Six players who will define OU vs. UT
Oklahoma (5-0, 2-0 Big 12) and Texas (4-1, 2-0 Big 12) meet in the Red River Showdown at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas. Here are three Sooners and three Longhorns to watch for the Week 6 matchup:
Players to watch Oklahoma
❚ 1. Quarterback Spencer Rattler:
It's hard to rattle Rattler. The redshirt sophomore silenced his critics against Kansas State in Week 5 by throwing for 243 yards and two touchdowns on 22for-25 passing (88%). Rattler was briefly benched in last season's Red River Showdown for a mediocre start, but he enters this year's rivalry game as the Sooners' biggest offensive weapon.
❚ 2. Wide receiver Marvin Mims:
There's no place like home for Mims, who will be a short drive from his hometown of Frisco, Texas, on Saturday. Mims recorded a solid 71 receiving yards on four receptions against Kansas State, but he still hasn't found the end zone after leading all OU receivers in touchdowns last season (9). This weekend's matchup is favorable, though. Texas' defense is prone to allowing big passing plays over the top, and Mims is due for a breakout performance.
❚ 3. Linebacker Nik Bonitto: The Bonitto Triangle has claimed numerous victims so far this season. From Nebraska quarterback Adrian Martinez to Kansas State running back Deuce Vaughn, Bonitto is the key to OU's run defense. The redshirt junior edge rusher boasts a team-high 5.5 tackles for loss to go along with 2.5 sacks this season, and the Sooners need a big game out of him on Saturday against a run-heavy Longhorn offense.
Texas
❚ 1. Running back Bijan Robinson: Robinson steers the Longhorn offense. The sophomore running back has already set a career-high for carries in a season (105), and he has converted them into 652 yards and seven touchdowns. OU's run defense is as stingy as it gets, but Robinson's ability to break tackles with ease should create plenty of problems for the Sooners.
❚ 2. Quarterback Casey Thompson:
Thompson recorded a season-low QBR of 55.7 in Texas' win over TCU last week. The junior quarterback struggled to connect with his receivers downfield, and it didn't help that veteran left guard Denzel Okafor suffered a leg injury in the third quarter and didn't return. The security of the offensive line is very much in question, so it'll be up to Thompson to show his composure on Saturday when OU's defense applies some pressure.
❚ 3. Defensive back Anthony Cook:
Cook feasted on the Horned Frogs' offense last week. The senior defensive back recorded a career-high eight total tackles, which included two tackles for loss and a forced fumble that he recovered. Texas' secondary still has some cleaning up to do, but Cook is a bright spot and a key piece to the team's hope of winning on Saturday.