Getty Jalen Hurts of the Oklahoma Sooners
The game hasn’t even started but, things were already getting heated in the Red River Rivalry. Just minutes before Texas and Oklahoma met on the field, players from both teams exchanged words and even some shoves.
The referees get in between both sides in an effort to break things up quickly. They also proceeded to throw unsportsmanlike conduct penalties on both teams.
Pregame drama 👀
(via @CollegeGameDay)
The pregame unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on both teams could make an impact later, as it creates a strange but unique situation for all players.
Oklahoma-Texas Scuffle Could Lead to Ejections
Although it takes a fair amount typically for a player to be ejected directly from a college football game, both sides will need to tread lightly throughout Saturday’s showdown. If any player gets a second unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, it would lead to an automatic ejection from the game.
🚨RED RIVER UPDATE🚨
Every player for Texas and Oklahoma will start with an unsportsmanlike after a “gathering” on the field between the teams.
Any unsportsmanlike during the game will be an ejection.
The Red River Showdown
The first meeting between these two teams was back in 1900, when Oklahoma was still a United States territory. Prior to the 2019 game, the two sides have met 114 times with Texas holding a 62-47 edge. There have also been five ties. Texas is the only team in the Big 12 to hold the series edge over Oklahoma. More recently, the Sooners have had the better of the rivalry, winning seven of the last 10 matchups including three of the last four.
Since 1912, the game has been played almost exclusively in Dallas. The reason for this is the site is almost halfway between the two campuses in Austin, Texas and Norman Oklahoma. In 1932, the rivalry moved to its current home, at the Cotton Bowl. Ticket sales for the game have always been a 50-50 split between the two schools.
Before the 2019 game, both schools tweeted out video features highlighting the history of the rivalry.
Do you think they knew?
For the 115th time, OU and Texas meet Saturday. #RedRiverShowdown
A rivalry like no other. 🤘
Despite the length of the rivalry, there has been some recent history made as 2018 marked the first year that the two teams met for the conference title, with that game being played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. It was also just the third time ever that the schools have met twice in the same season.
The game has featured countless highlights and some of the best players in college football history. Throughout the history of the rivalry, there have been 41 meetings where both teams have been ranked in the top 25.
There have also been nine Heisman Trophy winners between Oklahoma and Texas. Billy Vessels (1952), Steve Owens (1969), Billy Sims (1978), Jason White (2003), Sam Bradford (2008), Baker Mayfield (2017) and Kyler Murray (2018) have won the prestigious award for Oklahoma, while Earl Campbell (1977) and Ricky Williams (1998) have captured college football’s most prestigious trophy for Texas.
There have also been countless All-Americans and future NFL stars who have played at both schools, some of the most notable include Colt McCoy (Texas), Vince Young (Texas) and Adrian Peterson (Oklahoma).
The rivalry itself holds such weight that it has three trophies associated with it. The Golden Hat is by far the most recognizable of the trio, but the two sides also are playing for the Red River Rivalry Trophy, which is exchanged between the student bodies, and the Governors’ Trophy.
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