In the highest scoring Red River Showdown of all-time, the Oklahoma Sooners defeated the Texas Longhorns 45-40 at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.
A relatively quiet opening half came to life in the third quarter, with both sides scoring touchdowns at will. However, a costly interception by Texas quarterback Shane Buechele saw them go two-scores behind and they never recovered, eventually losing by five.
The loss puts more pressure on Texas head coach Charlie Strong, who was already on the hot-seat, and after taking over defensive duties this week saw his defense concede 672 yards and 45 points. Samaje Perine scorched the Texas defence for 214 yards on the ground, with wide reciever Dede Westbrook hauling in a school-record 232 through the air to help Oklahoma move to 3-2 on the season.
Longhorn defence shows signs of improvements before Westbrook grabs 71-yard TD
Two interceptions in the first quarter by Texas defensive back Dylan Haines were a big part behind them taking an early 3-0 lead, but it didn't last for long with Perine scoring from two yards out for the game's first touchdown.
The Longhorns responded quickly though, and running back D'onta Foreman crashed his way into the endzone from a yard out to give his team the 10-7 advantage.
Texas had been having a horrid time on defence this season, having conceded 47, 50 and 49 in their other games against FBS opponents during September. The first half looked to have shown improvements, but that was ended when Baker Mayfield launched a bomb down the field to Westbrook who broke free from the coverage for a 71-yard go-ahead touchdown.
Buechele and Mayfield start dealing in frantic third quarter
Coming out of the half, the game suddenly turned into a shootout with both quarterbacks hitting long throws against struggling defenses.
With the fifth play of the half, Buechele sat back in the shotgun, and dropped it in the bucket for Devin Duvernay to grab a 63-yard touchdown.
Texas then hit back, with a three-play 79-yard touchdown drive capped by Westbrook's 43-yard grab, before the Longhorns repeated the recipe with a six-play drive of their own finished off by Dorian Leonard who snatched the ball out of the sky for a 45-yard touchdown.
That wasn't the end of the quickfire scoring though, and the fourth-straight drive of the half saw the Sooners regain the lead, going 81 yards in six plays before Mayfield scampered in himself from four yards out.
The Oklahoma defense became the first to get a stop in the second-half, and the offence backed them up with another big play, finished with Westbrook juking past defenders on his way to the endzone from 47 yards.
Perine makes Buechele pay with 42nd Sooner touchdown before Sooners hold off late Longhorn charge
After Joe Mixon had inadvertantly fumbled a punt to hand Texas the ball back, Buechele was picked-off by Will Sunderland in the red-zone and their offence once again stepped-up to make him pay.
The aerial attack had ruled the third quarter, but this drive was all about the running game and Perine. 13 plays, for 93 yards and taking more than six minutes off the clock, the junior running back went past future hall-of-fame Adrian Peterson, scoring his 42nd Sooner touchdown.
Texas hit back instantly with Armanti Foreman reducing the deficit to eight points, before Oklahoma leaned on their running game once more. 15 plays chewed-up close to eight minutes, and when Austin Seibert snuck through the field-goal, Texas trailed by 11 points with just 2:36' left on the clock.
The offence did it's part, taking only 51 seconds in five plays as D'onta Foreman ploughed into the endzone, but after being given one more opportunity all the lateral's in the world couldn't see them regain the lead and Oklahoma held on for the wild Big 12 victory.