Texas takes down Oklahoma: Longhorns intercept John Mateer three times, get back on track in Red River Rivalry

Texas quarterback Arch Manning didn't put up big numbers, but his impact on the game was significant. The sophomore continuously bought time and created opportunities for his receivers to get open. During a critical stretch in the second half, Manning hit 11-of-13 passes to help Texas run out the clock. 

Manning completed 21-of-27 passes for 166 yards and a touchdown to keep the chains moving in the second half and wear down the Oklahoma defense. His mobility helped open up opportunities for running back Quintrevion Wisner, and he rushed for a game-sealing 29-yard first down late.

There will be more challenges where Manning needs to stack up numbers, but he made the plays when they counted. 

The Sooners rushed quarterback John Mateer back from injury for a reason: Oklahoma has almost no offense outside of his freelancing. The Sooners rushed for 48 yards on 30 attempts, including only 2.9 yards per carry from running backs. 

There were several ill-advised passes that Mateer threw, but offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle had almost no choice but to live with it. Without his dynamism, the Sooners' offense has essentially not improved from last year's unit that earned Brent Venables a trip to the hot seat. With a brutal schedule ahead, Oklahoma looks completely overmatched. 

The Red River Rivalry has a knack for changing the narrative of teams, and Texas comes out of its win against No. 6 Oklahoma refreshed. The Longhorns needed some positive momentum after a miserable start to the season, including a loss to 1-3 Florida just a week ago. It looked a little dicey to start, but Texas rounded into shape. 

The Longhorns' defense stepped up in a big way, getting consistent pressure on Mateer. Texas produced five sacks, many of them in the fourth quarter, including 2.5 from preseason All-American Colin Simmons. 

Heading into the second half of the season at 4-2 -- with only one SEC loss -- gives the Longhorns a second chance to live up to their lofty preseason expectations. 

FINAL: Texas 23, Oklahoma 6

Texas stunned No. 6 Oklahoma 23-6 behind a dominant defensive performance to win the Red River Rivalry at the Cotton Bowl. The Longhorns held the Sooners without a touchdown for the third time in four years to pick up a critical bounce-back victory against their rival. 

Oklahoma dominated the first half defensively, but the unit started to falter as Texas's offensive line found its rhythm in the second half. The Longhorns strung together drives of 13 and 14 plays for scores, including a 12-yard touchdown pass to DeAndre Moore from quarterback Arch Manning. 

However, it was a special teams play that proved to be the difference. Punt returner Ryan Niblett fielded a punt and returned it 75 yards for a touchdown to go up 14 points late in the fourth quarter. The Sooners failed to reach the end zone. 

Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer miraculously returned only 17 days after hand surgery to start in his first game against Texas. However, the Sooners struggled to generate any consistent offense around him. The Sooners posted only 48 yards rushing on 30 carries. Mateer threw three interceptions as he tried to make magic happen. 

This win is a pivotal one for Texas as it heads into a critical slate to end the year. The Longhorns still have No. 5 Texas A&M, No. 10 Georgia and No. 20 Vanderbilt on the schedule. The Sooners' slate suddenly gets far more difficult, with five straight games against AP Top 15 opponents. The only respite in a road game against South Carolina. 

Late 4Q: Texas 23, No. 6 Oklahoma 6 

Texas kicker Mason Shipley just hit a 39-yard field goal that should all but put a bow on this win for the Longhorns. Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning, who has played one of the best games of his young career, got Texas in scoring distance with a huge 29-yard scramble. He then waved goodbye to Oklahoma fans packed inside the Cotton Bowl. 

Late 4Q: Texas 20, No. 6 Oklahoma 6

Texas' defense has certainly done its part in this year's installment of Red River. The Longhorns just officially slammed the door on Oklahoma's comeback chances by buckling down once the Sooners got within scoring range. Oklahoma moved the ball all the way to Texas' 25-yard line, but it just went backwards from there. Quarterback John Mateer was sacked on consecutive plays for a loss of 12 total yards and his desperation pass missed his intended target on fourth down. 

Texas will take over with just over five minutes to play. Any sort of first down will likely be enough to ice this one. 

4Q: Texas 20, Oklahoma 6

The Texas defense managed to bow up again and punt returner Ryan Niblett put perhaps a final nail in the coffin of Oklahoma's chances. Niblett took a punt 75 yards for a touchdown -- without any flags -- to stun the Sooners and quiet the Oklahoma sideline. Oklahoma has yet to reach the end zone, and now trails by two touchdowns. 

Oklahoma just had their best chance to get back in the game, and it flipped on two plays. Quarterback John Mateer appeared to have a massive run into the red zone, but it was called back by a holding call. One play later, Isaiah Setegna whiffed on a catch in the middle of the field, and it was deflected into the hands of a waiting Texas defender for a third interception. 

Oklahoma can't afford to waste any more offensive plays. The Sooners' defense has been on the field for most of the second half. 

End 3Q: Texas 13, Oklahoma 6

Texas quarterback Arch Manning has constantly been under pressure, but the redshirt sophomore has started to settle in during the second half and take over. Manning completed 10-of-12 passes for 93 yards and a touchdown during the period, and hit a 14-yard pass to Ryan Wingo to set up a 48-yard field goal on fourth down. 

The Longhorns are starting to pull away as the Oklahoma offense struggles to find any consistency in the second half. The Sooners mustered only 26 total yards in the third quarter as the defense struggled to get off the field. Oklahoma starts the fourth quarter in decent field position after a 21-yard pass to Deion Burks, but Oklahoma needs to get its offense going. 

