Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. (9) throws the ball as Auburn Tigers tackle Oklahoma Sooners at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. The annual showdown between Oklahoma and Texas would not want a lot in the best way of additional juice.
“I believe it is simply within the filth,” Oklahoma linebacker Kobie McKinzie stated of why level spreads do not matter within the Pink River Rivalry. “No matter occurred there over these a whole lot of years is simply there. Like, you simply hit the sphere, it feels prefer it’s onerous to breathe. There’s nowhere to go.”
There shall be a lot on the road Saturday when the top-ranked Longhorns tackle the No. 18 Sooners in Dallas in one of the distinctive rivalry video games within the sport.
The sport is performed in the midst of the State Truthful of Texas with the group break up 50-50 down the 50-yard line.
It hasn’t fairly been performed for “a whole lot” of years, like McKinzie stated, however it has been held for practically a century at its present residence.
The Longhorns (5-0, 1-0 Southeastern Convention) come into the sport as heavy favorites, although even extensive level spreads have not stored the competition from being aggressive.
Previously 10 regular-season conferences, just one — Texas’ 49-0 win in 2022 — was determined by greater than eight factors.
“It is a rivalry sport,” Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian stated. “We’re favored or we’re not, it would not matter. Data and issues do not matter in video games like this.”
The Longhorns count on to have beginning quarterback Quinn Ewers again for the primary time since he sustained an stomach harm towards UTSA on Sept. 14.
Arch Manning began the previous two video games for Texas.
“We will monitor (Ewers) day by day simply to type of see how he continues to progress, however I be ok with how he was (Monday),” Sarkisian stated. “I be ok with him going into Saturday, however that continues to be to be seen.”
Ewers is 1-1 towards the Sooners, throwing for 289 yards and 4 touchdowns with one interception within the Longhorns’ 2022 rout, after which passing for 346 yards and a landing with two interceptions in Oklahoma’s 34-30 win final season.
The Sooners (4-1, 1-1) come into the sport as one of many prime groups within the nation in forcing turnovers with 13 — eight fumble recoveries and 5 interceptions. Texas turned the ball over seven occasions (three misplaced fumbles, 4 interceptions).
Whereas the Longhorns need to get their quarterback again towards the Sooners, Oklahoma is hoping their freshman starter can get extra settled in after taking up within the SEC opener for a struggling Jackson Arnold.
Michael Hawkins Jr. is in line to turn into the primary true freshman quarterback to start out for the Sooners towards the Longhorns.
Hawkins was 10 of 15 for 161 yards and no interceptions and he rushed for 69 yards and a rating in his first profession begin, Sept. 28 at Auburn in Oklahoma’s 27-21 win.
McKinzie was impressed with how Hawkins has dealt with the problem, including that the quarterback’s demeanor figures to serve him nicely within the showdown with Texas.
“In case you see another quarterback on Sundays and Saturdays, in the event that they make a mistake, it actually seems like their world simply ended,” McKinzie stated. “And like, he simply, ‘OK, subsequent play. OK, I tousled, subsequent play.’ That is severe. He actually seems the identical each sequence.”
–Discipline Degree Media
