The game clock in the Cotton Bowl Stadium had just fallen under the four-minute mark of the third quarter when Texas fifth-year punter Mac Chiumento was brought out for the third straight time. On the Longhorns’ three drives to start the second half, they ran only 10 offensive plays, using over 5 minutes of clock. Texas still led after holding a 10-point halftime edge, but the margin for error was becoming less and less comfortable.
Chiumento sent a poorly hit boot towards the Oklahoma sideline. You wouldn’t expect it to be a particularly memorable play in the grand scheme of the game, right?
But as the ball settled near midfield, Oklahoma wide receiver Isaiah Sategna III — naturally waiting for the surrounding Longhorns to mark the play dead — was met by white jerseys trying to shove him into the almost-still pigskin. The tussle spilled onto the sideline chalk and sparked a physical uprising from nearby Sooners.
As the situation untangled, the whole Oklahoma sideline erupted with claps and head-nodding, receiving a reciprocated reaction from its faithful onlookers covering the south side of the stadium. The team and its fans entered the Red River Rivalry desperate. In that moment, Oklahoma’s confidence officially materialized.
“It juiced up the entire stadium,” said Peyton Bowen, the Oklahoma defensive back who secured the fourth-quarter pick-six, about the scuffle postgame. “We were losing the game, and we had momentum, which is kind of crazy. We got a stop, and you never really see a punt bring that much momentum. It just sparked something in our team, which I think we needed.”
For much of Saturday’s game, the Sooners stuck around, lurking for a time to capitalize on a Texas team with much more to lose. The scuffle hinted at their ability to do so, the pick-six amplified it and the final result confirmed it.
Now, Texas has to be prepared for a similar approach from Florida. Much like the Sooners, the Gators don’t match up to the talent level that Texas holds. In fact, they are coming off two ugly losses in a row, have a banged-up quarterback who’s been limited in practice all week, and may have the statistically worst defense in the Southeastern Conference. Nationally, Florida is currently the go-to example of what polarity in the AP Poll looks like.
But what the Gators do threaten is the same desperation Oklahoma used to spark momentum and overcome a talent and scoreboard disadvantage. When facing an underdog, allowing belief is the most dangerous thing you can do — that may be the most important reminder Texas can take away from the painful memory of last week.
“They played like they wanted it more,” UT senior left tackle Trevor Goosby said about the Sooners on Monday. “Ultimately, we just gotta look at ourselves in the mirror and realize what we did wrong and things we need to change.”
Returning home to Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium for this game should help, as head coach Steve Sarkisian acknowledged Monday. With the 50/50 crowd dynamic in the Red River Rivalry, momentum flows back and forth more visibly than anywhere else. Yet at DKR, one of the most intimidating home environments, Texas will already have a hefty momentum advantage from the second “Hell’s Bells” ring, and the run-out begins.
So don’t dwell on the past — learn from it by delivering a complete, clean performance where home momentum never gets a chance to fade.
