Sooners Seize the Golden Hat In Electric 45-38 Victory
Boone Tillman // Sooner Born • Published: October 13th, 2029
When push came to shove, it was the defense and special teams of the Oklahoma Sooners that ultimately proved the difference in an electric 45-38 Sooners victory in Dallas over the defending National Champion Texas Longhorns to back up Coach Leon's bold guarantee.
Both teams opened the game on fire with the Sooners needing just three plays to find the end zone, with Oscar Robledo turning a simple swing route into a highlight reel play, leaving two separate Longhorns defenders on the turf on his way to the 38-yard touchdown. The Longhorns, by contrast, were methodical on their opening drive with Brian Pennel going a perfect 6/6 on the 11-play exodus that was capped by an Alfonso Peters 3-yard touchdown.
For the most part, the Sooners and Longhorns matched each other step for step, with the lone difference in the 21-17 halftime score being the Sooners settling for a field goal on their second scoring drive, while the Longhorns were able to convert all three scoring opportunities into touchdowns.
Texas opened the second half with possession and looked poised to execute the "double dip" after scoring with just 10 seconds remaining at the end of the 1st, but a well timed sack by MLB Alan Breckner derailed the drive and forced the long 59-yard field goal by Tyler Office to keep the score within reach.
Oklahoma quickly took advantage, marching their own methodical drive down the field before backup tight end Maurice Lucky found just enough room in the end zone to haul in the 3-yard touchdown, tying the game at 24. Texas would answer back with another Alfonso Peters touchdown, his 3rd on the October afternoon, while Lucky hauled in a long 40-yard grab to keep the teams neck and neck.
Then, the Sooners defense and Armando Leon flexed their muscle. On the ensuing drive Brian Pennel made the first of only a handful of mistakes, throwing an interception that was only his third incompletion in the contest to Ja'Darius Pleasant, who switched coverage with Ralph Saylor and baited Pennel into the misthrow. Pleasant turned defense into instant offense, quickly returning the interception 29 yards to give the Sooners their first lead since the 1st quarter.
Pennel would strike back two drives later, finding Waden Charles for the picturesque toe-tap in the back of the end zone to pull the Longhorns even once again.
It was one of those games that simply felt like the last offense with the ball would ride off into the sunset, but it turned out that our head coach had a different idea.
Still tied at 38 with just under two minutes remaining, the Longhorns were driving again for what appeared to be the go-ahead score. Facing 3rd-and-1 from their own 29, Brian Pennel spun out of a sack by Karlos Vigil and motored 17 yards downfield to keep the drive moving as precious time ticked away. A seven-yard run by Alfonso Peters on the ensuing first down moved the Longhorns just outside the range of Tyler Office and it looked like Lane Kiffin was going to run the clock and put the game on his kicker's leg.
Then, Kiffin got cute. On 2nd-and-3 he opted for a play-action pass and this time, there was no escape for Pennel. Karlos Vigil swallowed the mobile quarterback whole and deposited him on the ground, an 8-yard loss that suddenly put the Longhorns in panic mode. Facing 3rd-and-10, things got worse as Alan Breckner tore through the middle and buried Pennel for the second straight sack, and only the third in the contest for Oklahoma, to force the punt and give the Sooners and Oscar Robledo one more chance at redemption.
But instead of Robledo playing hero, it was Isaac Adcock as the sophomore split the Longhorns punt coverage with a shifty juke before accelerating up the sideline with nothing but green in front of him. 68 yards later and Adcock was waving goodbye to the Longhorns fans in attendance as the Sooners took a shocking 45-38 lead with just 65 seconds remaining.
Fittingly, it was Leon's defense that put the final nail in the coffin. Facing 4th-and-6, Pennel threw up a prayer for Waden Charles, instead finding the outstretched hands of Richard Trainer to not only seal the game, but more than likely put a premature end to the Longhorns title defense.
•••
Question One - James McDavid (OU Daily): "It looked like Brian Pennel had your number throughout most of the contest, but your defense rose to the occasion in the fourth quarter, forcing six of his nine incompletions after Ja'Darius' pick-six. What adjustments did you make in the final quarter, or was that all your defense just willing itself to victory?"
Armando Leon: "Brian was surgical, James, no doubt about that. We had some success after the half switching the coverages, which allowed Ja'Darius to bait him into the curl route he promptly returned for six, but the real play of the game came from none other than Karlos Vigil. And his effort embodies what this whole team is about. Brian Pennel had just shrugged him off and turned a would-be sack into a 17-yard gain. Karlos didn't get down or discouraged, he simply buckled his chin strap and kept grinding. Two plays later he atoned for it with a huge sack on second down. The Longhorns offensive line slid his way on third down and that opened a clear path for Alan for the back-to-back sacks that swung the momentum to our side for good. We don't win this game without effort like that from our leaders, period."
Question Two - Meg Semental (SEC Network): "Oscar Robledo continues to be a one-man highlight reel with 275 total yards and two more touchdowns on his already gaudy stats, but after the game it looked like this one meant a little more to the Texas native as he donned the Golden Hat on the sideline. How big of a moment was this for the Heisman front-runner?"
Armando Leon: "Oscar grew up three hours from here in Friendswood, Meg, and while we're glad he's on our side, I know that coming out of college his dream was to be a Longhorn. Texas never seriously recruited him and he ended up in College Station. When he entered the portal this offseason, he was honest with me; he wanted to go to Texas. They never called, again. And I'm damn glad they didn't. I'm sure it's a decision they're regretting right now and I think the extra chip on his shoulder and the emotion after was just about him proving that he was worthy, whether they saw it or not. We all knew how bad he wanted to win this game and make them regret passing on him twice and I'm glad we could come through for him."
