It wasn't pretty, but Bob Stoops walked out of the Cotton Bowl a winner once again on Saturday.
Oklahoma's offense was slowed to a halt most of the day by a feisty Texas defense, but, thanks to a few special-teams plays, the Sooners held on 31-26.
Quarterback Trevor Knight was largely ineffective most of the game, throwing for just 129 yards and a touchdown while the team failed to convert a third down until its final drive of the fourth quarter. Tailback Samaje Perine was held in check as well, averaging just 3.4 yards per carry after the true freshman had been running over the competition in Oklahoma's previous games.
While many NFL scouts had an eye on Texas defensive end Cedric Reed coming into this season, teammate Malcom Brown once again outplayed him and looked like a potential first-round draft pick, if not Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. The opposing offensive line had trouble handling Brown all day, even when double-teaming him, and struggled to get much of a push against a tough Horns front seven.
While the Texas defense did its part, the special-teams unit certainly did not and won't like watching film of the Red River Shootout next week.
Oklahoma jumped out to a 10-3 lead early in the first half thanks to two miscues by Texas in the all-important phase of the game, the first on a 91-yard kick return by Alex Ross in which the speedster was barely touched. Later, the Horns had a gaffe with a 15-yard penalty for kick-catch interference on a punt return that led to a field goal and a 10-3 lead the Sooners never gave up.
There was encouraging news for fans wearing burnt orange at the Cotton Bowl in the form of quarterback Tyrone Swoopes, however. The sophomore posted perhaps his most complete game as a passer, going 27-for-44 for 334 yards and two touchdowns. He did throw a back-breaking pick-six in the second quarter but remained composed and later added a rushing score that gave the team life late in the game.
Swoopes did all that despite eluding Sooners star linebacker Eric Striker on just about every play, too.
In the end, it wasn't meant to be for the Longhorns, as Stoops won his 10th game against Texas and kept Oklahoma's slim College Football Playoff hopes alive.
You can follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter at @BryanDFischer.
