Texas Longhorns Who Shined in the Red River Showdown

Oct 10, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns wide receiver Marcus Johnson (7) scores a touchdown in the first quarter against the Oklahoma Sooners during the Red River rivalry at Cotton Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Marcus Johnson

Johnson was becoming an afterthought in this offense. John Burt and Armanti Foreman had supplanted the senior as Jerrod Heard’s go-to receivers. One of the heroes from the 2013 Red River Showdown, Johnson needed to show up.

On Saturday he came up big. First he took a Heard toss and raced down the sideline for a 24-yard touchdown to give Texas a 7-0 lead. The run was impressive as Johnson skirted the sideline, shook off two tackles, and stayed inbounds to score. It would have been easy for him to avoid contact and go out of bounds, but Johnson was determined to score. The Longhorns had been missing this fight last week.

He also had a key third down grab that kept a drive alive. Texas ended up with a field goal on the drive to extend the lead to 24-10.

There is something about Oklahoma that brings out the best in Johnson.