Oklahoma player mocked for pregame gesture after blowout loss to Texas
Nov 12, 2022; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; A view of an Oklahoma Sooners helmet during the first quarter against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports
The Oklahoma Sooners were embarrassed by rival Texas on Saturday, but the defeat might have been a little more embarrassing for one Oklahoma player in particular.
Sooners linebacker Danny Stutsman showed up for Saturday’s game wearing a gold “horns down” necklace on a chain. The rather ostentatious look did attract plenty of attention ahead of the first SEC game between the two teams.
Oklahoma's Danny Stutsman showed up wearing a Horns Down chain ahead of their Red River Rivalry vs. Texas 🍿 pic.twitter.com/PL2thLA1Su
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) October 12, 2024
Stutsman rocking Horns down pic.twitter.com/aa34bYmWBq
— Colby Daniels (@Colby_Daniels) October 12, 2024
There is nothing wrong with a show of confidence, but you have to back it up, and the Sooners did not do that. They got on the board with a first quarter field goal, but after that, Texas blew them out with 34 unanswered points, including 21 in the second quarter alone.
Stutsman even came under some criticism personally for one second quarter play in which Texas fumbled into the end zone. Stutsman was the Oklahoma player closest to the loose ball, but wide receiver Silas Bolden was quicker to the ball and recovered the fumble in the end zone before Stutsman could get on it.
TEXAS RECOVERS THE FUMBLE IN THE END ZONE TO TAKE A TWO-SCORE LEAD!
📺: ABC/ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/IY8gRoyQzC
— ESPN (@espn) October 12, 2024
Realistically, Bolden unquestionably has Stutsman beaten in the speed department, but the wide receiver looked like he wanted it more. It was still a pretty rough look on a bad day for Oklahoma.
Stutsman has a long history of riling up Texas fans. Last year, he showed off what appeared to be a “Horns Down” tattoo on his leg, though it was never made clear if it was real or temporary. He also unveiled an NIL shirt designed to taunt Texas after the Sooners beat them last season. Needless to say, Texas fans loved getting revenge on a player who had eagerly positioned himself as one of their biggest antagonists.
The “Horns Down” gesture is very popular and regularly used to taunt Texas, and the school has not taken kindly to it in the past. They got their revenge pretty comprehensively on Saturday.
