Red River Review: Iconic moments, games and players from the Texas-Oklahoma rivalry

Texas will take on Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry this weekend at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.

It’s the continuation of one of college football’s best and most unique traditions — but it also marks the start of a new era. This will be the first meeting between these 2 storied programs as official SEC members.

If you’re a fan of another SEC program, you may have some catching up to do on the history of this rivalry — hopefully this story will provide some context on the bitterness and intensity of what goes on at the Cotton Bowl every October. If you’re a Texas or Oklahoma fan, allow this story to take you down memory lane through some of the highest highs and lowest lows of the Red River Rivalry.

Here are 7 iconic games, moments and performances, in no particular order, from this series:

CeeDee Lamb’s immortal game

The intensity of the Cotton Bowl with over 90,000 screaming fans tends to expose players for who they are — whether that’s good or bad can vary from player to player. But it’s just a reality of Texas-Oklahoma. How you play under the beating October sun at the Texas State Fair says a lot about who you are as a player, for better or worse. You can’t fake your way through it — the atmosphere insists on full transparency.

That has perhaps never been more apparent, in a positive way, than in CeeDee Lamb’s 2019 performance against the Longhorns. He finished with 10 catches for 170 yards and 3 touchdowns. A great game, to be sure, but maybe not one that deserves so much hyperbole — unless you watched it live. 

Two of Lamb’s touchdowns were spectacular and all 3 were necessary. At times, it seemed as though there was a forcefield around him as he trotted through Texas’ well-positioned (but wholly-unmatched) secondary time after time. On one specific touchdown, Lamb ran over, through or around 5 different Texas defenders. Another score saw him wiggle out of a tackle near the sideline, absorb a hit and tightrope into the end zone for a crucial 6 points.

Oklahoma ended up winning 34-27 almost entirely due to Lamb’s effort. He didn’t break any records that day. OU didn’t go on to win the national championship that season. But for my money, this is the best an Oklahoma wide receiver has ever been. 

49-0

To understand the importance of Texas’ 49-0 win over Oklahoma in 2022, we have to go back in time a bit. 

Since the turn of the century, Oklahoma has been dominant in this series. Not only in terms of overall series record — which the Sooners lead 17-8 entering the 2024 meeting — but also by margin-of-victory. 

Bob Stoops made a habit out of beating Mack Brown’s teams like a drum. OU won 63-14 in 2000, 65-13 in 2003, 55-17 in 2011 and 63-21 in 2012. Sure, Texas got a few wins over the first part of the 21st century — but never like that. 

That is, until 2022. Texas walloped Oklahoma 49-0, earning its largest-ever victory over the Sooners. It was the first time Oklahoma had been shutout by Texas since 1965. It also snapped a string of 4 consecutive OU wins over the Longhorns. 

Yes, Oklahoma was severely handicapped in that game with quarterback Dillon Gabriel sidelined. No, that doesn’t diminish the gravity of what this emphatic victory meant for Texas. It finally gave Texas an answer to all the 40-and-50-point drubbings it suffered during the Brown era.

It was the first signature win of Steve Sarkisian’s tenure — something that was badly needed after UT lost to Kansas as 31-point favorites and missed a bowl game the year prior. That game serves as a dividing line for the Sarkisian era in Austin. Before? Texas was just 8-9. Since? The Longhorns are 21-5 and reached the College Football Playoff in 2023. That’s the performance that gave Texas its swagger back — something it’s still feeding on to this day.  

A tradition born

The Texas-Oklahoma rivalry forever changed in 1929. That year, the Longhorns and Sooners met on the south side of Dallas at Fair Park Stadium, just a year before the iconic stadium now known as the Cotton Bowl would officially open (Texas won 21-0 in ‘29). The first Texas-OU game at the Cotton Bowl took place the next year in 1930 (also a UT victory)

At some point over the last 95 years or so, the tradition evolved into what it is today: one of the most chaotic, unique and memorable atmospheres in all of sports. 

