Red River Rivalry: The '50s

Oklahoma: 7 wins, Texas: 3 wins

Compiled by DallasNews.com

The 1950s brought some changes to the rivalry, namely OU's domination of the Longhorns. The Sooners won seven games, including six straight from 1952-57. The 1953 Red River Classic, won by OU, was the first of the series televised nationally. In a pupil-beats-master game in 1958, Texas coach Darrell Royal defeated his alma mater and former coach Bud Wilkinson, 15-14.

Oct. 14, 1950: Oklahoma 14, Texas 13

Hero: Running back Billy Vessels scored his second touchdown of the game late in the fourth quarter to preserve Oklahoma's 24-game winning streak.

Notable: Texas took a 13-7 lead in the fourth quarter when defensive back Bobby Dillon intercepted a pass and returned it 50 yards for a touchdown, but Bill Porter missed the extra point. A botched punt snap by UT gave the Sooners the ball on the Texas 11 late in the fourth quarter, and Vessels scored two plays later. OU later won its first national championship.

Oct. 13, 1951: Texas 9, Oklahoma 7

Hero: Running back Carl Mayes, who had gained only 10 rushing yards going into the game, ran for 102 yards and a touchdown as UT ended the Sooners' three-game series winning streak.

Notable: The Longhorns played without top running back Gib Dawson, whose father died of a heart attack as he wished his son good luck hours before the game. The Longhorns built a 9-0 lead on a safety and Mayes' touchdown.

Oct. 11, 1952: Oklahoma 49, Texas 20

Hero: Running back Buck McPhail gained 147 yards and scored twice to lead Oklahoma's powerful rushing attack.

Notable: '52 Heisman Trophy winner Billy Vessels and Buddy Leake completed the powerful Sooners running back trio that combined for 296 yards as Oklahoma handed the Longhorns their worst loss in the series since a 50-0 rout in 1908.

Oct. 10, 1953: Oklahoma 19, Texas 14

Hero: Sooners running back Tom Carroll carried 10 times for 69 yards, including a 47-yard touchdown.

Notable: Merrill Green returned a punt 80 yards for the second OU touchdown. Texas scored two late touchdowns to make it 19-14, but UT couldn't overcome five turnovers. The game was televised nationally for the first time (NBC).

Oct. 9, 1954: Oklahoma 14, Texas 7

Hero: Sophomore quarterback and Terrell native Jimmy Harris, starting for the first time, scored one of two Sooner touchdowns and led OU to its third consecutive win over the Longhorns.

Notable: Oklahoma dominated the line of scrimmage, holding Texas to 57 rushing yards. Charlie Brewer scored the Longhorns' only touchdown.

Oct. 8, 1955: Oklahoma 20, Texas 0

Hero: Oklahoma's Tommy McDonald ran for 42 yards and scored a first-quarter touchdown, intercepted a pass and scored his second rushing touchdown on the ensuing drive.

Notable: In a new but ineffective offensive philosophy for the Longhorns, quarterbacks Dick Miller and Joe Clements combined for 36 pass attempts. The Sooners capitalized with five interceptions and converted two into touchdowns. The Longhorns crossed the Sooners' 45 once and failed to score in the series for the first time since 1938.

Oct. 13, 1956: Oklahoma 45, Texas 0

Hero: All-American Tommy McDonald built on his success against Texas, rushing for 140 yards on 16 carries and three touchdowns.

Notable: The Sooners scored on their opening drive to give the Longhorns a taste of what became the second-worst beating in series history. The top-ranked Sooners, riding a 34-game winning streak, pounded out 502 yards of offense and held Texas to 188. The six-season Ed Price era came to a close at the end of a 1-9 season for the Longhorns.

Oct. 12, 1957: Oklahoma 21, Texas 7

Hero: Halfback Clendon Thomas scored the first of three Sooners rushing touchdowns and went on to earn All-American honors at the end of the season.

Notable: Longhorns coach Darrell Royal lost in his debut against his former school but served notice that Texas was again a force to be reckoned with. Texas took a 7-0 lead, but the Sooners roared back with 21 consecutive points.

Oct. 11, 1958: Texas 15, Oklahoma 14

Hero: In a pupil-beats-master game, Texas coach Darrell Royal defeated his alma mater and former coach Bud Wilkinson, handing the Sooners only their second loss in their past 53 games. Royal left the field on his players' shoulders after the upset of No. 2 OU.

Notable: UT quarterback Bobby Lackey threw a seven-yard touchdown pass to Bob Bryant, capping a 75-yard drive with three minutes left for the decisive score. Sooners guard Jim Davis recovered a Texas fumble and returned it 24 yards for a touchdown that gave Oklahoma a 14-8 lead in the fourth quarter.

Oct. 10, 1959: Texas 19, Oklahoma 12

Hero: With Texas clinging to a 13-12 lead, Highland Park native Jack Collins caught a pass from quarterback Mike Cotten and took it 62 yards for a touchdown to ice the Longhorns' victory.

Notable: Texas erased a 12-0 first-quarter deficit to score 19 unanswered points. Fullback Mike Dowdle scored on a one-yard touchdown run just before the half to give Texas a 13-12 lead, and the Longhorns' defense pitched a shutout the rest of the way.

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