How Texas’ Kris Boyd prevented 2 Oklahoma TDs with good AND bad plays

Texas cornerback Kris Boyd might have been the most important player in the first half of Saturday’s Big 12 Championship.

By making good and bad plays — or at least uncalled and effective plays — Boyd prevented a couple of Oklahoma TDs. Oklahoma led at halftime, 20-14. But without certain acts Boyd committed, the score more than likely would have been 28-14, Sooners.

Boyd’s the Texas corner who somewhat famously got into a public beef with former UT linebacker and current ESPN analyst Emmanuel Acho earlier this year. He’s had an up-and-down season, and there’s no better microcosm than his first half against Oklahoma.

The first was at the end of a 24-yard Oklahoma pass play. If Boyd hadn’t grabbed Hollywood Brown’s facemask at the UT 37 and yanked him to the ground, Brown may have scored:

Maybe Brown gets caught from behind by the trailing defensive back coming into your screen at the end of that play. But he’s one of the best athletes in the country, and there’s nothing but turf between him and the end zone when Boyd grabs him:

All of three plays later, Oklahoma had a third-and-7 at Texas’ 19. Kyler Murray threw an interception, but the only reason he didn’t have an easy touchdown toss to Brown was that Boyd again tossed him down by the facemask while he ran a corner route. Watch the top of the screen here to see how open Brown would’ve been:

Brown wasn’t Murray’s first read, but Murray’s a Heisman-candidate QB and probably would’ve noticed the wide-open dude in a white jersey standing in the end zone. If Boyd hadn’t prevented a TD earlier, it’s highly likely he did here.

Oklahoma settled for a field goal on the drive.

Boyd was still guarding Brown on a third-and-6 at the Horns’ 10. Murray threw to his favorite target, and Boyd played it well enough and knocked the ball away.

Yeah, you could certainly argue Boyd committed pass interference here. But it didn’t get called, and Oklahoma again kicked a field goal.