Live Notes from No. 1 Texas vs No. 18 Oklahoma

Follow along as our Devon Messinger jots down notes from today’s game between the Mississippi State Bulldogs and the Texas Longhorns.

First Quarter:

• Well, that was a rough first quarter for the Longhorns offense. Quinn Ewers started the game rusty, throwing an interception to Sooners defensive back Billy Bowman Jr. and missing Isaiah Bond for a walk-in touchdown on the ensuing drive.
• Thankfully for Texas fans, the Longhorns defense has been impressive this year. Anthony Hill Jr., Colin Simmons, and Michael Taaffe all made big plays in the first quarter. Furthermore, Texas was bailed out by a missed field goal on Oklahoma’s first drive.

Second Quarter:

• K.I.S.S – keep it simple, stupid. It was only a matter of time before the Longhorns offense was going to wake up. Despite nothing happening in the first quarter, opportunities were there. To start the second quarter, Steve Sarkisian kept it simple and it paid off. Quinn Ewers finally started to connect on his throws, with a deep pass to DeAndre Moore and ultimately with a short touchdown pass to Gunnar Helm.
• Ryan Wingo is dynamite. Everything the freshman wide receiver touches turns to gold. Late in the second quarter, Wingo had a huge 44-yard reception which set the Longhorns up for a touchdown on the following play.
• What an effort by Oregon State transfer wide receiver Silas Bolden to hustle to the end zone and recover Quintrevion Wisner’s fumble for a touchdown. Games like this are won on plays like that.
• My goodness, this Longhorn defense is playing like a man on fire. Both Anthony Hill Jr. and Derek Williams forced fumbles late into the second quarter. As a result, the Texas offense has been given great field position.
• After fumbling on the prior possession, Quintrevion Wisner made Steve Sarkisian’s patience pay off with a 43-yard touchdown rush. In my opinion, Wisner has been one of the more surprising players for the Longhorns this season.

Third Quarter:

• Through three quarters, this year’s Oklahoma Sooners squad has struggled to amount to anything on offense. Sooners quarterback Mike Hawkins Jr. shows potential, but still has a lot of growing to do. However, in Hawkins’ defense, Oklahoma is decimated at the wide receiver position due to injuries.
• While Oklahoma may not be the most dominant team offensively, the Texas defense has been rock solid. The team still has not faced a particularly impressive offense to this point in the season, which is why I am sure many Longhorn fans are still holding their collective breaths.