DALLAS -- Quarterback Baker Mayfield struggled to contain his emotions in the final seconds of Oklahoma's 29-24 win over Texas on Saturday at the Cotton Bowl.

Some tears flowed as the Austin (Texas) native soaked in the last moments of his Red River Showdown career.

"It started to settle in for me that it's my last one," Mayfield said. "Realized we had a pretty strong chance to win and it started to settle in for me.

"There's no atmosphere like this in all of college football. There's nothing to compare it to. It's going to be hard for me, so I'm going to try to enjoy every single moment with this team."

Mayfield helped beat the Longhorns for the second consecutive season, hitting Mark Andrews for a 59-yard touchdown pass with just less than seven minutes remaining. He then watched as his defense came through twice late in the game to give the Sooners the win.

Early on, it looked like No. 12 Oklahoma (5-1, 2-1 Big 12) might cruise to a blowout.

The Sooners jumped out to a 20-0 lead before a frantic finish to the first half pulled the Longhorns within 10 at the break.

Then Texas took a 24-23 lead with 8:01 remaining on freshman quarterback Sam Ehlinger's tip-toeing-down-the-sidelines 8-yard touchdown run.

Ehlinger's heroics came after the Longhorns converted on a pair of third downs to keep a 75-yard drive alive.

Like Mayfield, Ehlinger grew up in Austin dreaming about playing in this rivalry.

"Been dreaming about this for a long time," Ehlinger said. "The atmosphere was incredible. Losing the game was not incredible. I'm looking forward to the next three years."

It didn't take long for the Sooners to respond to Ehlinger's score.

Andrews was sent into the game specifically to run the long route.

"It was something that we had called from up top and said it was going to work from their coverage and sure enough, run the route, it was pretty open and Baker threw a great ball," Andrews said.

Though Texas coach Tom Herman praised the way his team battled back from an early deficit, he was still frustrated describing his first Red River game as head coach of the Longhorns (3-3, 2-1).

"There's no moral victories, especially when it's against these guys," Herman said. "It definitely hurts a little bit more because of who this loss is to. We're not gonna deny that."

Oklahoma's defense, which had struggled in the second half in a loss to Iowa State a week earlier and a win over Baylor before that, came up big down the stretch against Texas.

The Sooners held Texas without points on four of the Longhorns' final five drives, twice turning the ball over on downs and then finally snuffing out Texas' last hope after a series of laterals on the final play of the game.

After it was over, Oklahoma defensive end/linebacker Ogbonnia Okoronkwo lay on the field for several moments, digesting the victory.

"I was thanking God that we won," Okoronkwo said. "That was a hard-fought game. We swung until the very last second."

The Sooners jumped out to a quick lead, going up 20-0 by late in the second quarter thanks to another hot start by Mayfield.

On Oklahoma's fifth offensive play of the game, Mayfield danced around in the pocket before heaving the ball to Jeff Badet in the end zone for a 54-yard touchdown.

Texas, on the other hand, struggled offensively early.

The Longhorns had just 19 yards of total offense in the first quarter, with 15 coming on the game's first play.

"We've got to find a better way to run the football with our running backs," Herman said. "And then we've got to find a better way offensively to protect but also get guys open."

While Ehlinger ran for 106 yards and a touchdown, the rest of the Longhorns rushed for just 33 yards.

NOTES: Sam Ehlinger was just the third Texas true freshman QB to start in the rivalry game, joining Bobby Layne (1944) and Shane Buechele (2016). ... Texas RB Chris Warren sustained a chest injury early in the fourth quarter and did not return. ... Oklahoma QB Baker Mayfield had attempted a school-record 200 passes without an interception before his second-quarter pass was picked off. ... Texas RG Terrell Cuney started for the injured Jake McMillon. ... Oklahoma WR Jeff Badet left the game after a lower-body injury in the first quarter and did not return. ... Temperature at kickoff was 93 degrees, the warmest for the annual October game since 1991. Two Sooners DTs -- Amani Bledsoe and Du'Vonta Lampkin -- made their first career starts. ... Oklahoma plays at Kansas State next Saturday. ... Texas hosts Oklahoma State.