The Texas football program has had a strong start to 2024. With a 5-0 record, the Longhorns have yet to be beaten. However, Texas has a tall task approaching in their Red River Rivalry game against the Oklahoma Sooners on Saturday. Junior defensive back Michael Taaffe knows the matchup well, given his two years of experience with Texas. But he is remaining grounded despite the pressure.
Senior Oklahoma linebacker Danny Stutsman helped create viral t-shirts building hype for the Sooners. The shirts read, “Oklahoma only fears good, Texas fears Oklahoma” in all capitalized letters. The shirts are a stark reminder of the Longhorns' 34-30 upset loss to the Sooners in 2023. However, Michael Taaffe is unfazed by the past result.
“It’s a new season,” Taaffe said, per Campbell Choate of TSTV Sports. “We’ve got a whole new team. I’m not too focused on what they did last year, what we did last year. But I do remember everything.”
At the time of 2023's Red River Rivalry showdown, the Texas football program was ranked No. 3 in the country, while Oklahoma was ranked No. 15. The Longhorns put forth their usual strong offensive showing led by Quinn Ewers. Ewers totaled 346 yards and one touchdown in the matchup, but he threw two costly interceptions that helped seal the Longhorns' loss.
Furthermore, Oklahoma was relentless on both sides of the ball.
2024's storied rivalry will be just as competitive. This time, Texas will enter the matchup ranked the best team in the nation with the Sooners not far behind at No. 18. Quinn Ewers will get his chance for redemption on Saturday, as Steve Sarkisian named him the starting QB upon his injury return.
Meanwhile, Oklahoma will try to beat the Longhorns with a balanced two-way attack led by a handful of contributors.
Texas will do everything it can to keep its streak alive and further prove itself as the nation's top team.