Oklahoma Sooners star quarterback Baker Mayfield connects with wide receiver Dede Westbrook for a 71-yard touchdown bomb versus the rival Texas Longhorns.
The first half of the 2016 Red River Showdown was especially sloppy. Both the Texas Longhorns and the No. 20 Oklahoma Sooners just couldn’t stop turning the football over. With two interceptions on the day, Oklahoma star quarterback Baker Mayfield gets his first touchdown of the afternoon on a 71-yard pass to wide receiver Dede Westbrook.
This unbelievable throw by Mayfield put the Sooners up 14-10 on the arch rival Longhorns late in the second quarter. For a game with two below-average defenses, this game has been surprisingly low-scoring up to this point.
Playing in the Big 12 has its upside in terms of offense. Teams love to go with the Air Raid attack to put up a ton of points. However, this hurts defenses by forcing them to play over 30 minutes a game on that side of the ball.
More college football coverage from FanSided
15 most loyal college football fans in America
15 most tortured fanbases in college football
25 best college towns in America
25 college football programs with most tradition
This is a high-stakes game for both traditional Big 12 powers. Both teams entered play at 2-2 on the year. Neither school has played great defense this year. Both head coaches Charlie Strong and Bob Stoops are to some degree on the hot seat.
Next: Ranking The Top 25 College Football Dynasties Of All-Time
Strong is struggling to keep his Longhorns defense in check. Oklahoma is not living up to lofty expectations from last season for Stoops. A win over an arch rival will do wonders to morale at either Big 12 institution. A loss to fall to 2-3 on the year might mean panic is ensuing in either Austin on Norman as early as this evening.