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Sandell's 47-Yard Walk-Off Lifts Oklahoma Past Top-Ranked Texas, 27-24
Tate Sandell drilled a 47-yard field goal as time expired at the Cotton Bowl, sending Oklahoma to a signature Red River upset and reclaiming the Golden Hat.
DALLAS — Tate Sandell's 47-yard field goal as time expired split the uprights and gave Oklahoma a 27-24 victory over top-ranked Texas in the Red River rivalry, snapping the Sooners' skid against No. 1 Longhorns and sending the Golden Hat back to Norman. The kick capped a whirlwind finish in which Oklahoma, desperate for a signature win after a lopsided loss at Georgia two weeks earlier, manufactured points on defense and special teams to stay within striking distance.
Special teams set the tone. Early in the second quarter Danny Okoye nearly got to the punt before it left the punter's foot, the ball was blocked and Dakoda Fields fell on it in the end zone for the game's first touchdown. Later, safety Peyton Bowen intercepted Arch Manning and returned it 42 yards for a score with 10:07 left to put Oklahoma ahead 24-17. The Sooners' only offensive touchdown came on Lloyd Avant's 2-yard plunge that tied the game 17-all just 12 seconds into the fourth quarter after a defensive pass-interference penalty.
The finish was a study in late-game resilience and missed chances. Manning finished 19-of-31 for 260 yards and threw three touchdowns, but two costly interceptions helped swing momentum. Texas had a chance when Gianni Spetic lined up a 53-yard field goal with 1:55 remaining and pushed it wide right. After Courtland Guillory intercepted Manning with 19 seconds to play, Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer completed 13- and 20-yard strikes to Isaiah Sategna — both stands upheld on replay — to set up Sandell's game-winner. Sandell had earlier connected on a 53-yarder and missed another from that distance.
The victory improved Oklahoma to 3-2 (1-1 SEC) and marked the Sooners' first triumph over a No. 1 team since beating Missouri 38-17 in 2007. Coach Brent Venables said he wanted his players to experience victory in this game and called it “incredibly important.” Mateer, who acknowledged thinking about this matchup “for 365 days,” said the fourth quarter felt like the longest he’d been part of and that he’d “never forget it.” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian lamented the loss as “a level of disappointment” and said the staff and players have issues to fix; the Longhorns fall to 4-1 (1-1) and will learn how far they drop in the polls Sunday as they prepare to host No. 16 Florida next week.