Photo Courtesy: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
For the first time in program history, the Texas Longhorns looked to win a game in the College Football Playoff. After winning their first Big 12 Championship since 2009, Steve Sarkisian’s squad needed to beat Washington in order to punch their tickets to Houston, the site of this year’s national championship. However, on Monday, the Pac-12 champion Washington Huskies proved to be deserving of their second-ranked status, delivering blow after blow offensively, ultimately holding onto a 37-31 win in a game that came down to the final play.
Down 13 points with 14:51 left in the fourth quarter, things did not look good for the Longhorns. Washington quarterback Michael Penix, this season’s Heisman Award runner-up, was torching the Texas secondary, and things were looking bleak. However, despite allowing the Huskies quarterback to throw for 430 yards and two touchdowns, the Longhorns did what they have done all season – find a way to claw themselves back into games. Fueled by a Quinn Ewers touchdown pass to Adonai Mitchell with 7:23 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Longhorns brought themselves within shouting distance of the Huskies, eventually trailing by just six points. However, on the final play of the game, Quinn Ewers’ pass to Adonai Mitchell was swatted away by a Huskies defensive back in the end zone, finishing the team’s historic season.
While the Longhorns offense did not play at their highest level on Monday, highlighted by two lost fumbles, much of the blame can be attributed to the Texas defense. While the Longhorns defensive line allowed only 102 yards rushing, the secondary struggled to keep up with Washington’s three-headed monster at wide receiver. Throughout the game, Washington’s wide receivers were consistently able to burn the Longhorns down the field, or, draw a penalty.
Additionally, the Longhorns looked anxious early in Monday’s Sugar Bowl matchup, suffering through a multitude of mental errors such as the ten penalties that the Huskies were able to draw throughout the game. With a mixture of subpar play in the secondary, penalty trouble and an offense that left you wanting more, Texas shot themselves in the foot time and time again.
Unfortunately, Longhorns fans will certainly feel this loss deep in their core. Despite not playing their A-game, Texas actually found themselves in a position of power, just one completion away from a national championship appearance. Furthermore, with the way the roster is currently assembled, this season was, most likely, Texas’ best shot at a winning a title in the near future. Even with the disappointing end to the season, this year’s team should not be considered a failure… far from it. The 2023 Texas Longhorns were able to do something that the program had not been able to do in some time and, importantly, gave fans hope. While the clock may have struck midnight in Texas’ Cinderella run, Steve Sarkisian’s team has a lot to be proud of and will be remembered in the hearts of many.