Question Three - Lee Raney (The Daily Texan): "The rest of the media may be applauding the final few defensive stands your team made, Coach, but that doesn't erase the fact that Brian Pennel put up 489 total yards of offense and a pair of touchdowns on you as the Longhorns nearly won this game. Even with two turnovers, you need a special teams score to inch across the finish line. That's twice in the last three weeks that an SEC team has put up 38 or more points and over 500 yards of offense on your 'vaunted' defense. Do you think the SEC is starting to figure out your defensive game plan barely halfway into your tenure?"
Armando Leon: "I don't care who you are, the best defenses in the world are going to have off days. But, even on a bad day, championship teams make championship plays. That's what our men did on that field today, they stepped up when it mattered and made the plays to swing the game. Every game isn't going to be a 100-0 shootout, but if that's what you expect from your team it makes sense why people claim the Longhorns have the most fair-weather fans this side of Miami. I could easily flip that script over to Coach Kiffin. How come his team put up over 500 yards of offense and still lost? Because when push came to shove, my guys don't just talk about it, they be about it."
•••
I said before the game that the difference would be Armando Leon's defense. He may have given up 500 yards and 38 points, but when it was winnig time, by God they did it. Does that mean the defense is absolved from getting shredded for 3/4 of the game? Hell no. But, it gives them a day of grace before we start tearing apart the secondary just like Pennel did.
I got a feeling that elusive AP ranking we've been chasing all season is finally within our grasp. And even better, while the Cream rises to the top, the Longhorns are slowly drifting towards the bottom, exactly where they belong.
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final |
| Oklahoma | 10 | 7 | 21 | 7 | 45 |
| Texas | 7 | 14 | 10 | 7 | 38 |
| Q | Team | Time | Play | Oklahoma | Texas |
| 1st | Oklahoma | 8:40 | Oscar Robledo, 38 Yd Pass From Cole Welliver | 7 | 0 |
| 1st | Texas | 5:24 | Alfonso Peters, 3 Yd Run | 7 | 7 |
| 1st | Oklahoma | 1:43 | Brian Rowe, 45 Yd FG | 10 | 7 |
| 2nd | Texas | 3:24 | Waden Charles, 5 Yd Pass From Brian Pennel | 10 | 14 |
| 2nd | Oklahoma | 1:01 | Oscar Robledo, 2 Yd Run | 17 | 14 |
| 2nd | Texas | 0:10 | Alfonso Peters, 18 Yd Run | 17 | 21 |
| 3rd | Texas | 7:55 | Tyler Office, 59 Yd FG | 17 | 24 |
| 3rd | Oklahoma | 5:13 | Maurice Lucky, 5 Yd Pass From Cole Welliver | 24 | 24 |
| 3rd | Texas | 3:36 | Alfonso Peters, 16 Yd Run | 24 | 31 |
| 3rd | Oklahoma | 1:45 | Maurice Lucky, 40 Yd Pass From Cole Welliver | 31 | 31 |
| 3rd | Oklahoma | 1:09 | Ja'Darius Pleasant, Returned Interception 29 Yds | 38 | 31 |
| 4th | Texas | 7:19 | Waden Charles, 27 Yd Pass From Brian Pennel | 38 | 38 |
| 4th | Oklahoma | 0:49 | Isaac Adcock, Returned Punt 68 Yds | 45 | 38 |
Oklahoma Texas Passing | Stats Passing | Stats ----------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------ Cole Welliver | 26/39, 291 Yds, 3 TD Brian Pennel | 45/54, 439 Yds, 2 TD, 2 INT Rushing | Stats Rushing | Stats ----------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------ Oscar Robledo | 19 Att, 169 Yds, TD Alfonso Peters | 10 Att, 56 Yds, 3 TD Cole Welliver | 2 Att, -10 Yds Brian Pennel | 7 Att, 57 Yds Receiving | Stats Receiving | Stats ----------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------ Oscar Robledo | 9 Rec, 106 Yds, TD Amar'e Angel | 11 Rec, 147 Yds Maurice Lucky | 2 Rec, 45 Yds, 2 TD Darrelle Jones | 10 Rec, 105 Yds Ja'Kayden Ferguson | 4 Rec, 24 Yds Waden Charles | 7 Rec, 85 Yds, 2 TD Defensive | Stats Defensive | Stats ----------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------ SS DeMarco Slayton | 13 Tkl, 3 TFL CB Deon Garvin | 12 Tkl, 2 TFL MLB Alan Breckner | 13 Tkl, 4 TFL, 2 Sacks SS Zelius Hicks | 11 Tkl, TFL CB Richard Trainer | 7 Tkl, INT DT Matthew Brady | 2 Tkl, TFL, Sack
SEC Week Seven Results
31 Mississippi State (2-5) @ #2 Georgia (6-1) 56
24 Kentucky (3-3) @ Auburn (4-3) 34
35 #11 LSU (5-2) @ #24 Florida (5-2) 21
31 #22 Tulane (5-2) @ #10 Missouri (5-2) 34
28 #13 Texas A&M (5-2) @ South Carolina (5-1) 31
21 Arkansas (3-4) @ #5 Ole Miss (5-1)
Notable Week Seven Results
49 #6 Texas Tech (5-1) @ #19 Arizona State (4-2) 27
16 #15 Penn State (4-2) @ #8 Ohio State (5-1) 51
Additional Media
► Show Spoiler
