COMING SOON: HORNS VS COWBOYS

by Larry Carlson for https://texaslsn.org

I was ready to write this headline: Choke-lahoma State Saves Sooners. How could a team given an open chute into the corral squander it all away against a losing team, BYU, at home? But Mike Gundy’s Cowboys, led by Ollie Brown II, the workhorse running back, erased an 18-point halftime deficit and fought off the Cougs and a cold rain to win in double overtime.

So it’s Texas against Okie State, not OU, at Jerryworld on Saturday. I’m guessing that Longhorn players hoped for a shot at OU to avenge the State Fair fiasco. I’m also figuring that a majority of Texas fans are quite pleased that the UT defense won’t face QB Dillon Gabriel, an absolute eel who repeatedly slithered through the burnt orange defenders on third and fourth downs last month. In his place, Gordon, perhaps the top running back in the USA, will be enough of a challenge.

But what Texas does best is stuff the run, even against good teams and talented runners. Advantage, Texas. In spite of leaving many points on the Thanksgiving table in Friday night’s first half, the Longhorns scored in just about every way imaginable in the sayonara shutdown of Texas Tech. Kick return for the distance (Keilan Robinson)? Check. Pick six off a Red Raider’s shoe (Jett Bush)? Check. Sixty-nine-yard TD run, untouched Jaydon Blue)? Check. Five field goals in five attempts (Bert Auburn)? Check.

Mandatory TD pass (Quinn to Xavier)? Check. And, of course, the defense was superb all night. We even got the long-awaited Arch Manning unveiling, and the young New Orleanian with the prized bloodline did not disappoint.

None of that really matters now. The Horns have celebrated 24 hours and have that much of a jump on healing and resting up for their first heavyweight title bout in five long years. Nope, there’s no opportunity to shut up the Sooners and their legions of fans right now. But this bare-knuckle fight will do just fine.

To sub out a few words from an old Stephen Stills song: If you can’t beat the one you hate….then beat the one you play.

C’mon, you know that song.

2004 #6 Texas 56, #19 Oklahoma State 35

 Texas executes the biggest comeback in the history of Longhorn football rallying from 28 points down to win the game against Oklahoma State. QB Vince Young, TE Bo Scaife, Ramonce Taylor, and Cedric Benson lead the charge. UT ended up with 600 yards of total offense as RB Cedric Benson accounted for 141 rushing yards and five rushing TDs.