DALLAS – Jalen Hurts threw three touchdown passes to CeeDee Lamb after two big mistakes early, Oklahoma sacked Sam Ehlinger nine times and the No. 6 Sooners never trailed in a 34-27 victory over No. 11 Texas on Saturday in the Red River Rivalry game.
"I would say I didn't put the team in the greatest and best situation," said Hurts, who won two semifinals as the starter for Alabama before transferring. "Not a complete game, but a step in the right direction."
A year after a Kyler Murray- led comeback fell short in a 48-45 loss in the Red River game that led to the firing of their defensive coordinator, the Sooners harassed Ehlinger into minus-9 yards rushing.
And Oklahoma, with first-year defensive coordinator Alex Grinch, held the QB with the three highest total yardage outputs for Texas against the Sooners almost 200 yards below that 387-yard average.
"Regardless of what the outside world thinks, we believe a lot in our defense," coach Lincoln Riley said. "… The way we play right now was the difference today."
The Sooners (6-0, 3-0 Big 12) stayed on track for a third consecutive trip to the playoff and avenged last year's loss in Cotton Bowl Stadium, which was followed by their victory in a rematch in the Big 12 championship game.
The Longhorns (4-2, 2-1) gave up 511 yards — a season low for the nation's No. 1 offense at 644 yards coming in.
"We knew how good they were," Texas coach Tom Herman said. "We knew that their defense had improved, and we certainly saw the things that they were doing offensively."
