Baker Mayfield, Vince Young return to Dallas for Oklahoma vs. Texas in Red River Rivalry

No one has to tell Baker Mayfield what the Red River Rivalry means.

“Just something about the drive in when you’re driving to the State Fair,” the Austin native and former OU quarterback said Monday at Raising Cane’s on West Illinois Avenue in Dallas. “You got one side — it’s all crimson, the other side burnt orange.”

Thanks to a bye week for the Buccaneers, Mayfield will attend Saturday’s annual matchup at the Cotton Bowl for the first time since he tossed a 59-yard game-winning touchdown pass to beat the Longhorns 29-24 during his Heisman-winning season of 2017.

He was joined at the chicken restaurant by former Texas All-American quarterback Vince Young, who lost twice to the Sooners before throwing three touchdowns in a 45-12 beatdown in 2005, when he led Texas to the program’s most recent national championship.

“I know my kids are going to enjoy it for the rest of their lives,” Young said of the game before looking at Mayfield as the pair shared a laugh, “and we’ll probably be going for the rest of our lives.”

Dozens of fans, the majority sporting Oklahoma colors, lined up outside the location before the event. Brothers Ric and Micah Heiges of Roanoke showed up two hours early to be first in line. Ric, a recent Sam Houston State graduate, wore a jersey from Mayfield’s time with the Cleveland Browns, who drafted him first overall in 2018 but traded him to the Panthers four years later following the acquisition of Deshaun Watson.

“I thought the Browns did him dirty,” Ric said just before Mayfield arrived, “so I hope he doesn’t take offense.”

Eventually, Mayfield took his order at the register. Ric got a laugh out of Mayfield by saying he was eating Cane’s to put on weight, a reference to Mayfield’s viral taunt after he stiff-armed Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy during Tampa’s Week 1 win.

Rachel Javine and Channon Sherman, both labor and delivery nurses, briefly clocked out of work at at Methodist Medical Center to potentially recreate a photo Javine snapped with Baker in 2015, when she was a freshman at Oklahoma.

As Mayfield and Young shared a meal for the cameras, Molina High School seniors José Castillo, Zaid Bautista and Simon Sotelo glanced over from their booth in surprise as they finished their soft drinks, seemingly the only patrons who had not known about the event and had come in just for chicken fingers.

A few “Boomer Sooner” chants broke out inside the restaurant as Mayfield and Young took orders behind the counter and at the drive-through window. Young, who had the advantage in service experience thanks to working at a movie theater growing up, warned the culprits they might not receive their order.

Not everyone had memorabilia for only Mayfield to sign. Micah Heiges had a copy of Madden 08 with Young on the cover, while his sister, Ami, wore Young’s retired No. 10 Longhorns jersey. Others had pictures of Young’s game-winning touchdown run against USC in the 2006 Rose Bowl.

With Texas undefeated and ranked No. 3 in the country, could this be the year the Longhorns finally return to the pinnacle of college football? Young said he believes Steve Sarkisian and his staff ensured this year’s team has a chemistry reminiscent of the title-winning team he led.

The Longhorns will get their stiffest test since a season-opening win at Alabama against the No. 12 Sooners. Both teams enter the matchup undefeated for the first time since 2011.

Young predicted a 35-28 Texas victory. Mayfield thinks his alma mater will prevail 38-35.

“It’s an emotional roller coaster,” Mayfield said of the matchup. “The game plan kind of goes out the window.”

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