Riding a balanced offensive attack and a dominant defensive effort, the Oklahoma Sooners crushed the Texas Longhorns 63-21 in the Red River Rivalry at the Cotton Bowl on Saturday afternoon. The 13th-ranked Sooners never looked in danger as they continue their recovery from a loss to Kansas State three weeks ago.
Oklahoma vs. Texas 2012 final score: Sooners beat Longhorns 63-21 in Red River Rivalry
Until the end, the blowout approached the series margin of victory record. In 2003, Oklahoma topped Texas by 52 points.
While the Longhorns managed to put 21 points on the scoreboard, the offense looked inept practically all afternoon. Only 13 of the team’s points were provided by the offensive unit, which mustered just 289 total yards and 14 first downs against the Sooners’ defense, much of that coming once the game was already well in hand.
With the offense struggling, Texas needed a failed extra point attempt by Oklahoma and an interception return by cornerback Carrington Byndom to even get on the scoreboard in the first three quarters. Other than Byndom's pick-six, the defense didn't help much, either, allowing the Sooners to run wild all afternoon.
Oklahoma wasn’t as aggressive in the second half, but it still managed to put up 677 total yards and eight touchdowns against the Longhorns’ defense. It was an especially even attack, too, as the Sooners piled up 334 yards through the air and 343 yards on the ground.
The definitive image:
Box Score Hero: A few different players put up huge numbers for the Sooners on Saturday, led by running back Damien Williams, who rushed for 167 yards and a touchdown. OU also got 321 passing yards from Landry Jones and four first half touchdowns from Blake Bell, who crushed the Texas defense in the red zone.
Rankings Ramifications: Coming off a second consecutive defeat, expect the 15th-ranked Longhorns to take a mighty fall in the rankings this week. A couple weeks ago, it seemed like Mack Brown finally brought Texas back into the national conversation, but the Sooners have quickly put that notion to sleep for now.
But Did They Cover? The Sooners were three-point favorites, so they obviously covered.
For More On This Game: For more on OU football, visit Oklahoma blog Crimson And Cream Machine. For more on Horns football, visit Texas blogs Burnt Orange Nation and Barking Carnival, plus SB Nation Dallas.
Next Week's Schedule: The Sooners head back home to host the Kansas Jayhawks next week, while the Longhorns gear up for a match-up against the Baylor Bears.
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