Texas Longhorns Football vs Oklahoma Sooners Football Match Player Stats in the SEC Era

The landscape of the Red River Rivalry underwent a seismic shift as both programs transitioned into the Southeastern Conference. Analyzing the Texas Longhorns football vs Oklahoma Sooners football match player stats from the 2024 and 2025 seasons reveals a period of defensive dominance and strategic offensive execution that favored the Austin-based program. These statistics provide a clear window into how the rivalry has evolved within its new conference home, moving away from high-scoring Big 12 shootouts toward more physical, defensive-minded battles at the Cotton Bowl.

Statistical breakdown of the 2025 defensive slugfest

In the most recent October meeting in Dallas, the statistical narrative was defined by efficiency over volume. The Longhorns secured a 23-6 victory, a scoreline that reflects a significant gap in offensive rhythm and defensive pressure. The individual player stats show a controlled performance by the Texas quarterback room and a struggling effort from the Oklahoma signal-callers.

Passing and quarterback efficiency

Arch Manning led the Texas offense with a highly efficient outing. His stat line for the game recorded 21 completions on 27 attempts, totaling 166 yards. While the yardage might seem modest by modern standards, his 77.8% completion rate was the stabilizing force for an offense that focused on avoiding mistakes. He accounted for one passing touchdown, a 12-yard strike to Deandre Moore Jr. that broke the game open in the third quarter.

Conversely, Oklahoma's John Mateer faced significant statistical adversity. Returning from a throwing-hand injury, Mateer finished with 20 completions on 38 attempts for 202 yards. However, the defining statistic for the Sooners' quarterback was the three interceptions thrown against a ball-hawking Texas secondary. These turnovers neutralized Oklahoma's yardage advantage and prevented any consistent scoring drives.

Rushing production and ground control

The ground game proved to be the differentiator in time of possession and physical leverage. Quintrevion Wisner emerged as the statistical workhorse for the Longhorns, carrying the ball 22 times for 94 rushing yards. His ability to average 4.3 yards per carry allowed Texas to sustain long scoring drives, including a 14-play, 75-yard march that consumed over seven minutes of the clock.

Oklahoma’s rushing stats reflected the pressure applied by the Texas defensive front. Tory Blaylock led the Sooners with 33 yards on 11 carries, averaging just 3.0 yards per attempt. The total team rushing for Oklahoma was held to a mere 48 yards on 30 attempts (including sacks), representing a significant statistical failure to establish the run, which in turn placed an unsustainable burden on the passing game.

Receiving leaders

• Texas: Deandre Moore Jr. was the primary target in critical situations, recording 50 receiving yards and the lone receiving touchdown. Parker Livingstone contributed a crucial 21-yard reception during a third-down scramble that kept a scoring drive alive.
• Oklahoma: Deion Burks led all receivers in the game with 64 yards on five receptions. Isaiah Sategna III was targeted 11 times but was limited to four catches for 61 yards, illustrating the tight coverage maintained by the Longhorns' cornerbacks.

Reviewing the 2024 dominance and returning stars

The 2024 meeting set the tone for the current trajectory of the rivalry, with Texas delivering a 34-3 blowout. The player stats from this specific matchup highlighted a team peaking at the right time behind an elite defensive performance and the return of veteran leadership at quarterback.

Quinn Ewers’ statistical return

After missing time due to injury, Quinn Ewers returned to the starting lineup and delivered a performance reminiscent of his previous successes in the Red River game. Ewers completed 20 of 29 passes (69%) for 199 yards. Despite a sluggish start that included an early interception, he managed to account for two touchdowns—one through the air to Gunnar Helm and one on the ground. His ability to manage the pocket resulted in only one sack throughout the game.

The Wisner breakout

While 2025 showed his consistency, 2024 was Quintrevion Wisner’s statistical arrival on the big stage. He shredded the Oklahoma defense for 118 rushing yards on only 13 carries, averaging a staggering 9.1 yards per attempt. This included a 43-yard touchdown run that effectively put the game out of reach before halftime. Silas Bolden also added a touchdown statistically, recovering a teammate's fumble in the end zone, showing the opportunistic nature of the Texas offense.