The Texas State Fair is its own spectacle — a 24-day-long event that attracts crowds from fair and wide. The Texas State Fair reported 2.3 million attendees in 2023 — including over 200,000 on game day. Maneuvering through the fair and its trappings is the only way to attend the Red River Rivalry, as the Cotton Bowl is enclosed within the fairgrounds. On game day, a ticket to Texas-Oklahoma is a ticket to the Texas State Fair. 

With an official capacity of over 92,000 people, fans of Texas and Oklahoma split the stadium right down the middle each October — half Crimson, half burnt orange. It’s been this way for decades, and with any luck, it’ll be this way for decades more. Outside the stadium you’ll find a seemingly-endless line of fried food and carnival vendors hoping to grab your attention. And there’s little doubt that you should give it to them — a Fletcher’s Corny Dog for breakfast on the day of the Red River Rivalry is a delicacy of the highest order. 

Quan Cosby and the apex of the Big 12 South

You could make the case that 2008 is the peak of the Texas-Oklahoma rivalry in terms of national relevance. It’s certainly the apex of the old Big 12 South. 

That year was, in many ways, about Oklahoma. The Sooners played for the national championship that season and quarterback Sam Bradford took home the programs’ 5th Heisman Trophy. 

But it was the Longhorns who triumphed in October at the Cotton Bowl that season. The Longhorns won 45-35, handing OU what would be its only loss of the regular season that year. The win was punctuated by a vicious, old-school style block by Texas receiver Quan Cosby. Cosby decleated Oklahoma defender Landry Holmes, setting up a near-touchdown pass by Colt McCoy to Jordan Shipley. Texas took the lead shortly thereafter and then added another touchdown to earn a 10-point win. 

Cosby’s block is one of the most indelible moments — at least from UT’s point of view — in this rivalry over the last 25 years. And yet, Texas didn’t get to reap the reward.

The Longhorns’ famous loss to Michael Crabtree and Texas Tech a few weeks later forced a 3-way tie atop the Big 12 standings. Oklahoma, after crushing the Red Raiders in Norman that November, won the tiebreaker by virtue of its higher BCS ranking. OU, and not Texas, went on to beat Mizzou in the Big 12 title game and earned a spot in the national championship game against Florida. UT’s turn for a shot at the national title would have to wait until the following year. 

SuperMan comes to the Cotton Bowl

Unless you’re a Texas fan, arguably the single most iconic play of this rivalry is Roy Williams’ takedown of UT quarterback Chris Simms in 2001. 

Oklahoma was clinging to a 7-3 lead over the Longhorns with just over 2 minutes remaining in the game. Texas was tasked with going 97 yards to score a potential go-ahead touchdown. 

But the drive ended before it really began. 

On the first play of the drive, Williams timed his blitz perfectly. He leapt into the end zone and collided with Simms as he attempted to throw a pass. The ball fell fatally into the hands of linebacker Teddy Lehman, who needed just a couple steps to give Oklahoma a decisive 14-3 lead. 

Here’s video of the play with the great Brent Musburger on the call for ABC: 

Forever known in Sooner lore as the “SuperMan” play because of Williams’ heroic dive, it remains one of the most significant moments in the history of the Red River Rivalry. 

Cameron Dicker spoils Kyler Murray’s comeback

The 2018 Red River Rivalry was one of the best in recent memory — particularly with the stakes at hand. 

Both teams were ranked in the top 10 and fighting for College Football Playoff consideration. Oklahoma had won the previous 2 meetings and 6 of the prior 8 — Texas was desperate for a victory.

And for a long time, it looked like it would get one. Texas had a commanding 45-24 lead after 3 quarters at the Cotton Bowl. Even by Red River standards, that was going to be a tough deficit to overcome. 

And then Kyler Murray happened. 

Oklahoma rattled off 21 straight points on 3 scoring drives that were led by Murray. The 3 drives, which included a 1-play, 67-yard touchdown on a run by Murray, took a total of 10 plays. That’s all Murray needed to even the score with 2:38 left on the clock. 

But that was too much time for Texas. The Longhorns, stunned by OU’s comeback, were able to collect themselves and maneuver down the field for a field goal attempt. Freshman Cameron Dicker came up clutch, drilling a 40-yarder as time expired to give Texas the win. 

