DALLAS (AP) -Five years ago, a Texas win, let alone Texas dominance, was unthinkable.
Oklahoma and coach Bob Stoops had whipped Texas every year from 2000-04, including humiliations of 63-14 and 65-13 and a shutout. Many wondered if the Longhorns and coach Mack Brown would ever catch their border rivals who were rolling up Big 12 titles and playing for national championships.
How things have changed in half a decade.
Once a Dallas punching bag for Stoops and gang, Brown is the new Red River King.
Texas’ 16-13 win Saturday was the No. 3 Longhorns’ fourth in five years, turning this streaky rivalry on its head. The series is now so lopsided in Texas’ favor that some Longhorns fans wanted a rout Saturday, not just a win.
Brown has been on the bad end of enough of these games to know that’s expecting way too much. He was all smiles after a dominant defensive effort helped Texas (6-0, 3-0 Big 12) survive one of the worst games of senior quarterback Colt McCoy’s career.
u try to win. You don’t try to blow out,” Brown said.
Texas’ run of success started with a rout. In 2005, Vince Young led Texas to a 45-12 victory on their way to the national championship.
Since then, McCoy has led three Texas victories, joining Bobby Lane and Peter Gardere as the only Longhorns quarterbacks to beat the Sooners three times. Oklahoma’s only victory against McCoy came in 2007.
And while Stoops’ teams used to slam the door on Texas once they got the lead, McCoy rallied the Longhorns from halftime deficits each time.
“I thank God that I have been able to play in this game for four years and stay healthy. Just to be able to play is such an awesome feeling. It is one of the greatest games in college football,” McCoy said Saturday, his voice hoarse from a cold he caught earlier in the week.
What Texas is still missing is a trophy case that can match the Sooners. The Longhorns’ winning run hasn’t resulted in Big 12 titles.
In fact, it’s the Sooners who keep winning them.
From 2000-04, Oklahoma beat Texas five times and won three Big 12 titles. Even when they lost the Big 12 title game in 2003, the Sooners still played for the BCS championship.
Brown and the Longhorns won their only Big 12 title in 2005 and let the Sooners sneak past them twice.
at Texas Tech. The Big 12 tiebreaker once again bumped the Sooners over the Longhorns.
Saturday’s loss leaves Oklahoma only one game behind Texas in the South Division. “Big Game Bob” might not apply to Stoops any more, but “Big 12 Bob” still fits and the Sooners could strike again if Texas stumbles.
M and a home game against No. 24 Kansas. The Jayhawks were undefeated before Saturday’s upset loss to Colorado.
That’s why Brown said his latest win over the Sooners is just a start.
“This is where we start, not where we finish,” Brown said. “We were sitting here in this same position last year and after we lost to Texas Tech we let it go back into a system and the system kept us out. Now next week’s game becomes bigger than this one and it’ll progress like that for the rest of the year.”
Add A Comment