By Kyle Golik
#5 1958 and 1963: The Student Defeats The Teacher
Two men who defined this rivalry were once on the same side at Oklahoma as Bud Wilkinson mentored a young quarterback and defensive back named Darrell Royal from 1946 to 1949. Royal’s efforts in the 1949 Sugar Bowl helped earn Royal the starting job the following season where he guided Oklahoma to an 11-0 record and a second consecutive Sugar Bowl win. Royal graduated from Oklahoma with one of the best records as a starting quarterback, going 15-1 and still is the all-time leader in interceptions with 18.
When the Texas job came open, it wasn’t sitting well with many in Norman considering one of their finest took the job in Austin. 1958 was the first blow, with Oklahoma coming off their 47-game winning streak in 1957, it seemed perfect Oklahoma was primed to be upset. Royal took care of business throughout most of the 1958 contest up 8-6, it would be a Texas turnover late that seemed to be the backbreaker as Oklahoma returned a Texas fumble to go up 14-8.
It wouldn’t dampen the spirits of the Longhorns as Bobby Lackey connected with Bob Bryant to tie the game at 14 and Lackey kicked the extra point for a 15-14 victory.
Royal would go 12-1 over the next 13 seasons against Oklahoma, flipping the rivalry in favor of the Longhorns.
The last Red River Rivalry Bud Wilkinson ever coached in was the 1963 edition. This would be the game that would break Oklahoma and begin Texas’ run as a national power. In what was a No. 1 (Oklahoma) vs. No. 2 (Texas) matchup, with plenty of hype surrounding it, Texas took a commanding 21-0 lead in this edition and wasn’t threatened, winning 28-7.
On the surface, the game may not have been the most exciting but it sure was one of the more consequential games.
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#4 The Spirit of ‘76 Was Tension
When the tables turned on Royal in the rivalry, it would turn nasty between him and new Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer. Switzer had succeeded Chuck Fairbanks who took the New England Patriots job, and despite Oklahoma on probation, Oklahoma won two national championships, much to Royal’s chagrin.
What didn’t set well with Royal was Switzer’s tactics on the recruiting trail and when it came up that Switzer spied on them, the hate boiled over to levels that rivalry before or since hasn’t seen.
Royal took to the media, challenged Switzer to a lie detector test, and even said of Oklahoma, “Those sorry bastards, I don’t trust ’em on anything.”
To attempt to smooth things over, President Gerald R. Ford attended the game and that didn’t even help. The game ended in a sloppy 6-6 tie that was littered with eight turnovers. The game was the last for Royal, and there was some sadness that a man who did a lot of great things for Oklahoma, was treated as an enemy of state.
In 1992, after things cooled down, Royal was finally inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame.
#3 Another Tie Shifts The Series
Arguably one of the more controversial games in the series came in 1984. In near monsoon rain, it would be a pair of Oklahoma turnovers that would give the Longhorns a 10-0 first-half lead. The irony of having that lead is Texas had more scoring plays (two) than first downs (one).
Oklahoma rallied back to take a 15-10 lead in the half, and it would be a rare coaching gaffe by Switzer that opened the door for a Texas tie.
After Oklahoma denied Texas at the goalline, their offense stalled and the questionable tactic of punting from their own end zone or taking a safety and giving the defense better position was debated, with Switzer ultimately taking the intentional safety and trying to give his defense a better chance. When you consider the lack of success Texas had all day offensively, the strategy wasn’t sound in theory.
Where the theory backfired came late as Texas drove the length of the field, Texas head coach Fred Akers decided initially to go for the win. When it looked like Oklahoma’s Keith Stanberry had a game-sealing interception with 10 seconds remaining, Texas received a gift when the officials waved it off as incomplete.
Akers realized the gift he had received and with only a few seconds left opted for a tie in this top-ranked matchup, prompting an OU coach to yell “Chicken s*it” at the Longhorns as they left the field.
#2 Colt McCoy Flips The Rivalry
As the Bob Stoops era began to take shape, Oklahoma had some statement wins at the beginning of the 21st Century, notably the 63-14 rout in 2000 Roy Williams’ Superman Act in 2001. Oklahoma had won six of eight between 2000 and 2007, with Vince Young being the aberration in that time.
It seemed former Oklahoma offensive coordinator Mack Brown, who was a lightning rod during his time in Norman, became one again in Austin. His inability to beat Oklahoma was always being asked. While the 2005 national championship gave him a bunch of equity, Brown’s lack of success at the Dallas State Fair was always a talking point.
The 2008 matchup saw Oklahoma seize the No. 1 ranking and Texas reach No. 5 as both teams made their march to the Cotton Bowl.
It seemed like another Oklahoma rout when the Sooners went up 21-10, but when Oklahoma lost linebacker Ryan Reynolds, it was Oklahoma’s inability to stop Texas on the next four possessions where Texas asserted themselves for good. The Longhorns ended up winning 45-35, scoring the games final 15 points. Colt McCoy threw for 277 yards and a touchdown and FB Cody Johnson ran for three scores.
#1 The Caleb Williams Game
For many reasons, Caleb Williams’ name won’t be popular amongst Oklahoma fans for him seemingly bailing after Lincoln Riley’s departure. But no matter how you slice it, it was the 2021 Red River Game that put Williams on the map.
You could make the argument that the 2020 four-overtime classic that saw Oklahoma win 53-45 should be included and you might be right, but it is the 2021 battle that really topped it in every single aspect.
The Longhorns had a first quarter that was probably the most ideal for first-year Texas coach Steve Sarkisian. After the embarrassment Texas had against Arkansas, where the Razorbacks rushed for 333 yards and defeated Texas 40-21, Sarkisian really needed to impress the Texas faithful to restore faith and they absolutely did.
Texas stormed to a 28-7 first-quarter lead, that included a highlight 75-yard touchdown by wide receiver Xavier Worthy. It also was a game that exposed former five-star quarterback prodigy Spencer Rattler, who simply couldn’t get Oklahoma’s offense together.
After multiple Oklahoma turnovers, Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley turned the game over to Caleb Williams, who started to dazzle the Cotton Bowl crowd. Williams demonstrated his ability to be explosive with his legs on a 66-yard quarterback run, and instantly developed chemistry with Marvin Mims with a couple highlight touchdowns, including a 52-yard connection that tied the game at 41.
MARVIN MIMS, LET’S RIDE 🐎
The @Broncos select the @OU_Football WR at No. 63 overall.pic.twitter.com/18byDNAeUY
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) April 29, 2023
Once the game was tied, Texas and Oklahoma stood like two classic heavyweights in the center of the ring giving all they got. Oklahoma would feed off the momentum swing as it recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff and a Kennedy Brooks touchdown gave the Sooners their first lead of the day, something that was unthinkable down 28-7 in the first quarter.
Texas was able to tie the game with just over a minute to go. Oklahoma, resisting falling on the football, pushed the ball down the field and Kennedy Brooks once again saw a lane and scored an improbable 33-yard touchdown with 10 seconds remaining in regulation. The 55-48 win put Williams on the map, it was Riley’s last at Oklahoma, and was one Sarkisian used as a blueprint to rebuild Texas.
