Texas Football: 4 takeaways from UT’s smashing of OK State for B12 title

Texas controlled the line of scrimmage on defense

A big matchup to watch between Texas and Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Championship was the battle in the trenches between Ollie Gordon and the Pokes’ ground game and the Longhorns’ defensive front. Gordon, the nation’s leading rusher entering this weekend, was the reason for much of Oklahoma State’s success as the Pokes won eight of their last nine games heading into conference championship weekend.

But the Texas defensive front also posed the most difficult matchup Gordon and the Pokes had seen this season. Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year T’Vondre Sweat and the Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year Byron Murphy II spearheaded the best run defense in the conference this season. Texas came into the Big 12 title game allowing 85 rushing yards per game and fewer than three yards per carry.

In a big clash between Gordon and the Texas front seven, the Longhorns won the battle. Oklahoma State didn’t come close to 100 rushing yards as a team against the Texas defensive front. Gordon and the Pokes also averaged fewer than two yards per carry.

Gordon was held to two or fewer rushing yards on over half of his rushing attempts. And he didn’t have a single run of 10+ yards for only the second time in Big 12 play.

This was the first time since Oklahoma State’s loss to the UCF Knights in a 45-3 blowout in Orlando last month that they rushed for under 100 yards in a game as a team. Texas also held Oklahoma State to its lowest yards per carry average since the UCF game.

Texas’s defense has effectively controlled the line of scrimmage in run defense in the entire second half of the season. And they might’ve just held the Doak Walker award-winning running back to his worst rushing performance of the season.