The Red River Rivalry is where legends are made. On Saturday, Quinn Ewers returned to action for the Longhorns against Oklahoma after missing the previous two games. And, despite a rusty first quarter that was neck and neck, Ewers and the Longhorns stormed to a 34-3 victory over the Sooners thanks to a stellar defense and tremendous hustle plays on offense.
If you like offense, the start to Saturday’s game was likely tough to watch. On Texas’ first offensive drive, Quinn Ewers threw an interception to Sooners defensive back Billy Bowman Jr., a former Texas commit. Moreover, the Longhorns were held scoreless for the entirety of the first quarter. During this stretch, the team only totaled 13 yards of total offense
However, as the old saying goes, ‘defenses win championships’… and Golden Hats. Against Oklahoma, sophomore linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. continued to wreak havoc defensively. Late in the second quarter, Hill forced a fumble which translated to a Quintrevion Wisner 43-yard touchdown rush, giving Texas a 21-3 lead with 1:40 in the second quarter. Ultimately, Hill ended the game with an impressive 11 tackles and two sacks.
Unfortunately for Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables, not much was working offensively. In fact, his Sooners squad only amassed 237 yards of total offense on Saturday. To sum it up, an offense that has been riddled by injuries did not look great against a strong defense.
But, what most accurately summarized Saturday’s Red River game was Texas wide receiver Silas Bolden. For many, the 2024 Red River game will be remembered by Bolden’s sheer effort. That is because, in the second quarter, Bolden galloped 55.6 yards (according to ESPN’s analytics) to chase down a Quintrevion Wisner fumble in the end zone for a touchdown.
If you want to win games, those are the plays that need to be made. On Saturday, it seemed like the Longhorns refused to take the easy way out. Through 60 minutes of play, the Longhorns allowed zero touchdowns. When the offense has struggled, the defense has been there to pick up the slack. Steve Sarkisian has prided his team for not being one dimensional, and that has been on full display so far this season.
In addition to Bolden, Longhorns such as Quintrevion Wisner, Gunnar Helm, and Ryan Wingo all had big nights offensively. For Wingo, despite only catching two passes for 49 yards, the freshman turns everything he touches into gold. And while Gunnar Helm might not be as flashy as Wingo, he continues to be the heart beat of the offense. Today, Helm kicked off Texas’ scoring action with a 7-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter. Lastly, Quintrevion Wisner has been the team’s most surprising player by far this season. Against Oklahoma, the Texas running back ran for 118 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries. Not bad for a guy that was set to be the third-string back entering this season.
With all of the stars of Steve Sarkisian’s 2024 Longhorns squad, it might be most telling that every game seems to feature an unsung hero. Teams with legitimate championship potential don’t have to rely on one guy to win games. On Saturday, the Longhorns played far from their very best and still won by 31 points. Imagine how this team can play when everything is clicking.
Next weekend, the Longhorns will host the Georgia Bulldogs in Austin, TX. Kickoff from DKR is slated for 6:30 P.M. (CT) in a game that will air on ABC. Furthermore, ESPN’s College Gameday will be on the Forty Acres for next weekend’s big matchup.
