The No. 10 Oklahoma Sooners traveled down to Austin expecting a tough Red River Rivalry battle, and that’s exactly what the No. 4 Texas Longhorns gave them. 

Head coach Vic Schaefer and his team led through all four quarters on Sunday at the Moody Center, taking care of business in front of an energetic home crowd.

With College GameDay present on the Forty Acres, the Longhorns advanced their conference record to 6-2.

Texas rallies around X-factor 

Both point guard Rori Harmon and forward Madison Booker had characteristically impressive showings on Sunday, along with several other Texas players. However, one contributor earned the highest praises of Schaefer and her teammates: forward Justice Carlton.

“Justice is like our difference maker,” Harmon said following the matchup. “I’ve realized over the course of this season, she makes a difference in our team when she does things like she did today.”

Carlton recorded 16 points and eight rebounds across 28 minutes of play against the Sooners, scoring seven points more than her season average so far. Booker emphasized the importance of having her competitive spirit on the court. 

“When Justice has that look in her eyes that she’s ready to dominate her opponent, protect the rim and get rebounds and be aggressive, I think we’re a very hard team to beat,” she said. “She helps us in so many ways she doesn’t know about.”

Sooners surge in third quarter to stay within striking distance

Despite trailing throughout the matchup’s entire duration, the Sooners didn’t falter in the second half of this matchup. In fact, they seemed to respond to their 16-point halftime deficit with an added element of energy and grit. 

“They’re just relentless,” Schaefer said. “They just never stop coming at you.”

Schaefer then detailed a particular statistic that demonstrated the tenacity of his opponent. Even though the Longhorns outscored them 7-2 in fastbreak points in the first half, the Sooners ultimately finished the game with 15 fastbreak points to Texas’ eight.

Oklahoma outscored Texas 46-38 in the second half, making it difficult for the Longhorns to hold onto their lead until the final buzzer. 

With a convincing rivalry game in the books, Texas will now shift gears to what’s ahead on the schedule. Having kept the longest active home court winning streak in the nation alive, they look to claim their 39th consecutive victory at the Moody Center against the LSU Tigers on Thursday.

AUSTIN, Texas – Every year on Feb. 2, Americans turn their eyes to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to see whether Punxsutawney Phil will see his shadow. An often-unfulfilled promise that decides six more weeks of winter or early spring. 

In Texas, animal-based forecasts come with a Lone Star twist, from armadillos and alligators to prairie dogs and more. In the Lone Star State, Groundhog Day isn’t just about shadows on the ground, it’s a community event.

Tradition with a Lone Star Twist

A black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) (Photo by Marcos del Mazo/LightRocket via Getty Images)

The backstory:

Groundhog Day is a tradition rooted in a 19th-century Pennsylvania superstition that says if a groundhog emerges from its burrow on Feb. 2, and sees its shadow, it will retreat to its den and winter will go on for six more weeks. If the groundhog does not see its shadow, spring will arrive early. 

The superstition has inspired a wide network of animal prognosticators across North America, but in Texas, locals have embraced unique forecasters and unorthodox weather-predicting methods that reflect the state’s wildlife and culture.

Bee Cave Bob

Bee Cave Bob is a nine-banded armadillo from Bee Cave, Texas, who has been providing a weather forecast on Feb. 2 since 2010. This Texas town refers to the event as Armadillo Day, instead of Groundhog Day. 

Photo courtesy: Bee Cave Bob on Facebook

During Bob’s annual appearance, he emerges from his burrow onto a concrete slab painted to resemble a highway. The armadillo’s behavior is then observed and interpreted to determine his weather prediction. If he sees his shadow, he will retreat and winter will go on for six more weeks. If Bob does not see its shadow, spring will arrive early. 

Bee Cave’s “Armadillo Day” celebration is organized by the Benevolent Knights of the Raccoon, a Texas-based group that hosts the semi-private ceremony that takes place at a ranch known as West Pole Ranch, located on Highway 71. The event invites Texans to the Hill Country to celebrate with barbecue, chili and tamales.

Big Al in Beaumont

Big Al is a 94-year-old, nearly 14-foot-long alligator that weighs over 1,000 pounds from Gator Country Adventure Park in Beaumont, Texas. The alligator has been providing a Feb. 2 weather prediction since 2006.

Photo courtesy of Gator Country Beaumont Texas’s Facebook page.

