Oklahoma's Peyton Bowen Savors 'Surreal' Red River Rivalry Moment

DALLAS — In the lead up to Saturday’s Red River Rivalry showdown, Brent Venables showed his team clips of some of the game-defining moments in the series’ storied history.

Watching those clips, Oklahoma safety Peyton Bowen hoped he’d have an opportunity to make such a play.

Early in the fourth quarter, Bowen got his chance and he took advantage of it.

The senior’s 42-yard interception return for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter helped the Sooners’ momentum surge in their eventual 27-24 victory over previously No. 1 Texas.

“Just to be able to make that legacy play is unreal,” Bowen said.

There was plenty more to the play than just Bowen’s part.

The defensive line got an excellent push to flush Arch Manning from the pocket.

Danny Okoye nearly got to Manning, but as he lunged toward the Longhorns’ quarterback, his helmet popped off.

Jake Kreul then dove at Manning, who was forced to move more to his right and float the pass downfield.

Okoye was about to storm off the field for the mandatory one-play sit, disappointed about his lost opportunity for a sack.

“Then the crowd starts going crazy,” Okoye said. “And I look back and he’s running to the end zone. I was like, ‘Wow.’ That changed my whole mood.”

Manning sailed the pass, right to Bowen.

Bowen pulled down the interception and saw plenty of grass ahead.

Teammate Bishop Thomas tried to wave Bowen to his right. Instead, Bowen shuffled to his left and just kept going.

“‘Oh, I’m going this way,’” Bowen thought. “And I just keep running, see some blocks unfold, guy on me, and I was just like, ‘I can’t get stopped.’”

Bowen slowed down a bit as he neared the end zone, stutter-stepping and then darting through a hole through a pair of Texas defenders to find the end zone.for the first time as a Sooner.

Okoye started celebrating by jumping up and down, though coaches tried to calm him down so he didn’t draw a flag.

Beers, pom-poms, and water bottles and who knows what else rained down from the Cotton Bowl’s upper deck as Sooners fans celebrated Bowen’s touchdown that just happened right in front of them.

The game wasn’t over by a long shot. Texas drove down and scored on the next possession to tie the game once more.

But Bowen’s play brought into focus that the Sooners did have a chance to pull off the monumental upset.

Bowen grew up about 40 miles from the Cotton Bowl in Corinth, Texas. He starred at nearby Denton Guyer High. He went to a pair of Red River Rivalry matchups as a recruit.

“I grew up watching this game,” Bowen said. “... It’s surreal being one of the big impacts of the game today on my senior year, last year here, and just being able to live the moment.”

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