Red River weekend: Texas vs. Oklahoma, Aggies at Mizzou, district play

Weekend guide: Texas and Oklahoma on Oct. 10 at the Cotton Bowl, Texas A&M at Missouri, and this week's district games for our area high schools.

The second Saturday in October means one thing in Texas college football: Texas and Oklahoma at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. This year it lands on Oct. 10, with Texas A&M on the road the same day and a full slate of district games for our area high schools the nights before.

Here is what is on the calendar, when it kicks off and where it airs. Everything below comes from the schools, the conference schedules and published schedules as of early October. Kickoff times can still shift, so check the official pages on game day.

Texas vs. Oklahoma: 2:30 p.m. on ABC

The Allstate Red River Rivalry kicks off at 2:30 p.m. Central on Saturday, Oct. 10, at Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas, and the game will be broadcast on ABC, per Texas Athletics. The time was first set in June, when ESPN and the SEC slotted the game for a mid-afternoon kick, as Texas Athletics announced at the time.

Both teams come in off an open week, so neither has played since Sept. 26.

Texas (4-0, 1-0 SEC) enters ranked No. 1, according to the Associated Press game preview. The Longhorns’ most recent game was a 20-17 win at Tennessee, their first-ever trip to Neyland Stadium. Texas Athletics reports the defense recorded 10 sacks that day, the second-most in a single game in school history, with edge Colin Simmons tying the program record with five. Arch Manning completed 14 of 19 passes for 201 yards, and Raleek Brown ran for two touchdowns, per the school’s recap.

Earlier in September, Texas rallied for a 24-23 win over then-No. 1 Ohio State at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.

Oklahoma (2-2, 0-1 SEC) last played at No. 2 Georgia and lost 41-13 in Athens, according to Oklahoma Athletics. The Sooners trailed 28-0 at halftime. Quarterback John Mateer completed 25 of 34 passes in that game, with touchdown throws to tight end Rocky Beers and wide receiver Manny Choice. The school’s recap notes four Oklahoma turnovers, which Georgia turned into 17 points.

The AP preview also points to turnovers as a theme for Oklahoma this season: it lists the Sooners at minus-6 in turnover margin through four games, while Texas sits even.

Texas A&M at Missouri: 11 a.m. on ABC

The Aggies play first on Saturday. Texas A&M visits Missouri at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium in Columbia, with an 11 a.m. kickoff on ABC, per Texas A&M Athletics.

Texas A&M (3-2, 1-2 SEC) is coming off a 34-7 win over Arkansas at Kyle Field on Oct. 3, the program’s 800th all-time victory. The school reports a season-best crowd of 108,657, with freshman running backs Carsyn Baker and KJ Edwards combining for three rushing touchdowns and kicker David Olano hitting a career-long 57-yard field goal to end the first half.

That sets up a long afternoon of football on one channel: the Aggies at 11 a.m., then Texas and Oklahoma at 2:30 p.m.

Watching from Austin, and a quiet weekend at DKR

With Texas playing in Dallas, there is no home game at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium this weekend. That means none of the usual home-game crowds, parking demand and traffic around the UT campus. If you have been putting off a Saturday errand downtown, this is the week.

The crowds come back the following Saturday. Texas hosts Florida at DKR on Oct. 17, which was assigned an early kickoff window in the June scheduling announcement. Plan around campus-area traffic that morning.

For Oct. 10, many Austin bars, breweries and alumni groups host watch parties for road games. Event details change from week to week, so confirm times, cover charges and reservations directly with the venue before you go. Both college games are on ABC, so an antenna or any cable or streaming package that carries your local ABC affiliate will cover the whole afternoon at home.

High school district play: this week’s games

Several of our area high schools play on Thursday, Oct. 8, not Friday, so check the night before you head out. All matchups and times below are from each school’s MaxPreps schedule page; these are previews only, and the games have not been played.

Thursday, Oct. 8

• Westlake at Round Rock Westwood, 7 p.m. (district game), per MaxPreps.
• Vandegrift at Vista Ridge, 7 p.m. (district game), per MaxPreps.
• Dripping Springs at Austin High, 7:30 p.m. (district game), per MaxPreps.
• Georgetown at Shoemaker, 7 p.m. (district game), per MaxPreps.

Friday, Oct. 9

• Lake Travis hosts Cedar Ridge, 7 p.m. (district game), per MaxPreps.
• Cedar Park hosts Hutto, 7 p.m. (district game), per MaxPreps.
• Leander hosts Rouse, 7 p.m. (district game), per MaxPreps.
• Liberty Hill at Alamo Heights, 7 p.m. (district game), per MaxPreps.

Open this week: Round Rock has no game listed for the week of Oct. 5; the Dragons return Oct. 16 against Round Rock Westwood, per MaxPreps.

Circle these dates

Two later district games stand out on the same schedules. Westlake visits Lake Travis on Friday, Oct. 23, and Vandegrift hosts Cedar Park on Friday, Oct. 16. Rivalry nights draw big crowds, so expect busier roads near the stadiums and plan to arrive early if you are going.

A Saturday built around football

For a lot of Central Texas, this weekend runs on a familiar rhythm: Thursday and Friday night lights, an 11 a.m. Aggies game and the Red River Rivalry in the afternoon. Whatever your team, the week is a good reminder of how much of community life in our area happens in the stands.

If you are getting to know the communities around these schools, our area guides for Eanes ISD, Cedar Park and Liberty Hill are a good place to start, and you can find more local coverage on the Journal. Questions about a move this fall? Reach out to our team.