DALLAS — The Golden Hat is staying in Austin. Behind a breakout performance from Arch Manning and a game-breaking punt return from Ryan Niblett, Texas took down No. 6 Oklahoma 23-6 on Saturday in the Red River Rivalry at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, snapping the Sooners’ perfect season and reviving its own College Football Playoff hopes.
Manning was sharp and steady, completing 21 of 27 passes for 166 yards and a go-ahead 12-yard touchdown strike to DeAndre Moore Jr. early in the third quarter — a drive that flipped the tone of the game.
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“We learned how to fight today,” Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said. “We saw the true character of the men in that locker room.”
The Longhorns (4-2, 1-1 SEC) trailed 6-0 early before controlling the second half, led by a defense that forced three interceptions and held Oklahoma to just 258 total yards. Malik Muhammad picked off two passes, including a red-zone interception at the end of the first half that Sarkisian called “a momentum-changing play.”
Ryan Niblett delivered the knockout blow midway through the fourth quarter, returning a punt 75 yards up the sideline — bouncing off teammate Marshall Landwehr before sprinting to the end zone for a 20-6 lead.
“I feel like he really helped me,” Niblett said with a grin. “If I went inside, I probably would’ve been tackled. He hit me back outside and I just displayed my speed.”
Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer, playing just 17 days after surgery on his throwing hand, went 20-for-38 for 202 yards with three interceptions. “I just didn’t play good enough,” Mateer admitted.
“Today was a bad day but we still have a good football team,” Sooners coach Brent Venables said. “We couldn’t get any rhythm in the second half. They flipped the script. This one hurts.”
Texas kicker Mason Shipley added three field goals — from 22, 48, and 39 yards — helping the Longhorns retain the Golden Hat for a second straight year.
The win should push Texas back into the Top 25 and perhaps back into the CFP conversation. More importantly, it proved Sarkisian’s team can respond to adversity — and punch back when it matters most.
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