The part of the nightmare that jolts Texas football fans awake looks like it could belong to just about any era of the game.

There stands Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel, holding fast in a pocket closing around him, floating a game-winning touchdown pass to wideout Nic Anderson, free near the corner of the end zone.

That evergreen scene was made possible by a feature of the modern collegiate game — the mobile quarterback.

Gabriel rushed 14 times for 113 yards and a touchdown in last season's 34-30 OU win. He surpassed his previous career high in rushing by more than 40 yards. To find a more prolific rushing performance against the Longhorns by any player — never mind a quarterback — you have to look back to Nov. 12, 2022, when TCU's Kendre Miller racked up 138 yards on the ground.

Gabriel won't be on the field Saturday for the Sooners (4-1, 1-1 SEC) when they meet Texas (5-0, 1-0) in Dallas (2:30 p.m., ABC). He'll be two time zones to the West in Eugene, Oregon, getting ready to play Ohio State after transferring this offseason.

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So why is his 2023 Red River Rivalry performance relevant in 2024?

Because for Texas to suffer its first loss of 2024, it'll probably take a similarly poor effort when it comes to containing the quarterback.

Oklahoma freshman Michael Hawkins Jr. likely won't have any of his top-five wide receivers available. But he does have a pair of big-time weapons: his legs.

He's got 101 rushing yards to his name so far this season through two starts after replacing the ineffective Jackson Arnold under center. Against Auburn in his last appearance, he rushed 14 times for 69 yards and broke off a 48-yard touchdown on a scramble.

"Guys that drop back and then extend (the play) to scramble, as opposed to guys that drop back to extend to throw — I don't wanna say it's easy when they're one or the other, but when it's really hard is when they do both," Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said Thursday. "Because now, players are really compromised of, 'Do I come up and try to get them on the ground, or do I stay in coverage?'

"Those guys are really the most dangerous because they can do either or. I think Michael Hawkins is one of those guys. He has plenty of arm talent that can make those throws when plays get extended, but he's very dangerous with his legs when he tucks it and runs."

Texas football vs. Oklahoma: How Longhorns perform against mobile QBs like Michael Hawkins Jr.

In a five-game ramp-up to Saturday, the Longhorns saw one quarterback who should help them study for the kind of test Hawkins will provide.

That was Mississippi State's Michael Van Buren, another freshman who carried the ball 12 times for -14 yards and a touchdown against Texas in Week 5. Exclude yards lost via six Texas sacks — which count toward rushing yardage in college, unlike in the NFL — and Van Buren scrambled six times for 31 yards.

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Last season, the Longhorns' results in this area were mixed. Alabama's Jalen Milroe rushed for 44 yards in Texas' win in Tuscaloosa last year, but would have had 75 had it not been for five sacks. Add in the disaster against Gabriel and a disciplined effort against Houston's Donovan Smith (-12 rushing yards), and UT saw results all across the spectrum.

Maintaining rush lane integrity will be key for the Longhorns. And that calls for situational awareness.

When Texas is in zone coverage, Sarkisian explained, its front four is free to be more aggressive in going after Hawkins. That's because the linebackers and secondary will be looking at the quarterback, and can react if he looks to escape the pocket.

In man coverage, Texas' pash rushers have to be "really careful with their rush lanes," Sarkisian said. Because the secondary will be focused on their man-to-man matchup and could be facing away from the play, man coverage opens the door to those big, explosive QB rushes.

"I think one of the keys in games like this is you have to continue to mix your looks," Sarkisian said. "You can't just keep throwing a fastball. You gotta throw a curve. You gotta throw a changeup. You gotta keep switching it up, or a quarterback can find that rhythm."

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This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas football must improve this to avoid upset loss to Oklahoma