DALLAS — It was critical point in the game. Oklahoma had just gone up by eight points early in the second half when Texas’ Chris Ogbonnaya burst up the middle for 6 yards. It didn’t seem that critical at the time, but it turned out be the one play the Sooners couldn’t recover from Saturday.

Sooner middle linebacker Ryan Reynolds struggled to his feet. Then fell the ground. The anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee had torn.

Defensively, OU never recovered in its 45-35 loss to the Longhorns at the Cotton Bowl.

“Anytime anybody gets injured it’s going to affect your defense or offense,” OU coach Bob Stoops said. “Ryan’s been a major force, a leader and an excellent player. So, yeah, it impacted us.”

Reynolds, a junior, was playing at an all-conference level heading into Saturday’s showdown. His move to middle linebacker this season and his play had been a major reason why the Sooners had vaulted to No. 1 in the polls.

Teammates had taken to calling him “The Rock” this season. He was the one that took the calls from the sideline and got everybody lined up. He only made three tackles in the game, but his being on the field carries as much emotional weight as physical presence.

Reynolds was dependable.

OU played like a team that was missing a pillar after Reynolds made his exit.

“Losing a leader like Ryan, a rock like he is, it’s tough for us. It’s tough for any team to lose a player like Ryan,” linebacker Travis Lewis said after making 19 tackles. “Other players have opportunities to step up. We’re not making any excuses.”

After Reynolds limped off the field, Texas took over. It scored 25 points on its next four possessions and took control of the game. It’s stagnant running game took over after Reynolds limped to the sidelines.

Sadly, playing without Reynolds is something the Sooners have experience with. His latest injury will force a third major knee surgery in four seasons.

“Ryan is a great player and losing a guy like that does hurt a defense,” OU defensive tackle Gerald McCoy said. “We have great depth on this team, we have guys who can come in and play.

“But for Ryan, this is his third ACL injury. How many times does this have to happen to one guy? I feel bad for Ryan more than us. We’ll be OK, but I’m more worried about Ryan.”