Oklahoma’s young football team turned a corner Saturday with an impressive 53-45 win over rival Texas in a four-overtime game that lasted about four hours and 45 minutes.

The Sooners (2-2, 1-2 in the Big 12) had comfortable leads over Kansas State and Iowa State but the defense folded and OU entered the Red River Rivalry with an alarming 1-2 record and two losses in the Big 12.

A loss to Texas (2-2, 1-2 in the Big 12) would have undoubtedly eliminated any chance the Sooners would make it to the Big 12 Championship. The loss was devastating to the Longhorns who were hoping to win a Big 12 title this year.

“What an unbelievable college football game that was. I told the team in (the locker room), this game, the history of this game is good as any in college football,” said OU coach Lincoln Riley. “The teams, the players, the epic battles for so many years, it’s been some of the greats and this game will go down as one of the best.”

After building what seemed to be a comfortable 14-lead over Texas in the fourth quarter Saturday, the defense couldn’t hold the Longhorns who tied the game with seconds left in regulation.

OU freshman quarterback Spencer Rattler was outstanding for most of the game but turnovers cast a shadow on his performance. He was replaced by Tanner Mordecai for two series in the second quarter after Rattler threw an interception.

Rattler became just the third OU starting freshman quarterback to beat Texas (joining Justin Fuente in 1996 and Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford in 2007).

“I thought Spencer did some good things early then had a couple plays that I didn’t like,” said Riley. “Tanner had been practicing well and so I felt like one, kind of give us a new face in there and two… I felt like Tanner would go play well, and I also felt like it would help Spencer take a step back for a minute and kind of see the whole thing and settle down. And I think that happened.”

“I was kind of surprised when I came out at first,” said Rattler. “Coach Riley told me to take a breather, you are going to get back in there. My arm was bugging me, too,”

Rattler threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Drake Stoops in the fourth overtime and the Sooners successfully went for two.

“We work overtime periods throughout the whole year, especially in fall camp,” Rattler said. “It just shows what we’re made of and how clutch we are out there. We had a consistent edge to use throughout that end of the game, especially into OT. I was hyped up, especially in overtime, but I kept a cool head. I didn’t get too up or too down. We’d go out there, get a touchdown, run one, throw one, it doesn’t matter.”

The maligned OU defense blocked a punt and a field goal attempt.

“Shout out to the defense,” Rattler said. “They played a heck of a game. But you know, our offense was ready for whatever things happened, and we went out there and we did it. So very, very happy with how we played in overtime.”

OU’s running game was crucial in the win. T.J. Pledger – one of only two scholarship running backs available for OU due to suspensions and injury – gained 131 yards and scored two touchdowns.

True freshman running back Seth McGowan, the Sooners’ leading rusher through the first three games, sat out of Saturday’s game for medical reasons. Sophomore Redshirt freshman Marcus Major scored his first career TD and finished with a career-high 43 yards on 12 runs.

“Man, they hung in there,” Riley said of his running backs. “They were tough for us. They did some really nice things. They got better, which we’re going to continue to have to do in that (position meeting) room and every room. It was a little bit of a light room this week.”

Texas quarterback Sam Erhlinger rushed for four touchdowns – a career high – and threw two touchdown passes. Ehlinger carried the ball 23 times for 112 yards – also a career high. But in the fourth overtime, Erlinger had a pass picked off in the end zone by OU defensive back Tre Brown and that sealed the win for OU.

“I just kept telling myself, there’s a play that needed to be made. I wanted to be the one to do it,” said Brown, who went to Tulsa Union High School. “Nobody else was gonna do it before me and this is my last one, so that’s what kept going through my head.”

Ehlinger probably played his final game against OU, with four losses and one win.

“We showed the football team we are there at the end when we stay out of our own way, without penalties, a lot of different things, mistakes that are self-inflicted,” said Ehlinger. “It’s unfortunate. We’ve got to get better.”

Texas coach Tom Herman has come under fire as his losses to Oklahoma pile up.

“A lot of them are self-inflicted wounds, and I’m disappointed,” Herman said. “It’s my job to make sure that they don’t happen.”

Only 24,000 fans were allowed inside the 92,100-seat Cotton Bowl due to the Chinese coronavirus pandemic.

 There was no Texas State Fair on the grounds, which often draws an estimated 250,000 customers on game day.

OU still has a shot at the Big 12 title game.

“A lot of people have doubted us,” Riley said. “Whatever. We didn’t let any of the excuses hold us down. We just found a way.”