On Groundhog Day 2026 at 2 p.m. Big Al will be provided with a serving of food, typically meat of some kind. If the alligator takes a bite of the food, that means Texas will have an early Spring. If he does not eat, there will be a long winter.

Big Al’s handlers told the Beaumont Enterprise that alligators are unable to digest food unless warm weather is on the way. So during this time of the year, when temperatures drop, alligators are in a state similar to hibernation, known as brumation. While in brumation, alligators reduce their body temperature and heart rate, slow down their metabolism and don’t eat. Only drinking water to avoid dehydration.

Prairie Dog Pete in Lubbock

Prairie Dog Pete is a prairie dog ambassador located at Mackenzie Park in Prairie Dog Town in Lubbock, Texas. The prairie dog became such an asset and goodwill ambassador for the city that Lubbock adopted it as its mascot.

The City of Lubbock uses the prairie dogs at the park as prognosticators to predict the weather in one of two ways. Similar to Punxsutawney Phil, Pete either sees his shadow, meaning six more weeks of winter, or he does not see his shadow, indicating an early spring.

Pete’s forecasts in years past, have been done by choosing between celery or carrots as a method of predicting weather. If he chooses celery, that means six more weeks of winter. If he chooses the carrot, that means spring is on the way.

Wiener dogs in Buda

The Greater Buda Chamber of Commerce hosts their second annual Buda Ground Dog Day celebration at noon Feb. 1. A twist on the classic Groundhog Day, incorporating the city’s theme of wiener dogs, dating back to Buda’s inaugural competition in 1997 under the theme “The Amazing Wiener Dog.” 

Buda, the self-proclaimed Wiener Dog Capital of Texas, traditionally chooses an honorary dachshund dog that gives the weather prediction for the Buda City Park event. 

The honorary dachshund, Beans, will make the official prediction for the season ahead. Beans was selected as the honorary wiener dog for this year’s celebration during a random selection process on the city’s Chamber of Commerce Facebook page.

In 2025, the honorary wiener dog, Nacho, made the first ever Ground Dog Day forecast at the Buda Amphitheater and Pavilion. Nacho’s weather-predicting method relied on him choosing between a stuffed snowman and a sunshine plush, upon his highly anticipated release from a dog house.

City of Buda, TX — City Government’s Facebook post

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AUSTIN, Texas – At the Pan American Neighborhood Park in East Austin, a sea of demonstrators joined together to protest ICE activity across the country.

East Austin ICE protest

An estimated 3,700 people RSVP’d to Saturday’s “Stop ICE” rally, held by State Rep. James Talarico. Featured alongside him were other elected officials, such as U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, State Rep. Gina Hinojosa, and U.S. Rep. Greg Casar, who could be heard saying, “No more ICE terrorizing Minneapolis. No more ICE terrorizing Austin. No more!”

Besides officials, families who had been directly impacted by immigration enforcement also shared their experiences. Alongside her children, a woman named Evelyn spoke about how it’s been almost two months since she’s seen her husband after he was detained by immigration officials.

What they’re saying:

“ICE destroyed my family. It stole my husband from us, leaving us destitute. All my husband was doing that day, December 2nd, was getting gas to go to work. My husband is not a criminal,” Evelyn said through an interpreter.

Liam Ramos ordered to be released

Many eyes were still on Liam Ramos, a five-year-old detained alongside his father in Minnesota. The two are currently held at an immigration center in Dilley, Texas. At Saturday’s rally, Casar gave an update on his potential release.

“Austin, I’m glad to tell you that a judge has ordered Donald Trump to release Liam Ramos,” said Casar.

The ruling came from federal Judge Fred Biery, who on Saturday ordered the release of Liam Ramos and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, from the facility in Dilley. Per the order, the pair are to be released no later than Tuesday, Feb. 3.

“The case has its genesis in the ill-conceived and incompetently-implemented government pursuit of daily deportation quotas, apparently even if it requires traumatizing children,” Biery said in the order.

Other ICE detainees

But for Castro, who visited the center last week with U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, their attention now shifts to the other children and families still held in ICE detainment.

“There was also a nine-year-old named Mateo from Austin, Texas,” Castro said. “He and his family we’re picked up on New Year’s Eve, and they spent New Year’s Eve getting processed into the Dilley Detention Center.”

And as their cause moves forward, Casar urged the people of Saturday’s rally to not lose hope.

“We cannot bring back Mr. Pretti or Ms. Good. But in honor of their memories, people are rising up to demand a better world. Austin, together, we can build it,” said Casar.