Oklahoma’s freshman struggles

The 2024 stats for Oklahoma centered on the challenges faced by Michael Hawkins Jr., the first true freshman to start the rivalry game for the Sooners. Hawkins Jr. was 16 of 24 for 120 yards. While his completion percentage was respectable, he was sacked five times, losing significant yardage and failing to lead the team into the end zone. The Sooners were held to 225 total yards, their lowest statistical output in the series in recent memory.

Defensive metrics and impact plays

When examining Texas Longhorns football vs Oklahoma Sooners football match player stats, the defensive side of the ball often tells the real story of who controlled the line of scrimmage. Over the last two meetings, the Texas defense has produced elite metrics in pressure and turnovers.

Interceptions and takeaways

In the 2025 game, Malik Muhammad was the statistical standout, recording two interceptions. One of these occurred in the end zone at the end of the first half, a play that shifted the momentum entirely. These takeaways are reflected in the final score, as Oklahoma failed to convert yards into points due to these terminal drive errors.

In 2024, the defense was led by Anthony Hill Jr., who recorded a sack and forced a fumble that was recovered by the offense for a touchdown. The statistical profile of the Texas defense across these two years shows a consistent ability to generate negative plays, totaling 8 sacks and 4 interceptions across eight quarters of football.

Third-down conversion stats

A critical component of player performance is execution on money downs.

• 2025: Texas converted 10 of 17 third downs, a 58.8% success rate that allowed them to control the clock. Oklahoma was limited to 6 of 17 (35.3%).
• 2024: The gap was even wider in terms of efficiency, as Texas leveraged their ground game to maintain short-yardage situations, while Oklahoma’s freshman QB was frequently forced into third-and-long scenarios.

Special teams: The hidden yardage

Special teams stats often go overlooked but were decisive in the 2025 matchup. Ryan Niblett’s 75-yard punt return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter was perhaps the most impactful individual statistic of the game. It extended a 13-6 lead to 20-6, demoralizing the Oklahoma sideline.

Kicking stats also favored the Longhorns. Mason Shipley was 3-for-5 on field goals in 2025, including a long of 48 yards. While he had two misses from beyond 50 yards, his ability to provide points on drives that stalled in the red zone kept the pressure on Oklahoma. Tate Sandell handled the kicking duties for Oklahoma, making two field goals (42 and 41 yards) but was never given an opportunity to kick in the second half as the Sooners fell behind.

Comparative analysis: Big 12 vs. SEC statistical trends

Historically, the Red River Rivalry was synonymous with high-flying offenses. For example, the 2018 Big 12 Championship game between these two schools saw a combined 887 yards of offense (437 for Texas, 508 for Oklahoma). The move to the SEC has seen a drastic reduction in these numbers.

The data suggests that the Longhorns have adapted more quickly to the SEC's defensive requirements. Oklahoma's statistical decline, particularly in total offensive yardage, highlights a struggle to maintain their traditional offensive identity against the revamped Texas defensive front.

Individual player milestones in the rivalry

Several players have cemented their place in the statistical history of this matchup over the last two cycles:

1. Quintrevion Wisner (RB, Texas): Across two games, he has amassed 212 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns, becoming the most consistent offensive threat in the SEC era of the rivalry.
2. Malik Muhammad (DB, Texas): With two interceptions in a single game, he joined a short list of defenders who have multi-turnover games in the Cotton Bowl.
3. Arch Manning (QB, Texas): His 77% completion rate in 2025 stands as one of the most efficient passing performances in the history of the series for a starting quarterback.
4. Deion Burks (WR, Oklahoma): Despite the team's losses, Burks has been a statistical bright spot, averaging over 12 yards per catch and remaining the primary target for the Sooners' evolving quarterback room.

Implications for future matchups

The current statistical trends suggest that the Texas Longhorns have established a blueprint for success in this rivalry based on a high-completion passing game, a workhorse running back, and a secondary that capitalizes on quarterback mistakes. Oklahoma’s path to balancing these stats lies in stabilizing their quarterback play and improving their offensive line’s ability to generate push in the running game.

As we look at the aggregate data from 2024 and 2025, the disparity in "success rate" on standard downs remains the most telling metric. Texas has consistently stayed "on schedule," avoiding the long-yardage situations that have plagued the Oklahoma offense. For the Sooners to flip the script in upcoming seasons, they will need to address the statistical deficit in rushing yards and turnover margin, which currently leans heavily in favor of the Longhorns.