3Q: Texas 10, Oklahoma 6

The Longhorns finally put together their first extended drive of the game out of halftime and became the first team to reach the end zone. Texas found some rushing opportunities against the Sooners' defense, getting seven carries for 49 yards from running back Quintrevion Wisner. The rushing helped set up a 12-yard touchdown pass from Arch Manning to DeAndre Moore to give Texas their first lead of the game. 

The Longhorns struggled to get much consistent offensive rolling in the first half against an aggressive Oklahoma defense that rates among the nation's best. The only points were created off an explosive play. The Longhorns would benefit greatly from putting together a long drive and letting their defense rest on the sidelines to start the second half.

HALF: Oklahoma 6, Texas 3

No. 6 Oklahoma leads Texas 6-3 after a defensive struggle in the first half of the Red River Rivalry. The Sooners had a prime opportunity to score late, but quarterback John Mateer threw his second interception heading into the half. 

Mateer returned from a hand injury to lead the game with 119 yards passing and 13 yards rushing to set up a pair of field goal drives. However, the Sooners are averaging only 2.5 yards per carry against a strong Texas defensive front. Oklahoma has been kept out of the end zone. 

Texas has struggled to put together significant offense, recording multiple holding penalties and only 114 yards in the first half. However, an explosive run from Quintrevion Wisner for 37 yards helped set up a critical field goal drive to keep the game close. 

Oklahoma has accumulated six tackles for loss, with Taylor Wein recording two. Texas defensive end Colin Simmons has the only recorded sack of the game. 

2Q: Oklahoma 6, Texas 3

Texas finally got its first points of the game after running back Quintrevion Wisner broke off a 37-yard run into Oklahoma territory. Wisner had zero recorded yards on six carries before the play. The play helped the Longhorns finally get into scoring position and kick a field goal. 

2Q: Oklahoma 6, Texas 0

The defenses have owned the game, but Oklahoma has made key plays to put themselves in scoring position. During the last drive, they went only 40 yards in 12 plays, but it was enough to set up another 41-yard field goal from Tate Sandell. Oklahoma got both a third and fourth down conversion on the drive. 

End 1Q: Oklahoma 3, Texas 0

Oklahoma's defense dominated the first quarter as the Sooners take a 3-0 lead at the Cotton Bowl. The Longhorns offensive line has gotten bullied, posting only seven yards rushing on six attempts. Oklahoma has already recorded five tackles for loss. 

Sooners quarterback John Mateer miraculously returned from a hand injury only 17 days after surgery and led Oklahoma with 75 of their 81 yards, including 71 through the air. Oklahoma got on the board with a lengthy field goal drive to set up a 42-yarder. 

Mateer also had an interception in the period that put the Longhorns on the edge of scoring range. However, a holding penalty forced them into a 55-yard attempt, which they missed off the cross bar. 

Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer made his first big mistake of the game, throwing an interception to Malik Muhammad. The Longhorns now have their first opportunity of the game near midfield. 

The Texas offensive line has gotten absolutely decimated through the early going. The Longhorns have accumulated nine total offensive yards, which were offset by 15 yards of penalties. Left guard Nick Brooks, a freshman, has gotten bullied on nearly every play and Texas running back Quintrevion Wisner has rushed for negative yardage. 

1Q: Oklahoma 3, Texas 0

There was no hesitation for Oklahoma with quarterback John Mateer in his return to action. The junior completed two passes for 41 yards and added another five-yard run to help set up a 42-yard field goal to get on the board first. Mateer was responsible for 46 of Oklahoma's 48 yards on the drive, and the Sooners have now matched their point total from last season. 

Oklahoma will start with the ball as quarterback John Mateer is set to return to action only 17 days after undergoing hand surgery on a broken bone. Mateer's hand is wrapped in a sleeve, but he looked good during warmups. 

The crowd roared as Mateer took the field as starting quarterback. The Sooners were start at the 25-yard line after a touchback. 

Unlike most of the past few Red River Rivalries, this one will be a defensive showdown between lackluster offenses. The Longhorns have gotten almost zero production from their running game, and Oklahoma's defensive line might be the toughest challenge yet. The Sooners will need to find an explosive play or two, but Texas's inconsistency will prove the difference. Pick: Oklahoma +3

Texas vs. Oklahoma prediction, pick, odds, spread: No. 6 Sooners face reeling Longhorns in Red River Rivalry

Shehan Jeyarajah

Texas started as the No. 1 team in the preseason AP Top 25 for the first time in program history, but it took only six weeks for them to fall all the way out of the polls. The Longhorns are 0-2 against power conference opponents after a shocking 29-21 loss to Florida last week. The Gators came into the matchup at 1-3. 

The Longhorns have struggled in every unit, but the play of quarterback Arch Manning has received special scrutiny. Manning, who came into the year as the Heisman frontrunner, ranks 69th nationally in QBR and is completing only 60% of his passes. He gets his favorite target, Parker Livingstone, back against Oklahoma. 

Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer will be active against Texas, less than two weeks after undergoing hand surgery to fix a broken bone. The Sooners' star was not listed on the final injury report and is fully going through warmups with a wrap on his left hand. 

John Mateer injury update: Oklahoma QB returns vs. Texas less than a month after hand surgery

Cameron Salerno