The Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns have had annual games ever since 1939. The historical game takes place on the second Saturday of October. It’s held in Dallas, Texas, which is halfway between Austin, Texas, and Norman, Oklahoma. Th Red River Rivalry has resulted in fights, field rushes, and even more fights. The bordering states can’t seem to get along and with 2021’s Oklahoma win, it looks like they never will.
The start of the Red River Rivalry
It was a blazing October Day in 1990. The Texas Longhorns were named “Varsity” and the Oklahoma Sooners were known as the ” Rough Riders ” or ” Boomers “. A historical college football game was in pursuit. With Oklahoma in the dirt and Texas leading with an ending score of 28-2. This Texas victory would mark the beginning of the Red River Shootout, which we now know as the Red River Rivalry.
3-4 Defense
1958 – Tornado Season
In the fall of 1958, Oklahoma gets hit by multiple deadly EF4 tornadoes, but is still up for the OU VS. TU game. After every play, a howl of wind hit all sides of the stadium. Grown men jumped with joy as the Sooners led 12-0, but that was quickly disrupted when Texas took the lead 19-12. Half of the stadium irrupted into a chant “P-o-o-o-r Ohhh-Keeee!”
1976 – Barry Switzer Hired Spy
In 1976, Texas coach Darrell Royal alleged that OU coach Barry Switzer was spying on Texas practices. Royal told assistant coach, Larry Lacewells and suspected spy, Lonnie Williams, that if they took a lie detector test and passed, he would donate $10,000 to charity.
Some coaches would rather listen to guitar pickers than work hard.
Barry Switzer
Royal, unable to get anyone from OU in a lie detector test chair, resorted to slander.
Why those sorry bastards, I don’t trust ‘em on anything.
Darrell Royal
Royal was hopeful that the Oklahoma coaches would sue him for slander, then he’d people able to prosecute them for their actions. However, OU chose not to act. It wasn’t until years later that Switzer would come clean about Oklahoma cheating.
2022 NFL Mock Draft: October Edition
1988 – “Bevo the Mascot has AIDS”
Texas is horrible… I don’t know if Texas could beat Kansas or Kansas State. Don’t remind me that I am from Texas. I saw them play BYU, and they just lay down and died.
Karl Kasper (OU Linebacker)
Oklahoma created a rumor that Bevo (Texas bull Mascot) had AIDS. Tensions were high and Oklahoma made it clear they didn’t come to play around. Anthony Stanford helped launch Oklahoma to victory when he spotted a weak area of defense. With a team that consisted of Kevin Thompson, Anthony Stanford, and Karl Kasper, Oklahoma won 28-13.
The difference in the game was that we caught their guy [Cash] and they didn’t catch ours [Stafford]… God it’s always great to win down here”.
Barry Switzer (OU Football Coach)
The never-ending fights, fans, and flayers
When it comes to college students and sports, there’s no escape from fights breaking out. It’s 2019 and the annual game hasn’t even started, yet players are on the field bashing heads without a clock running. Fights also happen off the field before and after the Red River Rivalry between students, parents, and fans who’ve tuned in for decades.
The Golden Hat
The Golden Hat is the trophy that the winner of the Oklahoma Vs. Texas game takes home. When the trophy was first gifted by the Texas State Fair (which is held during the same week of the game), it was a different type of metal — bronze. It wasn’t untill 1970 that the hat was redone into what we know today: The Golden Hat. The Golden Hat can be seen worn by many winners of the Cotton Bowl.
Oct 12, 2019; Dallas, TX, USA; Oklahoma Sooners offensive lineman Creed Humphrey (56) wears the Golden Hat after the game against the Texas Longhorns at the Cotton Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports 
DALLAS, TX – OCTOBER 10: Armanti Foreman #3 of the Texas Longhorns celebrates with the Golden Hat trophy after a 24-17 win against the Oklahoma Sooners during the 2015 AT&T Red River Showdown at Cotton Bowl on October 10, 2015 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) 
Oklahoma teammates fit freshman runningback Adrian Peterson (28) into part of the Red River Shootout trophy, the golden cowboy hat, after OU’s 12-0 victory over Texas on Saturday, Oct. 9, 2004, at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. Peterson ran for 225 yards in the game. (AP Photo/The Dallas Morning News, John F. Rhodes) 
Oklahoma’s Chuka Ndulue dons the Golden Hat trophy after the Red River Showdown college football game where the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) defeated the University of Texas Longhorns (UT) 31-26 at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2014. Photo by Steve Sisney, The Oklahoman
2021 – The Most Recent Oklahoma Vs. Texas game
It’s the fourth quarter with 10 seconds go. Oklahoma and Texas are tied with Oklahoma in possession. Oklahoma needs at least ten yards to secure better field position to attempt a field goal. Kennedy Brooks, Oklahoma’s running back, manages to take the ball 33 yards to the endzone. Excitement floods the OU side of the stadium. Then, OU fans run onto the field.
That was crazy. It felt like a home game the way everybody rushed the field. I just saw everybody trying to take pictures out of nowhere. It was just crazy.
Nik Bonitto (OU outside Linebacker)