’s a dynamic playmaker. I think that was a really cool moment for him to bounce back from the fumble and make such a contested catch at a critical moment for the touchdown. But the guy’s a great player now but his future is even brighter. We’re fortunate to have him.”"
With 6 games left of the season and playing only one ranked team in that mix, the Texas Longhorns look to win out the rest of the season. Solidifying them a spot in the Big 12 Championship. The next time expect the Longhorns to hone in on their strengths and fix their weaknesses on defense and mistakes by the young guns. Each game they get better and better and the Sooners will have a much different outcome when these two powerhouses meet again.
A possible Texas-Oklahoma rematch
Steve Sarkisian on meeting Oklahoma again for some payback:
"“When you play a tight game in a rivalry game, it hurts. So we’re gonna have to pick ourselves back up to play a really good opponent next week. And then have the bye and then go into the second half of this season with an opportunity to see what we can do. Ultimately, my mindset is I’d love to get another crack at these guys hopefully in December.”"
I do believe with Steve Sarkisian and Xavier Worthy there is so much greatness to look forward to for the future of Texas. When they become part of the SEC they will surprise a lot of people because they are used to playing tough teams unlike a lot of Oklahoma’s schedule.
I believe both teams will fare well in the SEC but what may give Texas football the advantage is the Longhorns head coach who is very familiar with SEC play and how to win and become champions of not only the SEC but the Nation. Texas football fans should not worry and have high hopes for the success of this team and the future.