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Texas Longhorns linebacker Brad Spence (14) celebrates a sack during the Red River Rivalry between the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners at the Cotton Bowl on Saturday Oct. 11, 2025 in Dallas, Texas.<\/p>\n
Aaron E. Martinez\/Austin American-Statesman<\/p>\n
Over the past four seasons,\u00a0Texas football<\/a> has seized control of the Red River Rivalry series<\/a> against bitter rival Oklahoma<\/a>. \u00a0<\/p>\n The No. 1 Longhorns (4-0, 1-0 SEC) have won three of the past four games for the first time since 2006-09, and they\u2019ve limited Oklahoma (2-2, 0-1) to a total of nine points<\/a> in those three victories. Based on the betting lines, that dominance should continue for Texas. For just the second time in the game\u2019s 126-year history, the Longhorns enter the game atop The Associated Press poll<\/a> while the Sooners arrive unranked. Texas already beat then-No. 1 Ohio State<\/a> and picked up a hard-fought SEC road win<\/a> two weeks ago at Tennessee.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The Sooners have struggled so far with unimpressive wins over UTEP and New Mexico as well as losses at Michigan and Georgia. But a triumph in the Cotton Bowl could change the course of the season and take some heat off head coach Brent Venables, who\u2019s tallied a 34-22 record since taking over the OU program in 2022.<\/p>\n Here’s a full scouting report for the\u00a0Texas Longhorns\u00a0vs. the Oklahoma Sooners.\u00a0<\/p>\n MORE: Texas vs OU predictions: How many points for Arch Manning; how many Colin Simmons sacks?<\/a><\/p>\n No. 1 Texas (4-0, 1-0 SEC) vs. Oklahoma (2-2, 0-1)\u00a0<\/p>\n When:\u00a02:30 p.m. Saturday<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Where:\u00a0Cotton Bowl in Dallas\u00a0<\/p>\n TV\/radio:\u00a0ABC, 1300, 98.1, 105.3 (Spanish)<\/p>\n Weather:\u00a0The State Fair should enjoy sunny skies and almost ideal weather, although it could get warm in the sun. Temperatures should climb into the high 80s, but a nice breeze will keep things from getting too sticky .<\/p>\n Texas vs Oklahoma football betting info<\/p>\n Moneyline:\u00a0Texas -330 \/ Oklahoma +260<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Spread:\u00a0Texas is favored by 7\u00bd points.<\/p>\n Texas history: Oklahoma<\/p>\n All-time:\u00a0Texas leads 65-51-5<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Last meeting:\u00a0\u00a0Texas 23, Oklahoma 6 \u00a0(Jan. 1, 1969)<\/p>\n Most memorable meeting:\u00a0Texas 26, Oklahoma 20 (1968).\u00a0Texas won in a stirring comeback behind quarterback James Street in just his second game as the\u00a0Longhorns<\/a>\u2019 starter. The second straight win for a Texas team that had tied and lost in the first two weeks of the season kicked off the most dominant stretch in school history, which included a 30-game win streak and back-to-back national titles in 1969 and 1970.<\/p>\n File photo of the Texas vs. Notre Dame Cotton Bowl game that took place January 1970. Pictured center is #16 quarterback, James Street with Coach Darrell Royal.<\/p>\n The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin<\/p>\n Know the foe: Oklahoma<\/p>\n Last game:\u00a0Lost at Georgia, 41-13 (Sept. 26)<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Players to watch:\u00a0QB\u00a0John Mateer, a 6-foot-1, 225-pound senior from the Dallas suburb of Little Elm, has struggled in his fifth and final collegiate season. He\u2019s thrown for 883 yards, eight touchdowns and four interceptions and has just 76 yards rushing after picking up 1,255 yards and 23 touchdowns on the ground over the previous two seasons.\u00a0<\/p>\n WR\u00a0Parker Livingstone, a 6-3, 200-pound junior, spent his first two seasons at Texas and even roomed with Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning. Livingstone left for Oklahoma<\/a> in the portal during the offseason and has drawn some good-natured ribbing from Manning and Texas coach Steve Sarkisian, but he\u2019s had minimal impact for the Sooners with six catches through four games as well as a costly fumble against Michigan.<\/p>\n Texas Longhorns receiver Parker Livingstone (13) makes a catch during the game against Florida at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025 in Gainesville, Florida.<\/p>\n Aaron E. Martinez\/Austin American-Statesman<\/p>\n DL\u00a0David Stone,\u00a0a 6-3, 315-pound junior, dislocated a kneecap in practice last month but returned in time for the Georgia game. He has just 14 tackles and two stops for a loss this season but remains one of the SEC\u2019s elite run defenders.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Central Texas connections: WR Isaiah Sategna III, who leads OU with 20 catches for 267 yards, graduated from Fayetteville (Ark.) High School but has Austin ties. His father, Mario\u00a0Sategna, once coached track and field for Texas and the younger Sategna once played on a Pop Warner football team in Westlake with former Longhorns safety Michael Taaffe<\/a> and current New York Jets quarterback Cade Klubnick. \u2026 DT Jacob Henry<\/a>, an Austin native who played at Lake Travis and Vandegrift, attends OU on a wrestling scholarship but also plays for the Sooners\u2019 football team. He\u2019s the son of Mark Henry, a noted Texas booster and former professional wrestling star who co-hosts a popular radio show in Austin with Mike\u00a0Hardge.<\/p>\n When Texas has the ball<\/p>\n Sarkisian has become cagey about injuries<\/a>, deferring to the ambiguous injury reports that teams release each day beginning Wednesdays of game week. But RB Hollywood Smothers<\/a> should return this week after missing the Tennessee game, and his explosiveness will help against a Sooner squad that has struggled against the run. Smothers averages 4.8 yards a carry, which leads all Texas players who have at least 10 carries, Oklahoma ranks just 42nd in the nation by allowing 115.5 yards per game on the ground. The Sooners are stingy in the red zone; they\u2019ve given up points on just 60% of an opponents\u2019 drives into the red area, which tops all Power Four programs.<\/p>\n Senior safety Peyton Bowen and younger brother Eli, a cornerback, lead a veteran secondary that could cause problems for Manning and his receiving corps. The Sooners rank fourth in the nation by allowing 122.5 yards per game while Texas ranks just 71st<\/a> with 231.3 yards passing. But the Oklahoma DBs aren\u2019t exactly ballhawks; they have just one interception this season.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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