User:Johntex/2007 OU

The 2007 Oklahoma vs. Texas football game, played October 6 2007, was the 102nd meeting between the University of Oklahoma and The University of Texas at Austin in a college football game. CBS Sportsline.com listed the game as sixth on the list of games to watch during the 2007 season. The game was expected to feature one of the best match-ups of the year with wide receivers Limas Sweed and Billy Pittman of the Longhorns facing against Oklahoma’s excellent secondary. The game lived up to its billing as the contest was closely fought, with neither team able to take more than a one-touchdown lead at any time during the game.

The annual game between the Texas Longhorns and the Oklahoma Sooners, is called the Red River Shootout. It is considered by college football coaches to be one of the three greatest rivalry games in college football, and Fox Sports says the rivalry includes some of the most unusual traditions in the sport. The game often has conference or national title significance (as this game did) and the series is unusual in that it is played at a neutral site instead of the home teams' stadium.

The 2007 Texas Longhorn football team (variously "Texas" or "UT" or the "Horns") was coached by head football coach Mack Brown and led on the field by quarterback Colt McCoy. The 2007 Oklahoma Sooners football team (variously "Oklahoma" or "OU") was coached by Bob Stoops with Sam Bradford at quarterback.

This was the fourth game of the 2007 season Oklahoma and the fifth for Texas. Texas came into the game with a 4–1 record and a No.16 ranking. Oklahoma was 3–1 and ranked No.10. Both teams were 0–1 in conference play. Since the two teams are both in the South Division of the Big 12 Conference, winning this game would be an important step towards winning the Division and possibly the Conference. For either team, a second loss would eliminate hope of reaching the BCS National Championship Game.

Oklahoma’s win kept them in contention for the national championship but a loss to Texas Tech eliminated them from national championship picture. The Sooners won the Big 12 Conference championship but lost their final game in the 2008 Fiesta Bowl to finish the season 11–3. Texas finished the season with ten wins and three losses. Their final game was a victory in the 2007 Holiday Bowl. OU and UT finished the season ranked No.8 and No.10, respectively.

The Red River Shootout
The Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorns are two of the most storied programs in college football. Prior to 2005 each school had participated in college football for more than 100 years. They are home to nationally-known traditions from the Sooner Schooner and the RUF/NEKS at Oklahoma to Bevo and the Hook 'em Horns of Texas. The annual OU/UT football game is considered to be one of the greatest rivalry games in all of college sports.

The game against the 2007 Oklahoma Sooners football team marked the 102nd meeting of the Red River Shootout, which has been called one of the greatest sports rivalries. It is the second longest running rivalry for the Longhorns, behind the one with Texas A&M Prior to 2007 Texas led the series 57–39–5, including the last two consecutive wins. The last match-up was a 28–10 Longhorn victory Since 1929 the game has been held at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas typically in mid-October with the State Fair of Texas occurring adjacent to the stadium.

Oklahoma is the winningest program in what is widely considered the modern era of college football. OU has the most victories and best winning percentage of any team since the end of World War II. The Sooners have earned seven AP National Championships (1950, 1955, 1956, 1974, 1975, 1985, 2000) in that span and are recognized by the NCAA for 16 titles. They have been ranked #1 in the AP and BCS polls more than any other team, have been ranked in the top 5 of the AP and BCS polls more than any other team, and have scored more points than any other team in the modern era. Naturally, Oklahoma had high expectations for the year. Their pre-season ranking of No.7 in the nation and the fact they had made it to the national championship game in both 2003 and 2004 only served to support this assumption.

One of the three most victorious programs in college football history as judged by either number of wins or winning percentage, the University of Texas has traditionally been considered among the elite of college football. From 1936 to 2004, the team finished the season in the top ten 23 times, or one-third of the time, according to the Associated Press. The team that coach Mack Brown fielded in 2005 has been called one of the most memorable in college football history by College Football News.

