Texas vs Oklahoma .... Red River Shootout 2015

       It was suppose to be one of the biggest mismatches in the long and storied series between these two schools. Odds-makers in Las Vegas had installed the Oklahoma Sooners as a three touchdown favorite over the Texas Longhorns... but a funny thing happened on the way to the Fair (literally).
     As the State Fair of Texas surrounded the Cotton Bowl in a sea of fun and adventure, the two rivals collided again in a yearly battle that dates back to 1900. In a vote of college football coaches this rivalry is only topped by two others, Michigan & Ohio State, and Army vs Navy. Texas has a lead in the overall series with 61 victories, compared to 44 for Oklahoma, with 5 games ending in a tie. Since World War II the series has been more competitive with Texas winning 35 times, Oklahoma 33 times, and the two battled to a tie on 3 occasions. 

           The Sooners came into the game unbeaten in four outings and ranked number ten in the latest coaches poll. It is said you can never predict the outcome in a rivalry of this magnitude and maybe that is true...but Texas was coming off a 50-7 drubbing by TCU last week and was determined to turn their season around at the expense of the Sooners. A solid drive on their first possession and then another score off an Oklahoma turnover and the Steers found themselves on top 14-0 as the first quarter came to an end.

           The Texas defense was determined to hold down the high octane offense of OU and they accomplished their mission completely.. Texas held Oklahoma to just 67 yards rushing while Longhorn runners went crazy with 313 yards rushing.
           Texas Head Coach Charlie Strong has been under fire over the past few weeks as his team has suffered big losses at home and on the road. Quarterback Tyron Swoopes lost his job to freshman Jerrod Heard and maybe that was the catalyst in Saturday's game. The running and throwing of Heard gave the Steers the early momentum. He finished with 115 yards passing the ball and 21 yards on the ground. To say that Texas planned to run the ball against the vaulted defense of OU would be an understatement. The Longhorns ran the ball 58 times and went to the air on 12 ocassions. The longest run of the day came in the third quarter when it looked like Oklahoma might be on the verge of a comeback. Texas tailback D'Onta Foreman burst through for an 81 yard run to the OU ten yard line that put away any hopes for an OU comback.

          It goes into the books as the first Texas-OU victory for Coach Charlie Strong, and might have saved his job in Austin. Texas blue-bloods had starting thinking they might have the wrong man for the job after three straight losses, but Saturday's 24-17 win has put him back on the top of the mountain for Texas fans. Strong admitted after the game he had received a phone call from former Texas Coach Mack Brown telling him to 'keep battling' and not to give up his long range plans.

        The job as Head Coach at Texas is arguably one of the top five positions in the country... and Strong has a number of young players fighting for him and the pride of Texans everywhere.. Note Texas Governor Greg Abbott on the sidelines rooting for his Horns.

All Photos courtesy of the Dallas Morning News