No. 1 Texas vs. Oklahoma preview: Reeling Sooners look to pull off upset

Fresh off a bye week with a 4-0 record, the No. 1 Texas Longhorns head up I-35 for the annual Red River Rivalry against the Oklahoma Sooners, who have struggled thus far in 2026 — Oklahoma has a 2-2 record on the year and has failed to score more than 14 points in each of their last three contests.

On paper, this is a matchup that should favor the Longhorns, but if history has shown anything, nothing matters once these two teams take the field at the Cotton Bowl. Scoring points against the Oklahoma defense is doable but will undoubtedly be the biggest challenge facing the Longhorns.

“This is always a unique game because you can take record, stats, and all those things and throw them out the window,” Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said on Monday. “You’ve got to play the game and you’ve got to play the game the right way.”

The struggles for the Sooners start on the offensive end. Returning quarterback John Mateer has failed to effectively move the ball through the air and the running attack ranks 131st in the FBS in yards per game.

Second-year offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle has made his money with Mateer at the helm, a partnership that is now in it’s fourth year and dates back to their time together at Washington State, but is currently testing the patience of Oklahoma fans given the offense’s lack of scoring.

“Coach Venables, I know he’s probably sitting there thinking he wishes the record was a little bit different, but man, his teams play hard, and this team’s no different,” Sarkisian said. “They play hard. They’re an excellent defensive football team. They’ve got draft picks all over on the defense. Offensively, they’ve got playmaking ability similar to us. They’re trying to find their way to to find that level of consistency. But one thing I can be assured of — we’re going to get their best shot, and so I think it’s important for us that we focus on what we need to do so that we can play our best football.”

With concerns across the Sooner offense, this year’s rendition will likely be determined by the success of the Longhorns finding the end zone in the Cotton Bowl. If the Longhorns can score points, things could get out of hand.

Here’s what to expect on Saturday.

Offense

As mentioned, the Oklahoma offense is headed by Arbuckle and Mateer. Arbuckle is a young and forward-thinking coordinator with a track record of quarterback development and roots in the Air Raid.

At 31 years old, he has already helped develop Bailey Zappe, Austin Reed, and Cam Ward. His offense utilizes tempo and the run game to stretch defenses and create passing windows. With the athleticism of Mateer and the inability to create an impactful rushing attack otherwise, Arbuckle has adapted the offense to feature a quarterback run threat on nearly every play.

Averaging just 22 points per game and coming off a bye week, a few new wrinkles are all but guaranteed from Arbuckle on Saturday.

Quarterback

Much has been made of Mateer’s play at quarterback this season. The returning starter for the Sooners came into the season with lofty expectations after a turnover-prone 2025 season.

Through four games, his play has been disappointing, prompting Venables to admit that he considered benching his starting quarterback at halftime of the Georgia loss. Mateer has completed 66.1 percent of his passes for 883 yards and eight touchdowns while adding 41 carries for 76 yards. However, Mateer has turned the ball over six times in four games, including three first-half turnovers last week against Georgia. Pro Football Focus has tracked eight throws by Mateer as turnover worthy this season.

Holding on to the ball is priority number one for Mateer, who has looked rattled in the pocket the season. He’s missed reads, held on to the ball, and fired inaccurately on numerous occasions.

Keeping Mateer uncomfortable sets the tone for the Texas defense. Nearly everything else is downstream of whether the Longhorn front can keep him guessing and rushed. Keeping Mateer’s legs out of the game will be another key for Texas — if Mateer can extend plays or effectively pick up first downs on designed runs, things get significantly more complicated for the Longhorn defense.

Expect a heavy dose of quick, high-completion throws to start the game in order to neutralize the Texas pass rush and get Mateer into a rhythm.

Running back

The lead back for the Sooners is junior Lloyd Avant. Avant is a 5’10, 212-pound ball carrier from Humble who has racked up 164 yards and a touchdown on 42 carries (3.9 YPC).

A transfer from Colorado State, Avant was expected to compete for snaps with Tory Blaylock, but has been thrust into the starting role due to Blaylock’s hamstring injury. Against UTEP, Avant looked strong, rushing for 79 yards on 15 carries; however, in the three games since, he has carried the ball 27 times for just 85 yards.

