Tough Defense, Rugged QB Lead Oklahoma to a Stirring Rally Past Texas

The Sooners got three takeaways and a goal line stand, but it was Dillon Gabriel who delivered the game-winning drive in the final minutes.

DALLAS — Brent Venables said on Day One he wanted Oklahoma to have a physical, punishing, relentless, suffocating defense again.

He apparently got what he wanted.

But Venables and the Sooners also got a tough, gritty, resilient, determined quarterback.

No. 12-ranked Oklahoma coughed up a double-digit fourth-quarter lead against No. 3 Texas on Saturday, then went and got it back and avenged last year’s debacle with a riveting 34-30 victory over the Longhorns at State Fair Park.

Dillon Gabriel’s 3-yard touchdown pass to Nic Anderson put the Sooners ahead with 15 seconds to play and sent the Cotton Bowl's south end zone into a frenzy.

The OU defense then survived an alley-oop throw into the end zone by Quinn Ewers as time expired, a soothing balm for the 49-0 loss in Venables' first season.

"Last year," Venables said, "was an embarrassment. My hands are all over that.”

OU (6-0 overall, 3-0 Big 12) stayed unbeaten, while Texas (5-1, 2-1) lost for the first time.

"It was fun to be a part of a game like that," Venables said. "I love watching young people respond and believe," Venables said, "and our guys have an unshakable belief, I know that.

"I'm just really proud of our players."

After missing last year's 49-0 loss with a concussion, Gabriel finished with 285 yards and a touchdown passing and a career-high 114 yards and a touchdown rushing.

Jalil Farooq led the Sooners with 130 yards on five receptions. Anderson's TD catch was his only reception of the game.

Gabriel directed the 75-yard final drive in just five plays and 62 seconds to retake the momentum his team had lost and take home the win in his Red River Rivalry debut.

“Momentum is a delicate thing,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said.

The Oklahoma defense had a season-high five quarterback sacks and three more takeaways, but gave up 527 total yards, including 346 passing from Ewers.

Bert Auburn’s 47-yard field goal with 1:17 to play seemed to seal it for Texas and staked the Horns to a 30-27 lead. But Gabriel had other ideas.

"Time's dwindling when you get to midfield, and knowing we can get three with another 20 yards," Gabriel said. " ... Just saw the corner clamp and seen Nic in the back of the end zone.

"Proud of everyone coming together and controlling the chaos and dialing in."

Leading 27-20, OU got a dramatic goal-line stand to open the fourth quarter and immediately drove it into Texas territory on some tough runs and accurate throws by Gabriel. But Zach Schmit missed a 45-yard field goal, and Texas responded with a touchdown drive — Jonathan Brooks scored on a 29-yard run and finished the day with 129 yards — that tied it at 27-27 with 6:10 to play.

Oklahoma had seized a 27-17 lead early in the third quarter on a 75-yard drive that took more than 4 1/2 minutes off the clock as Tawee Walker scored his second touchdown of the game.

OU’s defense then forced Ewers into his third turnover of the game, a fumble forced by Peyton Bowen and recovered by Gentry Williams — his second takeaway.

But the Sooner offense squandered that opportunity, and Ewers and Brooks put Texas in position for a field goal that made it 27-20.

Again Oklahoma’s offense couldn’t answer, and Ewers engineered an impressive drive to the OU goal line at the start of the fourth quarter.

Instead allowing the tying TD there, however, Oklahoma came up with its second goal-line stand of the game, with Danny Stutsman and Dasan McCullough teaming up for the third-down stop and McCullough and Billy Bowman combining for the fourth-down stop.

“I think this year they have a lot more confidence in themselves,” Ewers said of OU's defense compared to last year. “ … Their defense is really improved, obviously.”

“We’re better in every area,” Venables said. “We’re not where we want to be, but this is the next step.”

Last year’s game — Venables’ first, Sarkisian’s second — wasn’t competitive, as the Longhorns exposed OU’s plan without Gabriel and strutted down the midway with a 49-0 win. It was Texas’ biggest margin of victory ever over Oklahoma.

But this one was competitive from the opening kickoff, with big hits and hard tackles, with shoves on the sideline and defenders slinging ballcarriers to the grass.

“We kept our poise,” linebacker Danny Stutsman said. “ … What a great team effort.”

OU made all the right moves early with a big hit on the opening kick, a tackle for loss, a spectacular Gentry Williams interception and a Gabriel touchdown run that gave the Sooners a 7-0 lead.

On its second drive, Texas got slick with a fourth-and-5 fake punt for 20 yards and a fourth-and-1 completion by their wildcat quarterback, igniting the Longhorn offense.  Ewers was intercepted again, however, when Billy Bowman separated Ja’Tavion Sanders from the ball with another big hit, and Kendel Dolby grabbed the deflection.

That backfired, however, as OU’s offense couldn’t get off its goal line and Josh Plaster’s punt was blocked by Kitan Crawford and recovered in the end zone by Malik Muhammad, tying it at 7-7.

Oklahoma took a 10-7 lead early in the second quarter on Schmit’s 27-yard field goal, and Texas answered with a 22-yard throw to a wide open Gunnar Helm for a 14-10 lead.

Walker plowed in for a 1-yard TD run that put the Sooners up 17-14, but Auburn’s 25-yard field goal tied it with 1:53 before halftime.

Gabriel then put OU in front with a closing drive that resulted in Schmit’s second field goal, a 26-yarder that gave the Sooners a 20-17 halftime lead.

Gabriel's performance leaves no doubt about his place among Oklahoma quarterbacks.

"This is a team effort," he said. "There's no throw without a block and there's no pitch without a catch. Everyone finding ways to make plays. It's a W or an L."

"He's the calmest guy I've ever been around at the quarterback position," Venables said. " ... I don't put any limits on what Dillon can do.

"Man, he's an assassin, no doubt about it."

"He deserves the Heisman this year," Farooq said.