The Red River rivalry has often featured defining performances from Oklahoma wide receivers.Caleb Williams’ breakout game in 2021 also saw Marvin Mims Jr. average 27 yards per catch and snag a game-tying touchdown in the fourth quarter. CeeDee Lamb torched the Texas secondary in 2019 with 171 yards and three touchdowns. Don’t forget about tight end Mark Andrews going for 104 yards on just four catches in 2017.That dynamic receiving element, however, was noticeably missing from Oklahoma’s offense in the Sooners’ 34-3 loss to Texas at the Cotton Bowl on Saturday.Quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. threw for just 148 yards, with no pass plays going for more than 15 yards. The true freshman and Frisco Emerson product was never able to challenge the Longhorns’ secondary, as Oklahoma receivers struggled to create any kind of separation.The Sooners badly missed starting wideouts Nic Anderson, Jalil Farooq and Deion Burks, who all missed Saturday’s game with injuries. Andrel Anthony and Jayden Gibson were also out.Anderson was the Red River game’s most-clutch performer last year, catching a 3-yard touchdown with 15 seconds left in the game. Farooq was also a differencemaker, racking up a game-high 135 receiving yards. Burks has a team-best 201 receiving yards on the year.“Those are really good players, but this is football, and injuries are a part of the game,” Oklahoma coach Brent Venables said. “We’ve got good, capable players who replaced them. They’re young, don’t necessarily have the same track record, but I believe in our guys.”With Hawkins and the rest of the Sooners offense forced to keep the ball on the ground, one of the best defenses in the country was able to lock in on the run, resulting in two Oklahoma fumbles in the second quarter. Texas linebacker Anthony Williams Jr. stripped Hawkins as he ran up the middle to set up the Longhorns on the Sooners’ 43-yard line, and running back Quintrevion Wisner dashed to the end zone on the next play. Free safety Derek Williams Jr. forced a fumble by running back Taylor Tatum on the next Oklahoma drive. Winning the turnover battle in the first half helped Texas take a 21-3 lead into the break, and the Longhorns never let up after that.“When they’re playing consistent run defense, they put our offense in a position where we were one-dimensional and predictable,” Venables said. “We had a few opportunities on some of the intermediate routes, but ...
