Texas 24, Oklahoma 17: Yes, that really happened (What We Learned)

1999ba35ca6cf421c62939f69a9b65f5 The Texas Longhorns erased the painful memory of the past 18 games with a 24-17 victory over No. 10 Oklahoma in the Red River Showdown. Texas made plays in all three phases of the game, knocking off an undefeated Sooner team that entered the game as a heavy favorite. As one might expect, the Horns were pretty excited. If you're looking for unity on the 40 Acres, just beat Oklahoma. The past week for Texas was hectic. Talk centered on the apparent divide inside the locker room more so than the biggest game on the schedule, but a team effort against Oklahoma will bring the Longhorns players, coaches and fan base together for the foreseeable future. The defense looked like a completely new unit.  Texas established a pass rush early, getting to quarterback Baker Mayfield early and often to get the Lincoln Riley-led offense out of rhythm. This allowed the Texas rushing attack led by Jerrod Heard and D’Onta Foreman a chance to get it going. Texas took a 24-10 lead into the fourth quarter, but the Sooners cut the lead to seven with eight minutes left in the game. It was again the Texas defense that held strong, sacking Mayfield on third down to force a punt and the Texas offense ran out the clock to secure Charlie Strong’s first signature win since arriving on the 40 Acres. The Longhorns committed a few penalties and gave up some big plays, but the unit was much improved on third down because the defensive line forced the Sooners into third-and-long situations. Defensive coordinator Vance Bedford was brilliant and the group executed and rattled Mayfield throughout the game. The Longhorns' ground attack is figuring itself out. Foreman and Heard each rushed over 100 yards, and while Johnathan Gray played well, it is clear Foreman should be the lead running back for Texas moving forward this season. Heard is still a run-first quarterback, but offensive coordinator Jay Norvell mixed it up enough to keep Oklahoma’s defense off balance. A touchdown pass from Heard to Marcus Johnson in the first half, which was basically a run, ignited the team and gave Texas fans a reminder of the talent he showed in the 2013 upset of Oklahoma. Texas still isn’t an elite team. There is more work to do for the Longhorns to regain the form it had under the glory years of Mack Brown, but with this win, Strong can quiet his critics, build momentum in recruiting and focus on putting Texas back on the national map.