The 2007 matchup was officially called the Red River Rivalry, but the game is better known by its traditional name, the Red River Shootout. It is played at a neutral site, the Cotton Bowl stadium in Dallas, Texas, amid the atmosphere of the Texas State Fair which is held adjacent to the Cotton Bowl. Dallas is approximately half the distance between the two school campuses, and the stadium is divided down the 50-yard line, with half of the stadium clad in the "crimson and cream" colors of Oklahoma, and the other half wearing the burnt orange and white of Texas. Three rivalry trophies are presented to the winning of each year's contest.

The game typically has conference or even national significance. Since 1945, one or both of the two teams has been ranked among the top 25 teams in the nation coming into 62 out of 67 games. Prior to the 2005 game, Texas held an advantage in the all-time series 55-39-5, which included a 43-35-4 edge in Dallas, but Oklahoma had won 5 consecutive games, including the worst loss ever for a Texas team in the series. That was the longest losing streak for the Longhorns going back to the 1950s and during those five years the Sooners 189 points to 59 points by UT. Those five straight losses had helped build a reputation for Mack Brown that he was not capable of winning in so-called "Big Games". Four times during those five years, Texas' loss to Oklahoma was what prevented them from playing in the Big 12 Conference Championship Game. The 2007 UT team was attempting to follow on the success of the 2006 team, which defeated Oklahoma 28–10.

Prior to the game
CBS Sportsline.com listed the game as sixth on the list of games to watch during the 2007 season: “The annual Red River Shootout in Dallas will once again feature two top-ten teams with the winner being the front-runner for not only a Big 12 title but a factor in the national title picture. The game will also feature one of the best match-ups of the year with Limas Sweed and Billy Pittman of the Longhorns facing against Oklahoma’s excellent secondary.” However, the matchup was hurt when both teams suffered unexpected losses the week before. The last time both teams entered the game after a loss was 1999. The morning of the Red River Shootout, oddsmakers favored Oklahoma to win by 12–13 points.

Texas suffered a humiliating home defeat to the Kansas State Wildcats. KSU scored one touchdown on a punt return, one on a kick return, and one on an interception. Previously, Texas had never allowed all three types of scores in a single season. The 41 points were the most scored against Texas in Austin since UCLA handed the Longhorns a 66–3 loss in 1997, and it was the worst home defeat in the Mack Brown era at Texas.

Like Texas, Oklahoma suffered a defeat one week before the Red River Shootout; at one point they had a 17 point lead over the Colorado Buffaloes before ultimately losing, 26–24. That dropped Oklahoma from number four to number ten in the coaches poll. Texas fell to number 16 in the coaches poll and number 19 in the AP poll; OU fell to number 10 in both polls. This marked Texas' 114th straight week to be ranked in the AP poll, longest active streak in the country and tying the school record. The Longhorns had been ranked 142 straight weeks in the coaches poll. That was the longest UT streak in any poll and the country's longest active streak in the coaches poll. The morning of the Red River Shootout, oddsmakers favored Oklahoma to win by 12–13 points.

In the week prior to facing the Oklahoma Sooners, UT fans conducted their traditional Torchlight Parade and Rally. The rally first took place in 1916 prior to a game versus Texas A&M, but since 1986 it has been an annual event held exclusively during the week prior to the Texas–OU game. Another annual tradition is the running of game balls by the schools' Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) programs. Each school's ROTC program uses a relay running system to run one game ball all the way from their respective campus to Dallas. Once there, they participate against each other in a football scrimmage, with the winner taking home a rivalry trophy and bragging rights.

Game summary
The game was a back-and-forth affair that was ultimately won by Oklahoma 28–21. OU's freshman quarterback, Sam Bradford, was 21–of–32 for 244 yards and 3 touchdowns. UT's McCoy was 19–of–26 for 324 yards and two touchdowns. That was the most passing yardage against an Oklahoma team since the 2004 National Championship game vs. USC. McCoy threw one interception and Jamaal Charles lost a fumble inside the Oklahoma five yard-line on what would otherwise have been a touchdown scoring run. For the second straight week, the Texas defense did not cause any turnovers.

