AUSTIN, Texas — College football's top-ranked team continues to dominate, as the Texas Longhorns kept their arch rival Oklahoma Sooners off the scoreboard in the second half on their way to a 34-3 win in the 2024 edition of the Red River Rivalry on Saturday.
Saturday's game marked the return of Longhorns starting quarterback Quinn Ewers to the lineup after a two-game absence due to an abdomen injury. Backup Arch Manning started in his place, leading Texas to wins over Louisiana-Monroe and Mississippi State.
In his return, Ewers was efficient, throwing for 199 yards, one touchdown and one interception on 20-of-29 passing.
The highlight for the Longhorns offense, as has been the case much of this season, was the running game. Sophomore Tre Wisner had a remarkable game, rushing for 118 yards on 13 carries including a 43-yard touchdown run toward the end of the second quarter. Saturday's performance, paired with his snap volume against Mississippi State in Week 5, seems to indicate that Wisner has established himself as the top running back on the Longhorns depth chart.
Tight end Gunnar Helm led the Longhorns in receiving, with 91 yards and a touchdown on five catches. Notably, the team's leading receiver on the season Isaiah Bond left the game with an injury in the first half and did not return. Bond had a catch for five yards at the time of his departure.
The Longhorns defense was once again dominant, holding Sooners freshman quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. to 147 passing yards, much of which came in garbage time when the game was already out of reach. The Sooners entered the game without their five leading receivers on the season and the Longhorns were able to hold the depleted receiving corps in check all game, keeping every Oklahoma receiver under 50 receiving yards. The running game was also stifled, as Sooners' leading rusher Jovantae Barnes was held to only 38 yards on the ground.
Saturday's dominant dominant win means the Longhorns will all but certainly remain No. 1 in the next AP Poll, which will be released on Sunday. Next up, the Longhorns will return home to face fellow top five SEC squad Georgia on Oct. 19.
