The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Oklahoma
NR/No. 22 Soccer preview: No. 21/18 Oklahoma
10.03.2026 | Soccer
Longtime rivals meet for the 34th time in the past 30 seasons.
#21/18 OKLAHOMA VS. NR/#22 TEXAS
Date: Oct. 4, 2026
Where: Mike A. Myers Stadium
Time: 2 p.m.
TV: SEC Network
Live stats: texas.statbroadcast.com
THE MATCHUP — For the 34th time in the last 30 seasons, Texas and Oklahoma will square off on the pitch. The two sides have met at least once every year since 1997. The Longhorns boast a 20-11-2 advantage in the all-time series. In last year's installment of the Red River rivalry, the Sooners mounted a 4-2 victory in Norman.
LAST TIME OUT — Ashlyn Anderson and Ava McDonald both etched their names on the scoring sheet to propel Texas to a 2-0 win at Ole Miss. The victory marked the Longhorns' first in Southeastern Conference action under head coach Margueritte Bates. Anderson vaulted Texas ahead just 70 seconds in, delivering her third goal in as many matches. The sophomore's strike was Texas' quickest tally to start a contest since Haley Berg found the back of the net 25 ticks in against Rice on Aug. 18, 2017. Sixty minutes later, McDonald added an insurance goal for the Longhorns. For the 5-foot-6 forward, it marked her 10th point in the last seven tilts. In net, senior Bayliss Flynn notched five saves to guide Texas to its sixth clean sheet of the season.
LOCK IT DOWN — The Longhorns have been one of the strongest defensive teams nationally midway through the 2026 campaign. Under one of the best defensive minds in collegiate soccer, Margueritte Bates' club has drawn its opponents offside 25 times in the last five matches. Across their first six contests, the Longhorns forced their opposition offside on just seven occasions. As of Oct. 3, Texas is tied for the fifth-fewest goals conceded in the SEC. The Longhorns have outscored their opponents, 20-9, while yielding just four shots on target per match. For only the third time in program history, Texas posted five clean sheets through its first seven matches. The 2026 squad is just the second Texas team to have allowed a school-best one tally through four contests alongside the 2008 squad. Meanwhile, senior Bayliss Flynn became just the second Longhorn goalkeeper to record back-to-back shutouts in their first two starts at Texas in the program's illustrious 33-year history, joining Dana Hall in 2003.
HOME SWEET HOME — Texas owns a 46-14-10 (.729) record at Mike A. Myers Stadium since the start of the 2020 season. The Longhorns have managed to win double-digit contests at home in three of the last four years, highlighted by a 10-1-2 campaign in 2024. Overall, Texas has posted a 199-65-29 (.729) ledger at Mike A. Myers Stadium.
NOTEWORTHY NON-CON — Following a 5-1-1 start to the Margueritte Bates era, the Longhorns jumped into both the IWSOC Poll and the Top Drawer Top 25, checking in at No. 19 and 16, respectively. Texas recorded a one-loss or better non-conference slate in the regular season for the fourth time in the last five years. Across the Longhorns' strong start, Texas mounted its quickest goal to begin a campaign in nine years, knocked off Atlantic Coast Conference power Pitt on the road, held its opponents scoreless over the first 209 minutes and 46 seconds of the season, became the lone team to blank a potent Grand Canyon squad, compiled its largest margin of victory since 2023 and upended No. 19/14 TCU in Forth Worth for the first time in 18 years.
THE VILLARREAL DEAL — A two-time All-SEC Second Team honoree, Amalia Villarreal has become a stalwart for the Longhorns during her three years on The Forty Acres. Across 51 career matches, the junior has notched 52 points. Villarreal has scored 21 times and dished out 10 assists, delivering at least eight tallies in each of her first two seasons. The Lansing, Mich., native tied the second-longest goal-scoring streak (five matches) in program history, matching Niki Arlitt (Sept. 14-28, 2007), Trinity Byars (Oct. 13-30, 2022) and Lexi Missimo (Oct. 10-27, 2024). Last year, she registered the seventh-most goals per game (0.47) in the SEC. Villarreal came off the pitch for 16 total minutes in 2025, etching her name in the program's record book along the way. Against Vanderbilt on Sept. 26, the Lansing, Mich., earned the No. 7 spot on SportsCenter's Top 10 plays on her first goal of the evening. With 10 seconds left in the tilt, Villarreal slotted a penalty kick, which marked the latest regulation goal to win a match in program history. As a rookie in 2024, she was tabbed the SEC Freshman of the Year. In conference action, she led all freshmen with 14 points, collecting five goals and four assists. Overall, Villarreal was one of just four SEC players with at least nine tallies and eight assists, joining teammate Lexi Missimo, Arkansas' Ava Tankersley and South Carolina's Catherine Barry.
YOUNG MCDONALD — Ava McDonald burst onto the college soccer scene last season. Following her star-studded debut campaign, McDonald has put her name on the stat sheet in six of the last seven matches heading into Sunday's showdown. As of Oct. 3, the 5-foot-6 forward has registered the fourth-most shots (44) in the league. A year ago, McDonald garnered United Soccer Coaches Southeast All-Region Third Team distinction, Top Drawer Soccer Freshman Best XI First Team plaudits and SEC Freshman of the Year honors. She became the ninth different Longhorn to earn Newcomer/Freshman of the Year distinction, including the sixth in the last nine seasons. McDonald paced all of the league's rookies in goals (9), points (22), shots (67) and shots on goal (32) a season ago. Overall, the Allen, Texas, native ranked fourth in goals per game (0.53) and fifth in points per game (1.29). Across the final nine contests, McDonald mounted 16 points, highlighted by a pair of multi-goal efforts. She became the first Longhorn freshman to have three braces since Trinity Byars in 2021.
BIG-TIME BAYLISS — Despite standing at 5-foot-6, Bayliss Flynn has made a large impact in her first season in burnt orange. The senior is one of just two SEC goalkeepers to earn multiple Defensive Player of the Week honors, joining Alabama's Madi Munguia. Flynn has registered six shutouts through Texas' first 11 matches. In 947 minutes, the Edina, Minn., native has yielded only nine tallies, logging a 0.85 goals against average. Across three seasons at Montana, Flynn established the program's career records in save percentage (.903) and goals against average (0.42). During the 2024 campaign, the Big Sky Goalkeeper of the Year led the NCAA in save percentage (.925), while also ranking third in goals against average (0.35).
DYNAMIC DUO — After winning the national championship at Florida State in 2025, Ashlyn Anderson and Mya Brandon entered the transfer portal and found their new home in Austin. In a reserve role for the Seminoles, Anderson and Brandon teamed up for a pair of goals and assists in a little more than 700 minutes. On The Forty Acres, the dynamic duo has combined for four tallies and two assists, while totaling 1,400 minutes and 21 starts. Entering the Red River rivalry, Anderson has scored in three consecutive contests and notched at least one point in four straight matches. Meanwhile, Brandon mounted a three-point performance against No. 8/4 Tennessee to garner SEC Offensive Player of the Week distinction on Sept. 21. Prior to their collegiate careers, both Anderson and Brandon appeared in numerous United States Youth National Team camps and games at the U-15, U-16 and U-17 stages.
