One of the biggest stories heading into the Texas-OU weekend was undoubtedly the status of Sooners defensive end Ronnie Perkins. Jason Kersey of the Athletic reported that Perkins was being reinstated for the Texas game and was given approval to travel with the team to Ames, Iowa for their game against the Cyclones. National media including the broadcast team for ESPN refuted the report.
Earlier this week Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley stated that his (Perkins) status has not changed for the game against the Longhorns. That let the speculation run wild since Riley didn’t exactly say what his status was for the Red River Shootout. On Friday Kersey provided an update on the talented defensive end.
#Sooners DE Ronnie Perkins will not play in Saturday’s OU-Texas game. His appeal to the NCAA was successfully approved last week, but actual reinstatement requires additional steps which were not completed.
— Jason Kersey (@jasonkersey) October 9, 2020
The Sooners have been awaiting the return of Perkins to help their defense that has struggled this year. He was the best returning pass rusher but remains suspended, or at least not active for this game against the Texas Longhorns. Without Perkins the Sooners defense has been one of the worst units in all of college football.
They rank 63rd in points per game, 65th in passing yards per game and 58th in sack percentage. They desperately needed the help to slow down the number one scoring offense in college football. The defense will need to find a way to slow down Sam Ehlinger and the offense if they want to stop their losing streak.
For the Longhorns this bodes well. They have allowed 32 pressures in three games according to Pro Football Focus. One less dangerous pass rusher for the offensive line to worry about. Texas is looking to snap a two-game losing streak and once again get into the win column.
The festivities get started at 11:00 am CDT at the Cotton Bowl Stadium on the Texas State Fairgrounds. The Longhorns are currently viewed as the underdogs for this game.