The legacy of this game is complicated for both sides. For one thing, it was the final game of Mike Stoops’ second stint in Norman. He parted ways as the program’s defensive coordinator the next day. 

And, as it turned out, it would be Oklahoma who got the last laugh. These teams met again later in the year in the Big 12 Championship Game. This time, Oklahoma prevailed with relative ease, 39-27. Murray was once again brilliant in the rematch. He threw for 379 yards and 3 touchdowns as he got revenge over the Longhorns. On the back of that performance, Murray snatched the Heisman Trophy away from Tua Tagovailoa the following week in New York City. 

Texas leaves no doubt

The early aughts mostly belonged to Oklahoma in this rivalry. That is, until 2005. 

Oklahoma had won 5 in a row at the Cotton Bowl entering the 2005 meeting. The Sooners were unranked at the time of this matchup after dropping early-season matchups to TCU and UCLA. The then-No. 2 Longhorns showed no mercy. 

Led by Vince Young, Texas won 45-12 at the Cotton Bowl. It serves as Mack Browns’ biggest-ever victory over the Sooners — and it was a meaningful one after Texas lost by 49+ points in 2 of the prior 5 seasons. 

Young threw for 3 touchdowns. Legendary running back Jamaal Charles rushed for 116 yards on just 9 carries. Michael Huff intercepted Rhett Bomar. These guys are Texas royalty — and they all showed up in a big way in 2005. 

Texas made good on its win over Oklahoma. That Longhorns team went on to win it all in 2005, beating USC in one of the most memorable national championship games of the 21st century. 

This game also kicked off a successful stint in Dallas for Texas. This was the first what would become 4 wins in a 5-year period for UT over the Sooners. To this day, it’s the only 5-year period with 4 wins in the Red River Rivalry for Texas this century.

Honorable mentions

Saturday’s meeting between Texas and Oklahoma will be the 120th in this series — so there are undoubtedly plenty of moments and countless memories that are missed by this story. The history of this game is as deep and as rich as any rivalry in all of college football, after all.

Here’s a few honorable mentions, in reverse-chronological order:

• 2023: Dillon Gabriel leads Oklahoma to a 34-30 win over Texas with a last-minute touchdown drive.
• 2021: Caleb Williams takes over OU’s starting quarterback job and leads the Sooners to a 25-point 4th quarter — and a 55-48 win over UT.
• 2020: Oklahoma beats Texas 53-45 after 4 overtime periods. Drake Stoops scored the game-winning TD.
• 2017: Oklahoma blew a 20-0 lead, but Baker Mayfield found Mark Andrews for a 59-yard go-ahead touchdown pass in the 4th quarter. OU held on from there. Mayfield went on to win the Heisman Trophy and led Oklahoma to another College Football Playoff berth that season.
• 2000: Quentin Griffin rushes for 6 touchdowns as OU beats No. 11 Texas 63-14. It kicked off what has become known as “Red October” at Oklahoma — the first of 3 straight top-15 wins for the Sooners. Oklahoma also beat No. 2 Kansas State and No. 1 Nebraska later that month. OU went on to win the national championship that season.
• 1999: The late Mike Leach, serving as Oklahoma’s offensive coordinator, leaks a fake play script for Texas’ coaching staff to find. The plot worked for a while, as OU jumped out to a 17-3 lead after 1 quarter but Texas ultimately prevailed 38-28.
• 1984: Texas was No. 1, Oklahoma was No. 3. Mack Brown was on OU’s sideline as offensive coordinator. Oklahoma led late, but Texas kicked a field goal to force a 15-15 tie.
• 1963: Texas and Oklahoma met as No. 1 and No. 2 in the AP Poll for the first time. The Longhorns prevailed and ended up winning the national championship that season, too.
• 1958: Darrell Royal, a former Oklahoma quarterback, was now on Texas’ sideline at the Cotton Bowl as head coach. The Longhorns snapped a streak of 6 straight losses to the Sooners with a 15-14 upset win over OU. In 1996, UT named its stadium after Royal.

Spenser Davis

Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.