What Texas Longhorns Players Said After Crushing Loss to Oklahoma

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The Texas Longhorns got dealt a crushing blow on Saturday in Dallas with a 27-24 loss to the unranked Oklahoma Sooners at the Cotton Bowl.
For many of the players on the Texas roster, this marked their first loss to Oklahoma. The Longhorns had won the past two Golden Hats and nearly had a third.
Multiple Texas players shared their honest feelings about the loss while speaking with reporters after the game. Here's what they had to say:
Ryan Wingo, WR

On the pain of the loss:
"It's a big sting for sure. My first time losing to OU. Nah, that's a big sting. I can't lie. It hurt for sure. But we on to the next game now."
On the offensive inconsistency:
"I feel like we just got to be more complete as an offense. I probably got to do my job better. We're gonna fix it. But just like you said, we're just kind of inconsistent right now, but we'll be better for sure."
On how the team picks up Arch Manning after the loss:
"Just stay with him. That's still our dog. He's still our guy. So, like I said, just stay with him. Maybe whatever words of encouragement it takes. But like I said, I feel like we gotta take some pointers too. We gotta be there for him."
Arch Manning, QB

On how to overcome the offensive issues:
"Yeah, I got to win on first and second down to make the game easier. I can't be loose with the ball."
On the pick-six in the fourth quarter:
"Yeah, I was trying to extend a play, throw it to Cam, and it just was high. Can't do that backed up."
On how Texas bounces back from the loss:
"Got to learn from it and be better."
Colin Simmons, DE

On his message to Arch Manning after the loss:
“Keep his head up. I mean, at the end of the day, it's not too much that you can say, but just move on to the next play. Don’t harp on the past. I mean, at the end of the day, we blessed to be alive.”
On if Texas beat themselves:
"We definitely beat ourselves. Only Texas can beat Texas, you know."
On the level of frustration after the loss:
"Depends on who you're talking to. Right now, it's just next game mentality for me."
Brandon Baker, OL

On the frustration from the offensive inconsistency:
"It's extremely frustrating, but we all got to watch this film, learn and grow from our mistakes, and keep pushing forward."
On the decision to kick the field goal instead of going for it on 4th and 2:
“I trust him. I trust our kicker, Gio. I trust Coach Sark. And shoot, it played out how it played out.”
On one of the positives from the game:
"I felt like up front, at least in pass protection, I felt like we did a good job protecting Arch, giving him enough time, but like I mentioned, guys just learn to grow from mistakes."
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Zach Dimmitt is the Deputy Editor for Texas Longhorns On SI and Texas A&M Aggies On SI. He also contributes as a writer for the On SI channels of the Oregon Ducks, Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans. He was previously the editor-in-chief of Buffalo Bills on SI, Philadelphia Eagles on SI and Seattle Seahawks on SI. Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, Dimmitt received his Bachelor’s Degree in journalism at the University of Texas at Austin in 2022. He originally started with SI’s Fan Nation network in 2021, providing extensive coverage of the NFL and NBA along with college football and basketball. In that time, Dimmitt has published thousands of stories and has reached millions of people across multiple fan bases. You can follow him on X at @ZachDimmitt7
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