The game was a back-and-forth affair that was ultimately won by Oklahoma 28–21. Oklahoma's Sam Bradford was 21–of–32 for 244 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. UT's Colt McCoy was 19–of–26 for 324 yards and two touchdowns. McCoy threw one interception and Jamaal Charles lost a fumble inside the Oklahoma 5 yard-line on what would otherwise have been a touchdown scoring run. The Sooners did not commit any turnovers. The Longhorns ended the game with 385 total yards to the Sooners 414. The Oklahoma defense held Texas to 61 rushing yards, their lowest total of the season (their previous low was 117 against Arkansas State). Cornerback Reggie Smith was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week for his defensive performance against Texas. It is the second time Smith has received this honor this season.

The match was highlighted by the play of a few notable Sooners including freshman running back DeMarco Murray, wide receivers Juaquin Iglesias and Malcolm Kelly, and quarterback Sam Bradford. Murray finished the game with 128 yards on 17 carries including a 65 yard touchdown. Kelly caught five passes for 105 yards including a 41 yard catch that led to an Oklahoma touchdown and a game winning 35 yard touchdown catch. Iglesias finished with six catches for 99 yards despite two of his catches were counted as laterals. Bradford led the Sooner offense against Texas for the first time. Kelly made note of Bradford's demeanor: "His demeanor never changes. Never looks happy, never looks sad. That's just Sam." Bradford led the Sooners on an 84 yard touchdown drive in the 1st quarter and a 94 yard touchdown drive in the 4th quarter.

The game was close from start to finish as the Sooners struck first with a quick touchdown pass to TE Jermaine Gresham. QB Colt McCoy's passing attack responded quickly to tie the game for the 'Horns, then again to take a lead, particularly off the efforts of TE Jermichael Finley. The Sooners were able to tie the score going into the half off of another Sam Bradford-to-Jermaine Gresham connection. The Longhorns were able to get into the red zone at the beginning of the second half, but a costly fumble by RB Jamaal Charles at the 5-yard line cut short the momentum. A few series later, RB DeMarco Murray ripped off a 65-yard TD run to give the Sooners a 21-14 lead. The 'Horns did not take this lying down, as they were able to score soon thereafter. The Oklahoma passing attack scored the final touchdown of the game about ten minutes from the end of the game, with a 35 yard touchdown pass to WR Malcolm Kelly from Bradford. The 'Horns threatened twice in the final waning minutes, as it took a CB Reggie Smith interception and defensive play against star WR Limas Sweed to secure the win for Oklahoma.

Analysis
McCoy, who suffered a concussion the previous week, played the game with his throwing arm bandaged from mid-forearm to biceps. He held up physically despite taking four sacks and a blind-side late hit after one play had been whistled dead. With the loss, Texas opened conference play 0–2 for the first time since 1956, when they were in the Southwest Conference and one year before Darrell Royal became head coach of the Longhorns. A bright spot for the Horns was tight end Jermichael Finley who caught four passes for 149 yards. Jamaal Charles ran for 79 yards and John Chiles carried once for four yards. Counting the sacks to McCoy, Texas had a total of 61 yards rushing.

Receiver Limas Sweed left the game early because he re-injured his left wrist. He later ad  surgery to tighten the ligaments in the wrist but the injury ended the college-career for the senior all-conference receiver. NFL scouts had projected that Sweed would be an early pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. The Austin American-Statesman reported "Quan Cosby likely will move to Sweed's spot at split end, with Nate Jones moving to flanker. The Longhorns likely will decide between Billy Pittman and Jordan Shipley at slot receiver when Texas is in its base, three-receiver set." Sweed was a candidate for the Biletnikoff Award and the Maxwell Award in 2007. ESPN Scouts Inc. listed him among their Top 10 professional prospects and Mack Brown said he still believes Sweed will play professional ball after the surgery.

