The aftermath from Texas linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. sticking a flag through a Baker Mayfield Oklahoma jersey after the Red River Rivalry game continues to filter through. Mayfield responded to the incident after his Tampa Bay team beat New Orleans; now, Hill has given more context around why his jersey was used during the end-of-the-game stunt.
It sounds like it had nothing to do with Mayfield’s stunt in 2017 when he planted an Oklahoma flag in the middle of the pitch after the Sooners’ upset victory over Ohio State.
Texas Linebacker Has No Hate For Former Oklahoma Baker Mayfield
Houston Chronicle University of Texas columnist Kirk Bohls asked Longhorns linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. if I had heard from Baker Mayfield after the Red River Rivalry game incident. Hill Jr. replied that he hadn’t and explained why when he stuck a Texas flag through a jersey that happened to be a Mayfield, Oklahoma one.
Hill explained that he was not aware it was a Baker Mayfield jersey. A fan handed him one, and it was the first Oklahoma jersey. He continued saying he did not hate Mayfield; he was, in fact, a big fan.
When asked by @kbohls if Baker Mayfield reached out, Anthony Hill Jr. gave context on why Mayfield's jersey was used
"A fan gave me that jersey…that was just the first jersey that I had that was OU…no hate for Baker Mayfield, I'm actually a big fan"#HookEm | #Texas pic.twitter.com/TzIAqmyquy
— Cory Mose (@Cory_Mose) October 14, 2024
Baker Mayfield was asked about the incident after his NFL team, Tampa Bay, blew away their rivals, New Orleans, 51-27, with Mayfield throwing for over 300 receiving yards and four touchdowns. When asked, he replied he was just a kid from Austin, Texas, who went to the University of Oklahoma, won his last two Red River games, and has lived rent-free in their head for almost a decade.
Mayfield performed a similar stunt in 2017 after his Oklahoma side upset No. 2 ranked Ohio State in Week 2 of that season. Mayfield ran towards the center of Ohio Stadium with a big Oklahoma flag, waved it, and planted it in the field. Unfortunately, it was an artificial pitch, so it didn’t stick.
It was a statement win for Texas despite their rivals missing several key players through injury. The Longhorns were 5-0 last season when they faced Oklahoma, with the Sooners ending their winning streak. Steve Sarkisian’s team did not let that happen this season, crushing them 34-3 to move to 6-0. It wasn’t their most significant margin of victory over their fierce rivals, winning 49-0 in 2022.
Texas looks to be heading towards an SEC Championship game in its first season in the conference. The Longhorns are playing at a high level, and it only looks like it can prevent that from happening. After beating Michigan and Oklahoma, its most significant test comes this weekend against Georgia. A win against Kirby Smarts’ team would back up its Championship credentials.
It would be an achievement if Steve Sarkisian could win the SEC in his first season in the conference. Texas still has six games to navigate, and then, if they indeed make it, there will be the SEC Championship game. Then, Texas would have something to brag about over their rivals, Oklahoma, who have struggled in their first season after their move from the Big 12 Conference. We will see how the rest of the season plays out.
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