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Oklahoma-Texas: One Big Thing

Spencer Rattler's experience in the Red River Rivalry is historically invaluable.
John E. Hoover|
Oklahoma-Texas: One Big Thing
Oklahoma-Texas: One Big Thing

You’ve heard the statistic by now:

Red River Rivalry quarterbacks who haven’t played a major role in this game before struggle when their counterpart has.

Since 1990, the quarterback with more experience in the Cotton Bowl is 14-4-1 against the QB with less.

This doesn’t include two first-time starters, or two experienced QBs going head-to-head. It’s only when one team’s quarterback has played in the game and the other hasn’t (or got minimal snaps).

Here’s the thing: two years ago, that number was 14-2-1.

Jalen Hurts bucked it in 2019, playing in his first Red River Shootout and taking down Texas’ Sam Ehlinger, who had played in two regular-season matchups with Oklahoma as well as the 2018 Big 12 Championship Game.

As Hurts said — “I’ve played in the Iron Bowl” for Alabama against Auburn, so he did come in with some big-rivalry experience. As a graduate transfer, Hurts’ stature as ‘Bama’s starter for two seasons almost disqualifies him from the conversation.

But last year, Oklahoma’s Spencer Rattler simply bucked the trend. It was Rattler’s first Red River Shootout, but it was Ehlinger, a senior, who took the L as Rattler struggled early, got benched and then returned with a vengeance in the Sooners’ four-overtime victory.

It was that very experience — catastrophically bad, then demoralizing, then resurgent, then triumphant — that gives Rattler a significant edge over his counterpart this season, Casey Thompson.

Thompson is a good player and a great storyline, and he’s a dynamic playmaker.

But he’s never been in this setting.

Red River Rookie Record

Here’s how first-year starting QBs in the Red River Rivalry have performed against their more experienced counterparts since 1990:

1990 (TEXAS 14, OU 13)

Steve Collins, OU (v. Peter Gardere)

  • PASSING: 1-5, 6 YDS, 0 TD, 0 INT
  • RUSHING: 3-8

1991 (TEXAS 10, OU 7)

* Cale Gundy, OU (v. Peter Gardere)

  • PASSING: 5-17, 69 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT (6 SACKS)
  • RUSHING: 9-(-42)

1993 (OKLAHOMA 38, TEXAS 17)

Shea Morenz, Texas (v. Cale Gundy)

  • PASSING: 20-36, 263 YARDS, 2 TD, 2 INT (3 SACKS)
  • RUSHING: 4-(-10)

1995 (OU 24, TEXAS 24)

Eric Moore, OU (v. James Brown)

  • PASSING: 7-15, 48 YDS, 1 TD, 0 INT (2 SACKS)
  • RUSHING: 9-36

1996 (OU 30, TEXAS 27)

Justin Fuente, OU (v. James Brown)

  • PASSING: 15-34, 165 YDS, 1 TD, 0 INT
  • RUSHING: 1-3

1999 (TEXAS 38, OU 28)

Josh Heupel, OU (v. Major Applewhite)

  • PASSING: 31-48, 311 YDS, 2 TD, 3 INT (2 SACKS)
  • RUSHING: 6-(-13)

2004 (OU 12, TEXAS 0)

* Vince Young, Texas (v. Jason White)

  • PASSING: 8-23, 86 YDS, 0 TD, 0 INT (3 SACKS)
  • RUSHING: 16-54

2005 (TEXAS 45, OU 12)

Rhett Bomar, OU (v. Vince Young)

  • PASSING: 12-33, 94 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT (3 SACKS)
  • RUSHING: 12-9

2007 (OU 28, TEXAS 21)

Sam Bradford, OU (v. Colt McCoy)

  • PASSING: 21-32, 244 YDS, 3 TD, 0 INT (1 SACK)
  • RUSHING: 3-(-6)

2009 (TEXAS 16, OU 13)

+ Landry Jones, OU (v. Colt McCoy)

  • PASSING: 24-43, 250 YDS, 1 TD, 2 INT (1 SACK)
  • RUSHING: 3-(-4)

2010 (OU 28, TEXAS 20)

Garrett Gilbert, Texas (vs. Landry Jones)

  • PASSING: 27-41, 266 YDS, 0 TD, 1 INT (3 SACKS)
  • RUSHING: 5-(-18)

2011 (OU 55, TEXAS 17)

Case McCoy, Texas (vs. Landry Jones)

  • PASSING: 9-15, 116 YDS, 0 TD, 0 INT (3 SACKS)
  • RUSHING: 9-(-38)

2012 (OU 62, TEXAS 21)

* David Ash, Texas (vs. Landry Jones)

  • PASSING: 13-29, 113 YDS, 0 TDS, 2 INTS (3 SACKS)
  • RUSHING: 6-16

2013 (TEXAS 36, OKLAHOMA 20)

* Blake Bell, OU (v. Case McCoy)

  • PASSING: 12-26, 133 YDS, 0 TDS, 2 INTS (4 SACKS)
  • RUSHING: 7-(-27)

2016 (OKLAHOMA 45, TEXAS 40)

Shane Buechele, Texas (v. Baker Mayfield)

  • PASSING: 19-36, 245 YDS, 3 TDS, 1 INT (4 SACKS)
  • RUSHING: 11-27

2017 (OKLAHOMA 29, TEXAS 24)

Sam Ehlinger, Texas (v. Baker Mayfield)

  • PASSING: 19-39, 278 YDS, 1 TD, 0 INT (2 SACKS)
  • RUSHING: 22-106, 1 TD

2018 (TEXAS 48, OKLAHOMA 45)

Kyler Murray, OU (v. Sam Ehlinger)

  • PASSING: 19-26, 304 YDS, 4 TDS, 1 INT (2 SACKS)
  • RUSHING: 11-92, 1 TD

2019 (OKLAHOMA 34, TEXAS 27)

Jalen Hurts, OU (v. Sam Ehlinger)

  • PASSING: 16-28, 235 YDS, 3 TDS, 1 INT
  • RUSHING: 17-131, 1 TD

2020 (OKLAHOMA 53, TEXAS 45)

Spencer Rattler, OU (v. Sam Ehlinger)

  • PASSING: 23-35, 209 YDS, 3 TDS, 1 INT (2 SACKS)
  • RUSHING: 14-51, 1 TD

* played as a backup in the previous season’s game

+ didn’t start but entered game early in 1st quarter

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John E. Hoover
JOHN E. HOOVER

John is an award-winning journalist whose work spans five decades in Oklahoma, with multiple state, regional and national awards as a sportswriter at various newspapers. During his newspaper career, John covered the Dallas Cowboys, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Arkansas Razorbacks and much more. In 2016, John changed careers, migrating into radio and launching a YouTube channel, and has built a successful independent media company, DanCam Media. From there, John has written under the banners of Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Fan Nation and a handful of local and national magazines while hosting daily sports talk radio shows in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and statewide. John has also spoken on Capitol Hill in Oklahoma City in a successful effort to put more certified athletic trainers in Oklahoma public high schools. Among the dozens of awards he has won, John most cherishes his national "Beat Writer of the Year" from the Associated Press Sports Editors, Oklahoma's "Best Sports Column" from the Society of Professional Journalists, and Two "Excellence in Sports Medicine Reporting" Awards from the National Athletic Trainers Association. John holds a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from East Central University in Ada, OK. Born and raised in North Pole, Alaska, John played football and wrote for the school paper at Ada High School in Ada, OK. He enjoys books, movies and travel, and lives in Broken Arrow, OK, with his wife and two kids.

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