DALLAS — In the 120th Red River Rivalry, Oklahoma had a preliminary plan for an upset victory over Texas, the top-ranked team.
On the Longhorns’ first possession, the Sooners forced a turnover. After the first fifteen minutes, the offense managed to score some points, though not as many as OU had hoped, and the defense held Texas to just nine plays and 13 total yards in the first quarter.
In the second quarter, that plan fell apart, and Oklahoma’s performance literally started to deteriorate as they lost to Texas 34-3. The Sooners’ offensive incompetence persisted, but the defense weakened following a solid start and saw old problems resurface. In particular, Oklahoma’s defense was beset by missed tackles for the third straight game in SEC play, which made Brent Venables state that the Sooners’ defense was the thing he was most disappointed in at the end of the day.
“We didn’t tackle well today,” said safety Robert Spears-Jennings, who had five tackles and a forced fumble to his credit. “Next week’s workouts and game will place a lot of focus on that. Only tackle, tackle, tackle. since we are better equipped to handle it.”
c have missed 43 tackles in three games, averaging over 14 per contest.
When Texas transformed a 3-0 deficit into a 21-3 halftime lead in the second quarter, Oklahoma’s errors were even more obvious. The Longhorns’ first possession of the second quarter saw them go 75 yards over 10 plays after Oklahoma’s defense held Texas to a minimum during the first period. It culminated with Quinn Ewers’ 7-yard touchdown pass to tight end Gunnar Helm, which was ultimately the only score Texas needed that day.
According to defensive coordinator Zac Alley, the Sooners missed eight tackles on that drive.
Alley remarked, “We’ve got to tackle better,” “The physicality and the way we played, in my opinion, is the most important thing I observe. We had a chance. I thought we became a little softer on the edges just a few times.
As things worsened for Oklahoma in the second quarter, the number of missed tackles increased. Ryan Wingo’s 44-yard catch-and-run resulted in three failed tackles. Silas Bolden pounced on a turnover in the end zone that Spears-Jennings forced in the next play, which put Texas in the end zone once more.
Texas running back Quintrevion Wisner evaded a few more would-be tacklers on a 43-yard touchdown run that put the Longhorns ahead 21-3 late in the first half after Oklahoma committed the first of two consecutive fumbles.
“I feel like it’s a want-to thing,” Spears-Jennings, who was given credit for two missed tackles, stated. “If you’re determined to defeat them, you’ll succeed. Therefore, it seems to me that their want-to overshadowed ours today. We didn’t want it as much as they did today.
The missed tackles were particularly concerning for Oklahoma because, despite the Sooners’ defense being generally strong this season, the problem has continued in recent weeks. In what is traditionally the biggest regular-season game on the calendar versus a dreaded foe, this was not only the third consecutive game with a plethora of missed tackles, but it was also a sloppy tackling effort following a bye week — with an extra week to prepare.
“We work the hell out of it and preach it, and it’s hard to do when it’s not live in-game,” Alley stated. “Just keep finishing up and getting the guys down. You must as we compete more effectively. Those good tailbacks will not allow you get away with it. Texas, of course, has one. Additionally, we must improve our efforts to get them on the ground.
Wisner forced four missed tackles against Oklahoma, according to Pro Football Focus. The Sooners credited Wingo with forcing four additional missed tackles. Together, those two accounted for 204 of Texas’ 406 total offensive yards against OU.