Tanner Mordecai replaces Rattler after poor start vs. Texas football

The quarterback carousel started to move for the Oklahoma Sooners in Red River against Texas football, with Tanner Mordecai taking over for Spencer Rattler.

A very weird start to the annual Red River Rivalry game for both the Texas football program and the Oklahoma Sooners caused head coach Lincoln Riley to make a quarterback replacement. Whether that quarterback replacement came due to poor play, or an injury, or some combination or both is yet to be known early in the second quarter.

That information may come about soon.

Nonetheless, the start to the game for Oklahoma redshirt freshman quarterback and former five-star recruit Spencer Rattler was nothing to brag about. He did have one passing touchdown on 13 passing attempts to start the game, but he also had two turnovers forced by the Longhorns.

Just prior to the end of the first quarter, Rattler tossed a pick to junior Texas linebacker and former converted safety DeMarvion Overshown. Then early in the second quarter Rattler had a fumble on a weird play, forced by redshirt freshman defensive end T’Vondre Sweat and recovered by junior linebacker Juwan Mitchell.

That is now five interceptions on the season so far, and two costly turnovers on bad plays from Rattler in the first 20 minutes of the game alone. Texas was the benefactor of those two Oklahoma turnovers to the tune of 10 points.

In fact, all of the points that Texas had in the first 20 minutes of Red River were drawn off of Rattler turnovers. He’s coughing up the ball at the worst times for Oklahoma, which also cost them their last two games in losses to the Kansas State Wildcats and Iowa State Cyclones to open up Big 12 play.

Rattler was replaced in the second quarter of Red River by redshirt sophomore quarterback and former four-star recruit Tanner Mordecai. Through bits and pieces of three years playing for Oklahoma coming into this game, Mordecai registered just over 400 passing yards, three passing touchdowns, and one interception.

This is a very bright spotlight and tough spot for Mordecai to take over for Rattler in. But something had to give for the Sooners. Oklahoma has a record of 1-2 (0-2 Big 12) coming into Red River.

On the first drive for Mordecai, the Sooners turned the ball over on their third straight drive. But this one was a fumble forced by junior standout linebacker Joseph Ossai. The turnover bug continues to bite both teams in this game.