Steve Sarkisian's offense airlifts Texas vs. Oklahoma, but the D proves deflating

At halftime, Texas held a 38-20 lead in the Red River Showdown on Saturday.

Everything was laid out for the Longhorns to enjoy a dominant thrashing of their bitter rivals across state lines, the Oklahoma Sooners.

Longhorns quarterback Casey Thompson looked like the second coming of Vince Young (who just so happened to be in attendance at Cotton Bowl Stadium). Behind Thompson's arm, coach Steve Sarkisian's offense was carving up OU's secondary to the tune of four TDs through the air in the first half.

Heisman candidate Bijan Robinson looked like the second coming of a player Young knows all too well: Reggie Bush. Robinson gave the Longhorn faithful – and just about everyone else who isn't affiliated with Oklahoma – a treat for the eyes to see as he juked and jolted his way to another stellar stat line. 

And all signs pointed to a Texas cruise-control victory in Dallas as it stamped its imprint onto the 2021 edition of the storied rivalry.

But early signs can be misleading.

After taking a 41-30 advantage into the final frame, Texas slowly began to unwind at the seams. 

The Longhorns' defense, which had kept Spencer Rattler at bay throughout most of the affair, began to crack under the pressure of freshman replacement Caleb Williams. 

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Williams, who found pay dirt on a fourth-down romp in the first half, was called upon to permanently relieve Rattler after the Sooners' QB1 struggled to find his footing.

Williams had no problems doing so. He kept his composure after dropping a snap to rifle in a seamless dime for six, before cannonballing this deep toss on the run to Marvin Mims, who made one of the best catches we've witnessed this season.

Sarkisian and Texas' offense whipped up a scoring potion of their own, a hookup that became Thompson's fifth TD throw of the day to knot the score at 41.

But the Horns couldn't hook, lasso or corral Oklahoma's offense, and the Sooners won the game on a jolting run from Kennedy Brooks with just three seconds left.

It was a storybook ending for the Sooners: A double-digit comeback, a freshman feel-good finale, and a record that remains unblemished.

But for Sarkisian and the 21st-ranked Longhorns, it's the most unfavorable conclusion imaginable. And it's an ending that won't soon be forgotten – though the Longhorns certainly wish they could do away with any and all remnants of its sting.

Texas' season has been a recurrent tale of two very different sides of the ball.

Its offense has been a well-calculated, highly-productive machine. 

The Longhorns entered their matchup with the Sooners with a weekly average of 43.8 points per game (sixth in FBS). They've amassed at least 30 points in all but one of their outings this season while posting 400-plus yards in four straight outings.

Robinson has been a significant stakeholder of the national spotlight – and rightfully so. He's a playmaking savant, with enough finesse moves to rival a ballet dancer. He's registered 100-plus yards in four straight games (he had 20 totes for 137 yards and a score Saturday), and is averaging 6.3 yards per carry. On the season, he has gained 789 yards on 135 carries to go with eight TDs.

The man who hands him the ball hasn't been too shabby either. Thompson became the first Texas QB ever to throw more than four passing TDs against Oklahoma. He now has thrown for 1,095 yards with 15 TDs and just two INTs.

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And Sarkisian has been the mastermind behind it all. He's no stranger to offensive brilliance.

He drew up the fabrics of two 40-PPG offenses in his past two seasons at Alabama. The 2019 squad averaged 47.2, following that up with 48.5 in 2020 (both second in the FBS).

But this year's Texas platoon doesn't possess the defensive fortitude that those 'Bama units did.

Texas' defense has now allowed 27-plus points in three straight games. After today’s game, it's now relinquishing 29.2 ppg.

The Horns have surrendered 50-point explosions to the Sooners in back-to-back seasons for just the second time (2011/2012), and gave up 339 yards on the ground Saturday. That catapults their rushing yards allowed total to more than 200, at 200.2 for the season.

It's a recipe for disaster.

Sarkisian's been the architect behind champion-caliber offenses, and Texas could very well possess that. But as long as its defense continues to be its own enemy, fans won't see how great it truly can be.

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