Blaylock came into the season as the leading back, but is recovering from injury. He’s gotten a handful of carries, but its clear that the coaching staff does have not believe he is close to 100 percent. With an additional week to recover, it’s very possible that he contributes in a more meaningful way on Saturday.

Regardless of who takes handoffs, improvement is needed on the ground. After finishing 113th in rushing offense last season, the Sooners are 133rd in yards per rush and t-134th with two rushing touchdowns on the season. Despite an offseason of revamping the rushing attack, things have regressed through four games.

“It’s frustrating because I feel like I’m not doing my part,” said tight end Rocky Beers, via OU Insider. “There’s always one miss here, one miss there, and it’s costing us… We’ve just got to believe in our blocks and hold onto them as long as we can.”

Getting back to running the ball was undoubtedly a point of emphasis over the bye week and something that the Longhorns will need to thwart on Saturday.

Wide receiver

Perhaps the most talented player on the Sooner offense is leading wide receiver Isaiah Sategna. A transfer from Arkansas, Sategna leads the offense in receptions (20), yards (267), and longest play from scrimmage (53). His two touchdowns are tied for the most on the team.

Listed at 5’10, Sategna isn’t a huge target but can be dangerous. His quickness can generate missed tackles and additional yardage after the catch, so closing in quickly will be important come Saturday. Sategna forced 22 missed tackles last season and half of his receiving yards this season have come after the catch.

Transfers Trell Harris and Parker Livingstone were brought in to supplement Sategna but neither has been effective thus far. Harris remains sidelined with an injury and Livingstone hasn’t been able to make a difference, though this will undoubtedly be a big game for him after transferring from Texas during the offseason.

Stopping Sategna will be the key to keeping the wide outs locked down, a task that Longhorns defensive coordinator Will Muschamp has to feel good about.

Tight end

Veteran tight end Rocky Beers, a Colorado State transfer, has proved to be a reliable weapon for Mateer in the passing game, tallying 18 catches for 255 yards and two touchdowns this season, which is the best on the team outside of Sategna.

One of three tight ends brought in from the portal by new position coach Jason Witten, Beers has looked the part this season. His route running creates windows for Mateer and he has enough size to be a matchup problem on smaller defenders. When Oklahoma makes it to the red zone, Beers is a frequent target, something that Texas will need to take away come Saturday.

Offensive line

The running game has struggled for the Sooners and a big reason for that falls on the shoulders of the offensive line. This group has failed to keep a clean pocket, generate push, and open running lanes. If Oklahoma hopes to turn things around offensively, the five up front will need to step up their performance, immediately.

Against Georgia, the Oklahoma offensive line switched things up, sitting Eddy Pierre-Louis at guard in favor of Heath Ozaeta and Noah Best, but it made little difference. E’Marion Harris, the right tackle, still looked a step slow while star left tackle Michael Fasusi remains sidelined with a shoulder injury.

I’d expect this group to get additional help in blocking from tight ends and running backs, as well as a heavy dose of plays designed to get the ball out of Mateer’s hand quickly. This group has yet to show anything special through four games, increasing pressure on longtime position coach Bill Bedenbaugh, whose tenure dates to the Bob Stoops era.

The Oklahoma offense has sputtered to start the year. Poor quarterback play coupled with a lack of rushing attack and porous offensive line has resulted in little points being scored. With a bye week to prepare for the Longhorns, I’d expect a sharpened game plan out of the gate that features quick passes and unique ways to get the ball out of Mateer’s hands.

For the Longhorn defense to find success, getting pressure is key. When Mateer feels the pass rush, he has shown an inability to make good reads and deliver accurate passes. Keeping him from feeling comfortable will be a point of emphasis for the Longhorns. Outside of Mateer, limiting Sategna and Beers is the next priority. Forcing someone besides these three players to make a difference should spell success for the Longhorns.

Defense

For every concern about the offense, the defense boasts a strength. This unit has been salty thanks to a solid crop of returners despite a mediocre offense on the other side of the ball that can’t finish drives and turns the ball over.

Moving the ball through the air against the Sooners has been particularly tough. Allowing 122.5 passing yards per game, the OU secondary ranks fourth in the country, and is led by returning producers that understand the scheme and have the physical talent to implement it successfully.

