DALLAS — Oklahoma came to the Cotton Bowl to stake a claim as the Big 12 Conference front-runner. Instead, Texas firmly planted its flag as the dominant force in the conference and at the center of the Cotton Bowl.

The 14th-ranked Sooners buckled under the seventh-ranked Longhorns’ second-half onslaught and fell 28-10 in the 101st edition of the Red River Rivalry.

Texas (5-1, 2-0 Big 12) dominated the second half in ways it has rarely accomplished in recent years.

Selvin Young and Jammal Charles combined for 125 yards on 23 carries. Redshirt freshman quarterback Colt McCoy didn’t dominate the game the way Vince Young did a year ago, but he was effective, throwing for 108 yards while only putting the ball in the air 18 times.

But he didn’t make any mistakes. That was the difference.

The Sooners (4-2, 0-1) put together a comedic performance, but it was the kind of performance only Texas fans found funny.

OU, which dropped its second straight game to Texas in lopsided fashion, committed five turnovers and 11 penalties.

“You can break games down a million ways, but nothing’s more important than that,” Stoops said of the errors.

It was a dismal performance by a team that believed it had turned a corner after a controversial loss to Oregon.

For a while OU made that statement. It dominated the second quarter and took a 10-7 lead into the half.

Adrian Peterson, who rushed for 109 yards on 25 carries, tied the game 7-7 with a 29-yard dash halfway through the second quarter. Garrett Hartley added a 35-yard field goal in the waning seconds before intermission.

At that point, the Sooners appeared well on their way to seizing the game.

Texas took the first lead on Selvin Young’s 15-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter. But the Longhorn offense went into a shell the rest of the first half, running nine plays in the second quarter and gaining 1 yard.

“We had a great first quarter and they took the momentum away from us completely in the second quarter and right before the half,” Texas coach Mack Brown said. “… We really played as good a second half as I think I’ve seen us play.”

It’s hard to imagine Texas playing any better, or OU playing any worse.