2 min read • October 06, 2023
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The Red River Showdown between the No. 3 Texas Longhorns and No. 12 Oklahoma Sooners is set for this Saturday at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. This highly anticipated matchup will feature two undefeated teams in their 119th meeting, marking the last time they face each other before moving to the SEC.
However, both teams are dealing with a few injuries that could potentially impact their effectiveness in the game.
The Texas Longhorns' top tight end, Ja'Tavion Sanders, who sustained an ankle injury last week, has received positive feedback from Texas coach Steve Sarkisian, who mentioned that Sanders "looks great." Sanders suffered his ankle injury during the 40-14 victory over the Kansas Jayhawks, when his lower body was landed on in a pile. He was visibly in pain as he limped off the field and later returned to the locker room after spending some time on the sideline with his helmet on.
Despite the injury scare, Sanders is expected to play in the upcoming game against Oklahoma. So far this season, Sanders has recorded 13 catches for 278 yards and one touchdown.
Cornerback Ryan Watts, who suffered a lower-body injury during the same game against Kansas on September 30, is described as "day-to-day" by Coach Sarkisian. Watts had only played 15 defensive snaps in the Kansas game before sustaining the injury in the first half. As a second-year starting boundary corner for Texas, Watts plays a crucial role in the secondary. Despite missing the entire second half of the Kansas game, he has still accumulated the highest number of defensive snaps (among the cornerbacks) this season, totaling 190 snaps.
Oklahoma wide receiver Brenen Thompson was sidelined for the first four games of the season due to a persistent ankle injury. Thompson, who transferred from Texas, made his debut for Oklahoma during their convincing 50-20 victory against Iowa State.
In that game, he made a significant impact, recording a 54-yard downfield catch in double-coverage, which happened to be OU's longest play from scrimmage that night. Thompson finished the game with two catches for a total of 62 yards.
With more time to recover and regain full health, he is expected to be in better shape for the upcoming matchup against his former team.
Defensive back Kani Walker has been absent from the lineup for the last couple of games and remains on the injury report as the game against Texas approaches. His availability for this week's game is questionable, and his status will likely depend on his recovery from the injury.
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