This article serves to inform you that what you saw really just happened. The Texas Longhorns stunned Notre Dame 50-47 in double overtime. We bring you five thoughts following an electric victory in Austin.
1. Welcome to the new age
The Shane Buechele era begins, and the freshman was sensational when it counted tonight. He made some freshman mistakes, but he showed brass balls and composure beyond his years. Buechele operated the offense with a surgical passing game, and strong decision making skills. As with any young player, he will have some lows throughout his growth, but how about this performance to start your career. Buechele entered the evening standing on the edge of history as the first true freshman to start since Bobby Layne. He finished the game 16-26, 280 yards and two touchdowns against one interception. The most impressive thing was his good decision making when the pressure mounted most.
2. Let’s not forget about the other quarterbacks
Tyrone Swoopes could have been down about not winning the starting job, but he came prepared to carry the team when they needed it most with the 18 wheeler package. Texas was the more physical team on the field against a pretty good defensive line, and Swoopes was all heart near the end. Speaking of heart, how about D’Onta Foreman and the performance he put on. The duo of Foreman and Warren are very strong, but I think it’s clear that Foreman is the alpha in the pack. While we’re talking about quarterbacks, how about Jerrod Heard sparking Texas with a huge deep ball in the first half? The buy in for players on this team is indicative of their love and devotion to their head coach.
3. F-I-N-I-S-H
Texas had so many issues last season finishing these type of games last season, but they were never out of the fight tonight. The team could have folded after Notre Dame roared back to take the lead, but the calm hand at the helm from the quarterback and head coach inspired strong performances from less heralded guys like Chris Nelson, Jacorey Warrick, Jake Oliver, and countless others. Though this doesn’t signal a total comeback for Texas, this crew knows they have the stuff to win games with a ton of grit. Charlie’s young guys are growing up,and his older players have bought in to the system.
4. The defense is better but…
They still have a long way to go. It was inspiring to see the defense finally get off the field on third down, but there was plenty of room for improvement. The most disappointing aspect of the night was a bit of regression from Davante Davis. Davis gave up two touchdowns on blown coverage mistakes, and was generally not the difference maker we think he can be. Texas will need a better effort from the secondary in the coming weeks in order to compete in the high octane Big 12. There were also some moments in the third that looked a lot like the malaise the team experienced out of the half started to creep back in. The team should celebrate, but there will be plenty to coach on during film sessions.
5. Sterlin Gilbert ladies and gentlemen
There’s some room for schematic improvement, but I thought the new offensive coordinator was a shot of life for this program. Gilbert mixed and matched the quarterbacks well, and he dialed up th eright plays at the right time. Notre Dame isn’t as strong of a team as they were last season, but that’s a damn good performance to build on. This offense is designed for guys like D’Onta Foreman to chew up big yardage, and Gilbert pulled the right levers to keep the offense from going stagnant. Texas fans have to be excited for what is in store.
Bonus
How about a big hand for the crowd in attendance. That atmosphere looked incredible from tv, and the monster list of recruits in attendance had to love it. If you think Texas recruited well the last two years, let Charlie have a successful season and enjoy the results.
