Lincoln Riley reveals how Oklahoma slowed down Texas offense in second half

After falling victim to a blazing fast start by the Texas Longhorns, Lincoln Riley could’ve watched his team lay down and lose. Instead, his defense pulled their chin-straps tight and buckled down.

Following the onslaught at the onset of the game by Texas, the Sooners defense held the Longhorns offense in check. In his post-game interview, Riley spoke about how his defense held strong.

“We got great penetration throughout the whole day. Just had to settle in, stated Riley. “We felt like we were playing well. The locker room was as confident as you can get with us being down as many as we were. And I give all the credit to our kids. They were into it.”

No matter what the score was, the Sooners never let their confidence take a hit. Evidently, it was the right train of thought to have — it led to their epic 54-48 victory in the Red River Showdown.

Texas quarterback Casey Thompson was under duress all day. In the first half, he threw for four touchdowns. However, he was largely shut-down in the second half, held to just one touchdown pass.

As the Oklahoma defense got stops, the Sooners offense made them count — scoring at an impressive clip to help the team get the victory. Perhaps the most impressive player was back-up quarterback Caleb Williams, who passed for 212 yards and two touchdowns in relief of Spencer Rattler.

No matter how they did it, Oklahoma made it through an epic Red River Showdown victorious. Now, their path to the College Football Playoff is clear — even if their quarterback situation is murky.

Riley on Rattler, Williams: ‘It was a tough decision.’

After the game, Lincoln Riley commented on the switch and Rattler, who entered the season as the Heisman favorite. 

“Aww, he just made some plays,” Riley told ESPN sideline reporter Holly Rowe. “It was a tough decision. And honestly, you want to know something about our team. Spencer comes back in there and get a two-point conversion that we don’t win without. So that’s what it’s all about.”

Rattler was benched in the second quarter after he fumbled the ball, his second turnover of the day. He did, as Riley mentioned, come in for the Sooners’ 2-point conversion play to tie the game at 41. 

The Sooners were down by 21 points in the first quarter before storming back in a made-for-tv shootout, which ended in a 55-48 victory for the Sooners. Oklahoma did not take a lead during the game until there was just over seven minutes left, and running back Kennedy Brooks sealed the Oklahoma win with a 33-yard touchdown run.