Opponents convert 23.1 percent of third downs, the third best in the entire country, meaning staying ahead of the chains will be essential for the Texas offense.

The best method to attack this defense has been via the run. Averaging 115.5 yards per game on the ground and 3.23 yards per carry, this aspect remains in the top third of the country but lags behind the stellar pass and third-down defense.

Don’t be mistaken by the record or score against Georgia — the Oklahoma defense can get after it.

Defensive line

Up front, there are four players that Texas will need to handle — defensive ends Taylor Wein and Adepoju Adebawore, and tackles David Stone and Jayden Jackson.

In the middle, Stone and Jackson are a formidable duo. Stone was one of the Sooners’ most highly-regarded returners after notching 43 tackles a year ago. Now in his third year at Oklahoma, the 6’3, 312-pound lineman will be looking for his first win in Dallas.

Next to him, Jackson is quite the player. Last season, he tallied 28 tackles and 3.0 sacks, including being honored as the Outland Trophy National Player of the Week for his performance against Auburn.

This duo up front has been a big reason why the defense has been stout thus far.

Wein lines up on the outside and had a breakout campaign last year after somewhat surprisingly winning the starting role. He takes over as the main pass rusher with the departure of R Mason Thomas, but can be effective against the run and pass, recording 14 tackles, a sack, and forcing a fumble this season. Opposite of him, Adebawore has been an effective pass rusher with his team-leading 2.5 sacks.

Linebacker

The linebacker group is veteran-led with seniors Kip Lewis and Owen Heinecke, two names that Longhorn fans should remember from years prior.

Lewis has been with Venables during his entire tenure in Norman, appearing in 47 games with 33 starts and returning as a captain in 2026. Though banged up earlier in the year against Michigan, Lewis is expected to be at full health and ready to play on Saturday.

Next to him, Heinecke is a player to look out for after coming onto the scene late last season. He recorded 74 tackles and totaled 12.0 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks, four pass breakups, one forced fumble and two QB hurries while starting the final five games.

Despite starting his career as a lacrosse player at Ohio State before walking on in Norman, Heinecke has found his role as a linebacker in Norman.

Secondary

The Oklahoma secondary locked down the back end this season, led by the Bowen brothers. Perhaps the best player on the entire defense, Peyton Bowen is one of the most decorated SEC safeties. He’s graded at 84.9 by PFF this season, which is 11th nationally, after being recognized as second-team All-SEC a year ago.

His brother, junior Eli Bowen, arrived on campus and immediately made an impact, starting 17 of his first 20 games at corner. Together this duo has led an elite secondary that leads the SEC in passing defense.

The Oklahoma defense is experienced and athletic. With returners at every level, this group has come out firing through four games, despite what last week’s boxscore may have suggested.

Staying out of long third downs or obvious passing situations will be a key for the Longhorn offense. If Texas can establish the run and stay in manageable down and distances, the probability of success sky rockets. Regardless, moving the ball against this group will be a challenge.

Special teams

Handling place kicking duties is Lou Groza winner Tate Sandell. A year ago, he connected on 24-of-27 (88.9 percent) of his field-goal attempts en route to winning the most prestigious kicking award in college football, but has gotten off to a rocky start this year, making only 3-of-5 (60.0 percent).

Handling punting duties are both Grayson Miller and Jacob Ulrich. Ulrich won the job last year before getting injured and handing it over to Miller, who wound up being named first-team All-SEC. The competition resumed in the offseason with Miller earning the starting role until last week, when Ulrich punted the ball six times against Georgia.

Both the place kicking and punting units are top tier.

Handling return duties are wide receiver Isaiah Sategna, a well-documented game changer on special teams who has two career punt return touchdowns, including one this season.

All in all, Oklahoma heads to Dallas as a dangerous team despite their record. The Sooners have a stingy defense that can thwart any offense and keep the team in the game, despite the inconsistencies that the OU offense has showcased.

Most importantly, this is the Red River Rivalry, and that makes nearly everything relevant — both teams come off a bye with ample time to get healthy and add a few wrinkles to the playbook.

For Texas, the task is simple — make Mateer and the Oklahoma offense beat you. If the Longhorns can avoid turnovers and force the Sooners offense to consistently drive the field, you have to feel good about the defense’s ability to control the game.