Stifling defensive play leads No. 3 Texas to 17-7 win over No. 20 Texas A&M

For the first time in thirteen years, the Texas Longhorns squared off against the Texas A&M Aggies. To up the ante, the winner of Saturday’s Lone Star Showdown would advance to the SEC Championship game. After coming up with a big defensive stand late, it was the Longhorns who ultimately prevailed in a 17-7 defensive masterclass.

For Texas, the first half was a productive one offensively. The Longhorns scored 17 points in the first half, highlighted by Quinn Ewers‘ seven-yard touchdown pass to Jaydon Blue with 8:24 left in the second quarter. Furthermore, Steve Sarkisian reached deep into his bag of tricks early. In fact, the Longhorn head coach opted to run a play with Arch Manning which ended up opening the game’s scoring action with a 15-yard touchdown rush. In total, the Texas offense had amassed 254 yards in the first half of play.

However, everything was not rosy for the Longhorn offense. Unfortunately for Quinn Ewers, Saturday’s game was one that was marked by turnover as Ewers suffered both a lost fumble and a third quarter pick-six interception. As a result, Texas A&M was able to remain competitive despite losing the time of possession battle.

While the Texas offense did not shut the door on the Aggies, the defense did. Led by fantastic play from the front seven, Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed struggled all night to get anything going. Repeatedly, the linebackers showcased their sideline-to-sideline speed to quell any rushing attempts. Furthermore, defensive lineman Vernon Broughton delivered two big time sacks, making it difficult for Reed to settle into the pocket.

With about five minutes remaining, Texas A&M had a chance to make things interesting. Possessing the ball deep in the red zone, down by just 10 points, the Aggies were on the precipice of changing the game. However, despite the golden opportunity to cut Texas’ lead, the Longhorn defense stepped up when it mattered most. On fourth-and-goal, with the ball at Texas’ one yard-line, Longhorn defensive lineman Ethan Burke made the stop of his life. With the game on the line, Burke stuffed the Aggies up the middle, clinching the rivalry’s first win in 13 years.

Due to the victory, the Longhorns have officially claimed their spot in the SEC Championship game. On Saturday, Steve Sarkisian’s squad will once again line up against the Georgia Bulldogs in Atlanta. The matchup will take place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, kicking off at 3 P.M. (CT) in a game that will air on ABC.