Why This Texas Longhorns DL Feels Ready for His First Red River Rivalry

The defensive lineman spent three seasons with Ohio State before transferring to Texas this season. Kanu said his teammates have forewarned him about the rivalry’s intensity, so he’s excited to experience the game for himself.

“(My teammates) say it's one of the best atmospheres that they have ever seen… they talk about, like the field being split, like one side is OU (and) the other side is Texas,” Kanu said. “I’m just super excited to see what this is gonna look like.”

Following their loss against Florida, Kanu said when revisiting the tape, there proved to be missed opportunities across the board. He added that the Longhorns are focusing on a faster start and emphasizing communication.

“Everybody has to be on the same page for this defense to work,” Kanu said. “Because let's say, if one half of the one defense, the other half is playing the other defense, we're gonna have open areas, open gaps.”

When preparing for Oklahoma, Kanu said the Sooners’ have a little bit of everything — toughness, intelligence and great training. 

“They're leading in a lot of categories right now,” Kanu said. “They’re doing a phenomenal job, obviously.”

Oklahoma’s defense led college football in yards allowed per game (193.0), and came second in points allowed (7.2) and most sacks (21). However, the Sooners are a more well-rounded force with their star quarterback, who may be missing Saturday’s game due to the recovery period from his hand surgery back in September.

“With (quarterback) John Mateer, we don't know what's going on with him, if he's playing (or not),” Kanu added. “But (they’re) doing a good job, and you gotta give that credit, but we're going to come out to play.”

Catch the Longhorns and Sooners battle it out in the Red River Rivalry on Saturday, Oct. 11 at 2:30 p.m. CT on ABC.