Defensive end Aaron Lewis fractured his elbow in the game and was taken out of the lineup indefinitely. The Austin American-Statesman reported "A depth chart issued Monday shows Lamarr Houston moving to Lewis' spot at power end, with Brian Orakpo regaining his starting job at quick end. The Longhorns have been dealing with injuries at defensive end all season." Fullback Luke Tiemann also required surgery to repair a broken wrist, but was expected to miss only two games.

Jeff Duarte of the Houston Chronicle made note of Charles' fumble, McCoy's interception and the low rushing yardage. He said, "the Texas Longhorns went back and forth with Oklahoma for most of the game Saturday before eventually succumbing to the same problems that have taken them from a Top 10 ranking to the verge of dropping out of the national polls for the first time in seven years." The win kept the Sooners in position to win the south division of the Big12 Conference and could even allow them back into the national championship race.

Asked to assess his personal performance after the loss to Kansas State, Colt McCoy said, "I think I've had some bad luck, I'm definitely a better quarterback, definitely more experienced -- I've just had some bad luck. Things that can go the wrong way, have gone the wrong way -- tipped balls and that stuff." He also said there was room for improvement, "Teams are blitzing us a lot more. We've handled it well for the most part, but there's so many things we can do better... If you ask every person on this offense, they'll tell you there's something individually they can do better." After the loss to Oklahoma, Mack Brown said he did not want to hear about bad luck, "By saying we're unlucky is just a cop-out, this game isn't about luck. If you knock balls loose you should get on them. If you tip balls in the air you should catch them. We're not going to have any excuses." Brown cited the lack of big plays on defense, particularly the lack of forced turnovers, as a problem for Texas. Both Brown and Greg Davis hinted that Jamaal Charles could face less playing time as a result of his problems hanging onto the ball. Charles said that he felt a deep remorse over his fumbles and feels that he was the biggest reason the team lost to Oklahoma. Texas running backs coach Ken Rucker and former Longhorn quarterback Earl Campbell had worked previously with Charles on his ball handling. Greg Davis said he wants to get the ball to Charles "in space", on pitches and passes, instead of in heavy traffic up the center.

After the game
With the loss, Texas opened conference play 0–2 for the first time since 1956, when they were in the Southwest Conference and one year before Darrell Royal became head coach of the Longhorns. The win kept the Sooners in position to win the South Division of the Big 12 Conference possibly even the national championship race.

Oklahoma’s later loss to Texas Tech eliminated them from national championship picture. The Sooners won the Big 12 Conference championship but lost their final game in the 2008 Fiesta Bowl to finish the season 11–3. Texas finished the season with ten wins and three losses. Their final game was a victory in the 2007 Holiday Bowl. OU and UT finished the season ranked No.8 and No.10, respectively.

Texas made coaching staff changes at the end of the season. On January 22008 the Longhorns announced that defensive co-coordinator Larry MacDuff would not return for the 2008 season and Akina was demoted to "Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Backs". The Longhorns hired Will Muschamp as defensive coordinator; he will also coach UT's linebackers. Muschamp was defensive coordinator at Auburn and will make a $425,000 salary at Texas. Running backs coach Ken Rucker transferred to a newly created position with the athletic department where he will act as a liaison to high school athletic programs. On January 162008 Texas replaced Rucker by hiring former UT quarterback Major Applewhite.

Nine longhorns entered professional football at the end of the season. The 2008 NFL Draft concluded with five Longhorns selected: Limas Sweed (53rd pick), Jamaal Charles (73rd), Jermichael Finley (91st), Tony Hills (130th), and Frank Okam (151st). In addition, Brandon Foster, Marcus Griffin, Nate Jones and Derek Lokey agreed to sign free-agent contracts with NFL teams.