Red River Rivalry gets another chapter Saturday at the Cotton Bowl

AUSTIN (KXAN) — For the 120th time Saturday, the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners will play football against each other, but it’ll be slightly different than the previous 119 games.

No. 1 Texas takes on No. 18 Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, and for the first time, it’s a Southeastern Conference matchup. Both teams are coming off byes and have had two weeks to prepare for a clash at the State Fair of Texas and capture The Golden Hat.

“This is such a great game to be part of,” Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian said. “I was really proud about how we prepared this week with some really fast, physical practices. We were dialed into the details which will be very important in a game like this.”

Back taking the snaps will be junior quarterback Quinn Ewers, coming off an abdominal strain that sidelined him for 2 1/2 games. Sarkisian said Thursday that Ewers will return to the field with redshirt freshman Arch Manning reassuming the backup role.

Texas is in a pretty good spot from a health standpoint. They are certainly in better shape than the Sooners who have five receivers listed as out on their injury report. One of the pass catchers who won’t play for the Sooners is Jalil Farooq — he torched the Longhorns last season for 130 yards on five catches. Also out is Nic Anderson who hauled in the game-winning 3-yard touchdown from Dillon Gabriel with 0:15 left.

With Gabriel now with the Oregon Ducks, the Sooners have another dynamic quarterback who is both a threat with his arm and legs. True freshman Michael Hawkins Jr. will get the start at quarterback, making him the first true freshman to ever start in the rivalry.

Gabriel threw for 285 yards and rushed for 113, accounting for two touchdowns in last year’s game. Sarkisian knows the dual-threat quarterback concern all too well.

“He has plenty of arm talent that can make throws when plays get extended, and he’s very dangerous with his legs when he tucks it and runs,” Sarkisian said. “One of the keys in games like this is to mix up your looks or else a quarterback can find a rhythm.”

The last time Texas came into the game as the top-ranked team in the Associated Press Top 25 was in 1984, ending in a 15-15 tie.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.