Texas Longhorns Who Shined in the Red River Showdown

Oct 10, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Jerrod Heard (13) rolls out in the game against the Oklahoma Sooners during the Red River rivalry at Cotton Bowl Stadium. Texas won 24-17. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Jerrod Heard

Where would Texas be without Heard? The Longhorns would not have beaten the Sooners, that’s for sure.

Heard used his legs to keep drives alive. He finished with 115 yards rushing, second to Foreman as Texas rolled up more than 300 yards on the ground against Oklahoma’s defense. He also avoided the big mistake – Heard had no turnovers. There was even an occasion when the redshirt freshmen threw the ball away rather than try to make an impossible play and take a big sack. This is a sign of Heard maturing and living to play another down.

When Texas needed a critical third down conversion Heard took it upon himself to make sure drives stayed alive. Three times he kept second half drives alive by scrambling. Oklahoma designated a spy for Heard, and it did work on some plays, but for the most part he was able to operate the offense as planned and found running lanes to move the chains.

Norvell has done a good job incorporating Tyrone Swoopes into the mix. This helps keep Heard from taking more hits than he needs. If Texas hopes to salvage this season it will need a healthy No. 13 running the offense.