Texas quarterback Colt McCoy (12) celebrates making a two-point conversion with offensive tackle Adam Ulatoski (74) during the fourth quarter of Saturday’s game in Dallas. Texas won 45-35.

DALLAS — The Texas Longhorns came into their annual showdown against the Oklahoma Sooners with a quarterback they could trust and a defense playing great under an aggressive new coordinator. Yet even after five solid wins, coach Mack Brown still wondered how good they were.

Now, everyone knows.

Trailing the No. 1 Sooners nearly all game, Colt McCoy and the No. 5 Longhorns grabbed control in the fourth quarter and refused to let go, pulling away for a 45-35 victory Saturday in one of the greatest games in the storied series between these Red River rivals.

Texas trailed by 11 twice in the first half and by eight in the third quarter before spoiling a fake punt and turning it into a go-ahead field goal. It was the first time all season the mighty Sooners were behind, and they answered by regaining the lead.

Then McCoy came right back with another go-ahead score — and his defense kept Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford from finding an answer. When Chris Ogbonnaya turned a play seemingly headed nowhere into a 62-yard gain, the Longhorns were headed to their biggest victory since knocking off Southern California in the January 2006 Rose Bowl, much to the delight of their half of the record crowd of 92,182 at the Cotton Bowl.

“It was a game when every time somebody made a play, the other team would get more excited,” Brown said. “It was one of the greatest football games I’ve ever seen.”

In other games on Saturday:

No. 17 Oklahoma State 28

No. 3 Missouri 23

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Oklahoma State stopped a Missouri offense that had been scoring at will all season, intercepting Chase Daniel three times in the second half and upsetting the Tigers.

No. 11 Florida 51

No. 4 LSU 21

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Tim Tebow and Florida looked like the juggernaut everyone expected this season. Tebow threw two touchdown passes to Percy Harvin and ran for a score, and the Gators thumped defending national champion LSU.

No. 6 Penn State 48

Wisconsin 7

MADISON, Wis. — With coach Joe Paterno perched in the press box for the second straight week because of a bum leg, Daryll Clark threw for a touchdown and ran for two more as No. 6 Penn State dismantled Wisconsin 48-7 Saturday night.

No. 7 Texas Tech 37

Nebraska 31

LUBBOCK, Texas — Eric Morris had a 1-yard touchdown run in overtime and Jamar Wall made it stand up for Texas Tech with an interception.

No. 9 BYU 21

New Mexico 3

PROVO, Utah — Max Hall threw for three touchdowns and No. 9 BYU survived its lowest scoring game of the season, extending the nation’s longest winning streak to 16 straight.

No. 10 Georgia 26

Tennessee 14

ATHENS, Ga. — Matthew Stafford passed for a career-best 310 yards, Knowshon Moreno ran for 101 yards and Georgia dropped Tennessee to 0-3 in the Southeastern Conference for the first time in 20 years.

No. 12 Ohio State 16

Purdue 3

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Malcolm Jenkins blocked a punt and Etienne Sabino returned it 20 yards for a touchdown to lead Ohio State to the win.

Mississippi State 17

No. 13 Vanderbilt 14

STARKVILLE, Miss. — Anthony Dixon rushed for 107 yards, De’Mon Glanton set up the game-clinching touchdown with an interception and Mississippi State handed Vanderbilt its first loss.

No. 14 Utah 40

Wyoming 7

LARAMIE, Wyo. — Matt Asiata ran for a touchdown and caught a touchdown pass, and Utah’s special teams scored two touchdowns.

No. 15 Boise State 24

Southern Miss 7

HATTIESBURG, Miss. — Kellen Moore threw three touchdown passes and Boise State rolled to an easy win, beating Southern Mississippi with a scoring flurry in the second quarter.

No. 16 Kansas 30

Colorado 14

LAWRENCE, Kan. — Jake Sharp scored three touchdowns for Kansas, and Todd Reesing threw for 256 yards and another score.

Arkansas 25

No. 20 Auburn 22

AUBURN, Ala. — Michael Smith rushed for 176 yards and scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 63-yard run in the fourth quarter and the Razorbacks mounted two late defensive stands.

No. 22 North Carolina 29

Notre Dame 24

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Cameron Sexton scored on a leaping 4-yard keeper to start the fourth quarter and Quan Sturdivant returned an interception for a touchdown for North Carolina.

No. 23 Michigan State 37

Northwestern 20

EVANSTON, Ill. — Javon Ringer ran for 124 yards and two touchdowns to lead Michigan State to a win over previously unbeaten Northwestern. Brian Hoyer added two short touchdown passes as the Spartans never trailed.

No. 25 Ball State 24

Western Kentucky 7

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Nate Davis threw for 155 yards and two touchdowns to help the Cardinals overcome a slow start in their first game as a ranked team.

N. Arizona 37

Portland State 17

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — Lance Kriesien threw for 229 yards and two touchdowns while freshman Deonte Williams rushed for 138 yards and two scores as Northern Arizona won its fifth consecutive game by beating Portland State. The Lumberjacks (5-1, 3-0 Big Sky) recorded 10 sacks and held Portland State (2-4, 1-2) to minus 14 yards rushing.