On Saturday, the Longhorns revenged the third-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide on the road in Tuscaloosa. Today, our Devon Messinger & Dylan DeRaud share their reactions to the game.
[Messinger’s Thoughts]
We talked about it last week – the Longhorns were going to find themselves in a situation where things were not working offensively at some point against the Crimson Tide. However, I posed the question as to who the Longhorns could rely on in critical moments when their backs were against the wall. Answering the call was Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers, who had a phenomenal game in the pocket and, importantly, avoided the turnover column completely.
While Ewers was wheeling and dealing with his three touchdown passes, the Longhorns defense had themselves a day too, forcing five Alabama sacks and tallying two interceptions.
Although I think it is still too early to get hypothetical with this team, if Ewers and the offense can remain consistent, big things will be in store for the Longhorns in 2023. However, Saturday’s win over Alabama should be celebrated as it showcased the growth of the program during Steve Sarkisian’s tenure on the Forty Acres. Remember, it was just two years ago that Sarkisian’s squad looked like a group of deer in the headlights on the road at Arkansas. While on Saturday, Sarkisian’s team looked like the aggressors who were ready to slay the SEC juggernaut on the road.
[DeRaud’s Thoughts]
Texas actually did it. All week long we questioned whether this Longhorn offense would be able to go into hostile territory and execute when it mattered. Specifically, after the Rice game the question marks were whether Quinn Ewers could improve his deep ball accuracy, what running back would make key plays and if the defense could play up to their standard. With some help from perfectly timed Alabama penalties, the Texas defense was able to keep the Tide to 107 yards total rushing. Which forced Milroe into obvious passing situations that led to two interceptions by Jahdae Barron and Jerrin Thompson. Ewers in the second half was able to finally prove on the biggest of stages that he belongs as one of the best quarterbacks in college football. Lighting up the box score with 349 passing yards and three touchdowns. Looking forward, the win by Texas should fuel them for the rest of the season as they look to win the Big 12 Championship in their final year before joining the SEC.
