‘Texas Fears Oklahoma:’ How Danny Stutsman Found the ‘Passion and Energy’ to Spark Hi

NORMAN – The vibe in the Oklahoma locker room was solemn.

The last time the Sooners faced their archrival Texas Longhorns, they suffered a 49-0 defeat – their worst loss in Red River Rivalry history.

The result in 2022 was not indicative of either show, nor the trend this series has followed for most of the last 70 years. But without a starting quarterback and without a backup plan, Oklahoma was unable to move the football and Texas toyed with the Sooners.

Now, just minutes away from facing the Longhorns once again in the football forge that is Cotton Bowl Stadium, there seemed to be a grim tension, almost a hesitation among the Sooners in the quiet period between pregame warmups and kickoff. .

Then Danny Stutsman He decided to stand up and tell his companions what was in his heart, what was burning in his soul. After reminding them that this game would be decided by physicality, Stutsman entered OU history and planted his flag in Red River Rivalry lore.

“I know two (expletive) things for sure in life!” First, I’m sure Oklahoma only fears God! And number two, Texas fears Oklahoma!”

He didn’t win the game, of course. OU’s execution and turnovers and goal line position in the fourth quarter and Dillon Gabriel touchdown pass to Nico Anderson With 15 seconds left, he won the game.

But Stutsman’s speech woke up his teammates. And won with a 34-30 victory OU.

“I just remember the locker room exploding when he said that,” said the defensive end Ford Tracking. “It was one of those things like, ‘Did he write this before?’ How it came about was so perfect. It was just one of those things.

Barely captured on video by the team’s video crew, it also became a viral sensation, which today means T-shirts, stickers and coffee mugs — and, for Stutsman, a bankable NIL property.

“I didn’t even know it was recorded,” Stutsman said in 2023. “I was in the heat of the moment. I think it’s a cool moment, or a quote from history or whatever that means. But it’s a good message for my guys. That’s all it was for, you know? I love these guys. I just want to inspire them so we can go out and dominate.”

“What he was saying in the locker room made you feel some kind of way,” defensive Kendel Dolby said last season. “… It was a good speech. It was actually a great speech.”

OU plays Texas again on Saturday with a 2:30 pm kickoff at The State Fair of Texas. Last year, the Sooners were a 4 1/2-point underdog. This year, with Texas at 5-0 and coming off its first College Football Playoff appearance and its first Big 12 Conference championship in 15 years, that gap has widened to 14 1/2. This is considered the Longhorns’ most talented team since 2009, when Mack Brown’s the team lost to Alabama in the BCS National Championship Game.

If Oklahoma wants to hang on to college football’s No. 1 team, they may need another pregame bang from their senior captain — one of the many things he can bring to a football team.

“Just his energy,” the offensive lineman said Jacob Sexton. “This game is all about passion and energy. I think Danny brings that to every game, especially this one. It exploded last year. There are reasons for that, it deserves it. This is one of our team leaders. Everyone is behind him. It conveys that message.”

“From the beginning, before the game, he motivated us with that speech, after the game, at halftime,” Ford said. “Danny is just the prime example of a true leader. He’s just a locker room guy and his energy is fantastic. Danny is someone everyone looks up to.”

Stutsman and senior security Billy Bowman were freshmen when Caleb Williams came off the bench and rallied the Sooners for an incredible comeback over Texas. They were in their second year when Gabriel was injured and OU had no quarterback. And they were juniors last year when Gabriel came back and brought his team back in the final seconds.

“That was probably my favorite Red River Rivalry game, winning at the last minute,” Bowman said. “They were throwing the ball in the end zone and we had to take it down. Obviously, DG made a great pass to Nic Anderson in the back of the end zone.”

Now, Stutsman and Bowman are veterans who transformed Oklahoma’s defense in three years under Venables — and they have one last chance to finish their careers the way they want. That starts with beating Texas once again.

“I’m 2-1, so I don’t want to split the result,” Bowman said. “Looking to make it 3-1.”

“Last year, unfortunately,” Stutsman said last week during OU’s open meet. “It’s going to be a little emotional out there. It’s a really big game, especially being a Sooner. It’s the one you look forward to every year. It’s probably one of the biggest games because of how deep and meaningful the rivalry is. There are a lot of great memories from the first year, that return, to last year. You can go on and on and hopefully we can continue to make memories in the next one.”