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Saturday's game between Texas and Oklahoma will mark the 94th
meeting in a storied series that spans a century.
|  | | Ricky Williams is just one member of the hallowed Heisman fraternity. |
It started in 1900 in Austin, Texas, with Texas winning 28-2.
The teams also played in Dallas, Norman and Oklahoma City before
settling on Dallas for good in 1929, surrounded by the hustle and
bustle of the State Fair of Texas. Since 1937, the game has been
played in the Cotton Bowl.
The game is one that stirs strong emotion for the players,
coaches and particularly the fans. As the final game of the
millennium approaches, here is a look at some of the more memorable
games in the series:
1947. Oklahoma old-timers feel they got robbed by referee Jack
Sisco. No. 3 Texas was far better than Bud Wilkinson's first
Oklahoma team, but the score was 7-7 late in the half. Time
appeared to expire with Texas at the 1-yard line, but Sisco allowed
another play, saying a Texas player had called timeout. The
Longhorns fumbled on the play, but Bobby Layne picked up the ball
and lateraled to Randy Clay, who scored. With Texas leading 21-14
in the fourth, Clay appeared to be stopped at the Sooner 3-yard
line, but he came out of the pile and scored. Oklahoma fans
showered the field with bottles. An angry group surrounded Sisco
afterward, but he and the rest of the officiating crew were
escorted away in a police car.
1950. Oklahoma was 2-0 and ranked third. Texas was 2-0 and
ranked fourth. The Longhorns led 13-7 late in the fourth quarter
but their punter, Billy Porter, got tackled deep in Texas
territory. Billy Vessels scored on the next play and Jim Weatherall
kicked the extra point to give Oklahoma a 14-13 victory. It was the
only loss of the year for Texas. The Sooners finished 10-1 and won
the first of Bud Wilkinson's three national championships.
1963. Oklahoma was ranked No. 1, Texas No. 2. The Texas
defense, led by Tommy Nobis and Scott Appleton, dominated Joe Don
Looney and the Sooners, who were coming off a big victory over
Southern Cal. Texas won 28-7 in a game that served as a springboard
to the national championship.
1968. The game that helped put the wishbone on the map. Texas
and its new offense was just 1-1-1 coming in. Oklahoma was 1-1.
Neither team was ranked, but Texas scored late to win the game
26-20. The Longhorns wound up 9-1-1 and won a national championship
the following year.
1971. Oklahoma had unveiled its wishbone against Texas a year
earlier and lost 41-9 to the second-ranked Longhorns. The Sooners
gained revenge in 1971, winning 48-27. Greg Pruitt ran for 216
yards and Oklahoma finished with 435, the most by any Texas
opponent during the Darrell Royal era. "I've never seen such
speed," Royal said afterward. "Their backs look like they are
running downhill."
1976. During the week, Royal accused Barry Switzer of spying.
President Gerald Ford attended the game and escorted the coaches to
midfield beforehand. "Ford's having a conversation with Darrell
and a conversation with Barry, but it ain't a three-way
conversation," recalled Bill Little, longtime sports information
director at Texas. The game ended in a 6-6 tie when Oklahoma
botched an extra point.
1977. Earl Campbell had his way against the second-ranked
Sooners on his way to the Heisman Trophy, but a defensive stop
proved to be the difference. Campbell had 124 yards and a touchdown
for No. 5 Texas. The Longhorns preserved the 13-6 victory by
stopping quarterback Thomas Lott on fourth down near the goal line.
1984. The most famous of the five ties in the series. Texas
was ranked No. 1, Oklahoma No. 5. "The Boz" was born that week,
when Oklahoma linebacker Brian Bosworth talked openly of his hate
for the Longhorns and their "puke orange" colors. On the final
Texas drive, safety Keith Stanberry appeared to intercept a pass
intended for Bill Boy Bryant in the end zone, but he was ruled out
of bounds. It was one of what Oklahoma fans considered three
questionable calls in that drive. As time ran out, Jeff Ward kicked
a 32-yard field goal in the pouring rain to give Texas a 15-15 tie.
1996. The highlight of John Blake's brief stint as Oklahoma's
coach. The Sooners, three-touchdown underdogs, overcame a 24-13
deficit in the final seven minutes of regulation to force overtime.
James Allen's touchdown run in OT gave the Sooners a 30-27 victory,
just their second over Texas in the 1990s.
1997. A remarkable afternoon by two tailbacks, Ricky Williams of Texas and De'Mond Parker of Oklahoma. Williams ran for 223 yards and two touchdowns. Parker had 291 yards and all three Sooner TDs
as Texas won, 27-24. It was just the third time in NCAA history
that two running backs from opposing teams had rushed for more than
200 yards.
1929. The start of the series as it is now played. Oklahoma was in the Missouri Valley Conference from 1920-27, and the league prohibited its teams from playing neutral-site games. By 1929,
Oklahoma was in the Big Six Conference, which allowed the Sooners
to make the trip to Dallas after Texas athletic director L. Theo
Bellmont extended an invitation. The teams have played every year
since.
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