ACC & Big 12 Week 7 Preview: All eyes on Red River Showdown

No. 6 Oklahoma (5-0) at No. 11 Texas (4-1) – 12 p.m. on FOX

Two of the Big 12’s most successful programs will square off on the gridiron once again as Texas and Oklahoma meet in Dallas for the 91st straight year at the AT&T Red River Showdown. Additionally, this year marks the second consecutive season that both Oklahoma and Texas are ranked in the AP Top 25 at the time of the game; prior to 2018, it had not been done since 2012.

Texas enters the contest with a 62-47-5 lead in the overall all-time series, making the Longhorns the only team in the Big 12 with a winning record against the Sooners . Last season, the schools ended up meeting twice – once in the Red River Showdown, and a second time in the Big 12 Championship Game, a 39-27 Oklahoma win. (Texas won the regular-season matchup 48-45 on a 40-yard Cameron Dicker field goal with nine seconds left in the game.)

Now, let’s take a closer look at the teams:

Oklahoma Quick Hits:

• Oklahoma ranks second nationally in scoring at 53.4 points per game and leads the FBS with 643.8 yards of total offense per game — 73 yards more than the No. 2 team (571.0, LSU).
• The Sooners have run only six more plays than their opponents this season (324-318) but have outgained them by 1,487 yards (3,219-1,732).
• Oklahoma leads the nation with a pass efficiency rating of 217.4 and are fifth with 355.4 passing yards per game.
• Quarterback Jalen Hurts recorded a passing efficiency rating of at least 245.0 in each of his first four games this season, marking him the only FBS player since 1996 with more than two such outings (min. 18 attempts) in a season.
• The Alabama transfer also leads all FBS quarterbacks in rushing with 99.8 yards per game – 23.2 yards more than Wyoming’s Sean Chambers, who ranks second.
• Defensively, the Sooners are tied for second in the league and 25th nationally at 19.0 points allowed per game.
• Click here to see Oklahoma’s complete game notes
• Click here for the Sooners’ depth chart

Texas Quick Hits:  

• The Longhorns are ranked No. 11 nationally in scoring at 41.8 points per game.
• The Texas offense has also earned notable rankings in third down conversion percentage (2nd, 0.566), passing offense (17th, 308.0) and total offense (19th, 483.6).
• Quarterback Sam Ehlinger leads the offensive attack and has passed for 1,448 yards this season, which ranks 20th among FBS quarterbacks.
• Wide receiver Devin Duvernay has a total of 45 receptions for 463 yards through the first five games this season and leads the FBS with 9.0 receptions per game. Duvernay also leads the Longhorns in all-purpose yards with a total of 606.
• Texas has started the same five players on its offensive line in each of its five games this season. The starting O-line boasts a combined 112 career starts among them.
• The Longhorns boast the No. 4 defense in the Big 12, holding opponents to just 116.8 rushing yards per game.
• Click here to see Texas’ complete game notes
• Click here for the Longhorns’ depth chart

Here’s a quick look at some of the other top games from this weekend’s slate:

Syracuse (3-2) at NC State (3-2) – 8 p.m. (Thursday) on ESPN
The Wolfpack have dominated the all-time series 10-2, with their only losses coming in Raleigh in 2013 (24-10) and a 51-41 shootout last season in Syracuse. Last year’s game featured a combined 1,102 yards of total offense, as both quarterbacks threw for more than 400 yards.

No. 20 Virginia (4-1) at Miami (2-3) – 8 p.m. (Friday) on ESPN
These Coastal division foes have met every year since 2004, with Miami leading the overall series 9-7. The only other time a ranked Virginia team has been up against an unranked Miami team was in 2007, when No. 23 Virginia topped the Hurricanes 48-0 in their last game played at the Orange Bowl.

Georgia Tech (1-4) at Duke (3-2) – 12:30 p.m. on ACCNX
The Yellow Jackets and the Blue Devils have one of the most storied rivalries in the ACC, as the two have met every season since 1933. Georgia Tech holds a 51-34-1 edge, but Duke brings a two-game winning streak into this week’s contest.

Florida State (3-2) at No. 2 Clemson (5-0) – 3:30 p.m. on ABC
Clemson is seeking its 750th win on Saturday as it takes on Florida State for the 33rd time in program history. The Seminoles hold a 20-12 advantage in the series, but Clemson has won 13 of the last 17 contests. In each of the last eight years, the winner of this matchup has gone on to win the ACC Championship.

Texas Tech (3-2) at No. 22 Baylor (5-0) – 4 p.m. on FS1
Texas Tech and Baylor are returning the Texas Farm Bureau Shootout back to campus sites for the next two years after previously playing the last 10 meetings at the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. This will be the 78th overall contest between the schools in a back-and-forth series that’s tied at 38-38-1. The Red Raiders are up against their third-consecutive top-25 opponent after losing to Oklahoma on Sept. 28 and defeating No. 21 Oklahoma State 45-35 last weekend.

Iowa State (3-2) at West Virginia (3-2) – 4 p.m. on ESPN
West Virginia has won five of its previous seven meetings with Iowa State, including two of three in Morgantown. Last season, the Cyclones knocked off a sixth-ranked West Virginia team 30-14 in Ames. The Cyclones dominated the game and outgained the Mountaineers 498-152 in total offense.

Louisville (3-2) at No. 19 Wake Forest (5-0) – 7:30 p.m. on ACCN
The Cardinals and the Demon Deacons are meeting for the seventh time overall in a series that first began in the 2007 Orange Bowl – a 24-13 Louisville win. Wake Forest has started the season 5-0 for the first time since 2006, and just the fourth time in program history.