5 things the Sooners need to do to beat the Longhorns

For the first time in over a decade, the Oklahoma Sooners are not viewed as the better team heading into Red River. After back-to-back losses against conference opponents, OU is desperate for a win.

Brent Venables has a chance to save the season with a win in Dallas this weekend. There are a few problems, however, the Longhorns aren’t going to make it easy and the Sooners are reeling from several injuries to key players.

Despite those things, an upset is not out of the question. Here are five things the Sooners need to do to beat the Longhorns and quite possibly revive their season.

Secondary needs to show up. With or without Billy Bowman

Running back Kendre Miller #33 of the TCU Horned Frogs attempts to get around defensive back Billy Bowman #5 of the Oklahoma Sooners in the first half of their game at Amon G. Carter Stadium on October 1, 2022 in Fort Worth, Texas. Emil Lippe/Getty Images

When Billy Bowman left the game the OU secondary was deadful. They got pushed around by TCU’s receivers, they had massive breakdowns in coverage and just looked like they had no idea what they were doing.

For OU to have a chance, allowing multiple touchdowns of 60-plus yards simply can’t happen.

Xavier Worthy had three touchdowns last week against West Virginia. He’s the guy that can wreck this game if the Sooners’ secondary doesn’t clean up their mistakes from the TCU game.

Control the clock

Offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby talks with Dillon Gabriel (8) before a college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the UTEP Miners at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022. Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman

Jeff Lebby, I’m begging you. Control the game clock.

Even more so after last week, keep your defense off the field. Be methodical with your rushing attack and make the Longhorns work for every possession they get.

Last week’s struggles were not on Lebby, more so on the quarterback play. However, with a bit more practice time, the quarterback play should be better than it was last week. That’s not saying much, but a week of practice can do wonders.

The tempo offense just isn’t going to work against an offense as potent as Texas’ when they have Quinn Ewers. The defense has faltered against far less dangerous quarterbacks.

Dillon Gabriel’s likely absence gives all the more reason to play a conservative offense to control the clock.

Letting the Longhorns feed their high-end skill position players while letting them control time of possession is an easy way to let this game get out of hand.

Don't let Bijan Robinson in the open field

Sep 17, 2022; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns running back Bijan Robinson (5) runs for a touchdown against the UTSA Roadrunners during the fourth quarter at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. John Gutierrez-USA TODAY Sports

Speaking of high-end position players, how are the Sooners gonna contain Bijan Robinson?

Asking the secondary to keep Xavier Worthy under control is one thing, asking the defense to contain Robinson after last week just feels like wishful thinking.

With how this defense has been tackling, it’s hard to see them managing to keep Robinson from breaking off big run after big run. They missed 20 tackles against TCU, according to Pro Football Focus. Robinson has forced 46 missed tackles this season.

If the Sooners are going to win this game, they can’t miss Robinson and let him into the open field.

Pass rush needs to show up

Sep 10, 2022; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners defensive lineman Jeffery Johnson (77) and Oklahoma Sooners defensive lineman Reggie Grimes (14) celebrate during the game against the Kent State Golden Flashes at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

After starting hot, the OU pass rush has gone cold the last two weeks. Against Kansas State and TCU, OU had but one sack. Total.

Whoever starts for Texas, he needs to be made uncomfortable. Either one of those quarterbacks, be it Ewers or Hudson Card, can sit back and wait for someone in that receiving core to get open if given time.

Ethan Downs and Reggie Grimes need to make life difficult for the quarterback. Do not let him make easy throws.

Texas is allowing less than two sacks per game, so they’re not exactly an easier matchup than K-State and TCU for the OU D-Line.

Run the ball

Oklahoma running back Jovantae Barnes (2) plays against Nebraska during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022, in Lincoln, Neb. Oklahoma defeated Nebraska 49-14. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)

If Dillon Gabriel was not recovering from a concussion at the moment, this would not be on the list.

While Davis Beville, or whoever ends up starting, should look better against Texas than he did against TCU, he doesn’t have the talent to win the game with his arm. That’s where the running backs come in.

Eric Gray is practicing after leaving the game against TCU, so OU’s leading rusher is a go. Javonte Barnes was the lone bright spot for OU on offense with 100 yards rushing and a couple of scores.

Marcus Major is a question mark. Venables has not given an update on him yet, just that his absence against TCU was injury-related.

The Sooners now have three running backs averaging five yards per carry or more. Eric Gray is averaging seven yards per carry. They can absolutely carry an offense for a game with Dillon Gabriel out.

Should Texas stack the box and take away the run, it will be on Beville to take whatever the defense gives him..

Conclusion

In short, the Sooners needs a lot of things to go right for them to come out of the Cotton Bowl with a win. The offense will have to operate in a different way than it normally does and the defense will need to show vast improvement from how they’ve performed in the last two weeks.

Anything can happen in Red River, as we have seen over the last several years, so keep the faith. This is going to be a fun game.

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Story originally appeared on Sooners Wire