Texas football needed a big upset win today in the Red River Rivalry after an embarrassing outing against the Florida Gators last week, and they got it.
For the first time this season, the Longhorns' offense was seemingly able to move the ball at will for the majority of the game, thanks to two things.
1. Arch Manning's sustained confidence.
2. Quintrevion Wisner being effective on the ground.
Despite coming out somewhat "flat" on offense in the first quarter, Arch Manning looked confident and motivated throughout the entirety of this game. He never really got down on himself or got frustrated when a few plays broke down over the first few drives. The fact that he was able to stay so level-headed against arguably the best defense he's seen this season is a huge sign of growth.
Manning finished the game with 166 passing yards, completed 80% of his attempts, and threw a nice touchdown pass to DeAndre Moore Jr. in the back of the endzone. He also rushed 4 times for 34 yards on the ground.
This Texas offense missed Quintrevion Wisner's playmaking ability so bad, it's not even funny. The way he was able to slice through and carve up the Sooners' defense from the moment that he first touched the ball was magical today. Until midway through the 4th quarter, he was averaging over 5.0 yards per carry, but finished at 4.3 because Steve Sarkisian was just trying to run out the clock at the end of the game. He had multiple explosive runs on the day that allowed the Longhorns' offense to convert and stay ahead of the chains in crucial situations. Wisner was an enormous reason for Texas' success today.
Aside from everything that the Longhorns did great, it was Oklahoma themselves that probably made the biggest, game-changing blunder of the day. They decided to start John Mateer, 17 days after surgery to his throwing hand.
Mateer never looked comfortable or confident at any point during the game, and Texas was able to completely shut down Ben Arbuckle's passing attack because of it. Mateer finished the day with 202 passing yards, completed 50% of his attempts, and threw 3 interceptions. He also threw at least two other balls that were turnover-worthy as well on the day.
It was absolutely insane for Oklahoma and its staff to leave John Mateer in at quarterback throughout the majority of this game, and it most likely contributed to Texas' win more than some believe.