From the distinctive venue to the storied historical past, there are few faculty soccer staples fairly just like the Allstate Pink River Rivalry.
From the hubbub of the State Truthful of Texas ongoing exterior to the enduring half-orange, half-red Cotton Bowl break up, the annual showdown between the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners all the time brings a memorable environment.
This yr, intrigue in regards to the sport is particularly excessive, as Texas started the season because the No. 1 crew within the nation however remains to be looking for its first win towards an influence convention opponent. And whereas sixth-ranked Oklahoma definitely doesn’t appear to be the form of opponent the Longhorns would wish to face whereas nonetheless trying to find that victory, the provision of Sooners quarterback John Mateer is unsure after a hand harm sustained earlier within the season.
Convention affiliations can change — this yr will mark the second season that Oklahoma-Texas shall be performed as an SEC contest — however iconic moments stay a staple in Dallas. Simply two years in the past, Nic Anderson secured a everlasting place in Sooners lore with a profitable landing catch with 15 seconds left.
Listed below are a number of the different most iconic performs within the rivalry because the flip of the century.
Kennedy Brooks dashes to last-second winner
The 2021 version of the rivalry was one of many video games of that faculty soccer season, and for good purpose.
Along with being a remarkably high-powered sport that includes a mixed 1,178 yards of whole offense, the celebs had been shining within the Cotton Bowl. Texas receiver Xavier Worthy caught 9 passes for a staggering 261 yards and a pair of scores. On the opposite sideline, Oklahoma turned to their backup quarterback for a contemporary engine — a extremely touted freshman named Caleb Williams.
A late Worthy landing appeared to ship the sport to extra time, however the Sooners’ offense had one final rating left. Williams piloted Oklahoma to the sting of discipline objective vary, earlier than Kennedy Brooks outraced the Longhorns’ protection to the tip zone for a profitable landing with simply seconds left.
Cameron Dicker seals the deal late
With 8½ minutes left within the fourth quarter of the 2018 version of the rivalry, Texas gave the impression to be on cruise management. The Longhorns’ three third-quarter touchdowns had given them a snug 45-24 lead.
The Kyler Murray-led Sooners had different plans. Oklahoma stormed again, with a 7-yard run by Trey Sermon to tie the sport with simply over two minutes to go. However Sam Ehlinger engineered one ultimate drive for Texas in response, finally placing the Longhorns’ victory hopes on the foot of true freshman kicker Cameron Dicker.
Dicker, now with the Los Angeles Chargers, answered the decision, draining a 40-yard discipline objective with 9 seconds left to safe a win for Texas.
Jordan Shipley’s particular groups spark
In a battle between top-5 foes, it was the No. 1-ranked Sooners who raced to an early 14-3 lead in Dallas.
With Texas in want of a spark, Jordan Shipley delivered. He raced the kickoff after Oklahoma’s second landing 96 yards the opposite option to the tip zone for a momentum-changing rating, the longest such return within the lengthy historical past of the rivalry.
The Longhorns’ offense had punted twice in three drives earlier than Shipley’s return. They might end six of their subsequent seven drives with factors, finally amassing a 45-35 lead that might energy Texas to a serious win.
Roy Williams goes Superman mode to safe a Sooners win
With simply over two minutes left in one other top-5 version of the rivalry, the stage was set for yet one more iconic ending.
The Longhorns, trailing 7-3, stood 97 yards away from a profitable landing. They wouldn’t get any nearer. Texas quarterback Chris Simms took the primary snap of the drive and hardly made it three steps into his dropback earlier than star Oklahoma security Roy Williams was upon him. Williams crashed into Simms with a Superman-esque dive, his physique basically parallel to the bottom on the level of contact.
Simms’ disrupted move fell proper into the arms of Teddy Lehman, who intercepted it and rushed into the tip zone untouched. The Sooners’ 14-3 lead would maintain as the ultimate rating.
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