The golden hat returns to Norman. Watch our highlights from the #Sooners last minute victory over Texas:
Filmed and edited by Justin Jayne
DALLAS – Facing third-and-19, Marvin Mims readied for the snap.
The sophomore receiver slowly began his route before exploding downfield. Freshman quarterback Caleb Williams, who had replaced the benched Spencer Rattler, stepped up in the pocket and delivered a desperation heave toward the right pylon. Mims, who said after the game that he made eye contact with Williams on the throw, beat his defender by diving to his left, coming down with the 52-yard touchdown and barely keeping his left foot inbounds to, after the two-point conversion, tie the score 41-41 midway through the fourth quarter.
"The inches we need are everywhere around us.""On this team, we fight for that inch." pic.twitter.com/wu3JCYhqTK
— Sooner Gridiron (@soonergridiron) October 9, 2021
After waiting to see if officials ruled him to have been in bounds, Mims then jumped into the arms of senior H-back Brayden Willis, where he waved his arms in celebration and sporadically jittered his legs before strutting across the end zone as the Sooners’ half of the 92,100 fans at the Cotton Bowl exploded.
Simply Marvelous. 🤯"Touchdown! Are you kidding me what a play! That's one for the rocking chair there." — Chris FowlerMarvin Mims finished the game with 5⃣ catches for 1⃣3⃣7⃣ yards and 2⃣ touchdowns.#OUDNA x @marvindmims pic.twitter.com/jcOPTOVK8b
— Sooner Gridiron (@soonergridiron) October 9, 2021
His trainer back home, former BYU standout wide receiver Margin Hooks, said it’s a moment of exuberance he’s never seen from the Frisco, Texas, native.
“He had the most emotion I’ve ever seen on the field from that play,” Hooks told The Daily after the game. “He knows how to make plays. Marvin doesn’t make that play and Oklahoma’s not even in the game.”
Mims finished with five catches for a career-high 136 yards and two touchdowns as No. 6 Oklahoma (6-0, 3-0 Big 12) beat No. 21 Texas (4-2, 2-1) in thrilling fashion Saturday in the Red River Showdown. He caught every ball thrown his way and made the plays OU needed most in its largest come-from-behind win — 21 points — against the Longhorns in school history.
Redshirt sophomore wide receiver (left) and senior tight end/H-back Brayden Willis (middle) celebrate with sophomore wide receiver Mims (right) after Mims scored a touchdown during the Red River Showdown at the Cotton Bowl on Oct. 9.
Williams, the five-star phenom who relieved Rattler in the second quarter, gained most of the attention after leading the comeback and scoring three touchdowns. But it was Mims who caught both of Williams’ impressive touchdown passes, as well as a 47-yard catch on third-and-5 that led to a field goal to bring the game within one possession.
Wow. pic.twitter.com/BeeZMihonJ
— Sooner Gridiron (@soonergridiron) October 9, 2021
Caleb Williams out there making it happen. pic.twitter.com/bb7adO7HCp
— Sooner Gridiron (@soonergridiron) October 9, 2021
“It was a game changer, he’s a game changer,” said redshirt junior running back Kennedy Brooks, who ran for a career-high 217 yards with two touchdowns, including the game-winning score with three seconds left. “He balled out today. Without those big plays we probably wouldn’t have gotten close to winning.”
Mims’ touchdowns were his first of the season. The 5-foot-11 receiver recorded just 10 catches through his first four games, although he led the team in receiving yards and was a FWAA Freshman All-American last season. Hooks mentioned that Mims had been upset, or frustrated as Mims previously phrased it to reporters, with the number of pass attempts he was receiving, before breaking out with nine receptions for 217 yards in his past two appearances, including Saturday.
Mims’ dad, Marvin Mims Sr., even retweeted a post on Oct. 1 with a headline asking where Mims had disappeared to in the Sooners’ offense, saying “something has to change.”
Something has to change!! https://t.co/w3M6pPdH29
— Marvin Mims Sr. (@MarvinMims2) October 1, 2021
“He felt that he could do more,” said Hooks, speaking of Mims’ maturity and calm demeanor, and noting he’s not one to complain to coaches about his touches. “He just needed more of an opportunity to do so. I’m happy for him. He’s been frustrated early in the season.”
Rattler was just 9-for-16 passing and had two turnovers before Williams, the former five-star recruit and No. 1 ranked quarterback in the country last season, replaced him. Williams clearly trusted Mims in important situations, with 123 of his 212 yards going to the receiver.
Sophomore wide receiver Marvin Mims celebrates after making a long catch during the Red River Showdown at the Cotton Bowl on Oct. 9.
Hooks said freshmen tend to look to a team’s star receiver early on. Mims, ever even-keeled, was perfect for Williams in his eyes.
“When you get a young quarterback and you’re the guy, they’re going to throw to you when in doubt,” Hooks said. “I think that’s what it came down to. Caleb said, ‘OK No. 17, I’m going to go to him, because I’ve seen him make plays before.' And Marvin was able to do so.”
Although it took Mims six weeks to have his breakout game of the season, he still managed just five receptions as the Sooners opted to go with a run-heavy approach to start the second half. Oklahoma ran the ball 10 times and threw it just six times in the third quarter, before Williams had to rely on his arm in the homestretch in the eventual comeback.
OU has now won 10 of its past 13 matchups against Texas, and head coach Lincoln Riley is 5-1 in the series. Although Williams and Brooks garnered most of the Sooners offense’s season-high 662 yards, Mims’ big plays were instrumental in saving the season.
“My hat goes off to Marvin for being able to make those big plays in a key situation,” Hooks said. "I’m happy for Marvin.
“Players like him don’t come often.”
