Texas has had a hard time putting teams away in the second half of the season. UT let Vandy hang around, they let Arkansas hang around, Kentucky hang around, A&M hang around and Clemson hang around.
The Horns have been getting out to good starts then going flat. So flat, they came close to losing everyone of those games. In the Peach Bowl, UT took it to the extreme. After leading at halftime 17-3 and leading by 16 with less than six minutes left in the game, Texas needed heroics to survive Arizona State in the Peach Bowl in double overtime.
The 39-31 win over the Sun Devils feels good now, but there should be real worry about how far this Texas team can go now. The Longhorns have overcome their own miscues up until now. But in the Cotton Bowl, Texas will face one of college football’s elite.
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian must find ways to keep momentum through four quarters or the dreams of going deeper in the college football playoffs than last year will remain a dream.
Great Start
After an opening drive FG by the Sun Devils, Texas took control early in the game with three big plays. On UT’s opening offensive drive, Ewers hit Matthew Golden for 54-yard then DeAndre Moore Jr. for a 23-yard TD to snatch the lead on two plays.
After a three-and-out by the ASU offense, Silas Bolden returned the punt 75-yards for another touchdown to put the Horns up 14-0. Texas took a 17-3 lead into the locker room for halftime.
Still so many mistakes
Penalties against came back to bite Texas. The Longhorns committed 10 penalties for 67 yards. Way too many for a team with championship aspirations and a big reason the game was even close. Many happened at terrible times in the game.
The Texas offense committed two false start penalties on the drive to set up Bert Auburn’s 48-yard FG miss in the fourth quarter and one on the drive for the winning FG in regulation, which Auburn missed.
Ewers’ interception in the fourth quarter was on a bad throw. Texas gave up a safety and a fake punt for a first down. If UT doesn’t clean things up they will not go further than last year.
Sensational Skattebo
Say what you will about the bravado of ASU RB Cam Skattebo, he’s a real force. After evacuating his stomach on the sideline, the bruising back actually threw a 42-yard TD pass. Then put on a power running display Earl Campbell would have been proud of.
In the end, the bruising back rushed for 143 yards on 30 carries and two touchdowns, threw for a touchdown and converted a two-point conversion. The Horns will be glad they don’t have to face him again.
Kicking Woes
After converting 80.8% of his field goals in 2022 and 82.9% in 2023, Texas senior kicker Bert Auburn has struggled this season. His make percentage is down to 68.2%. He was patently awful in the Peach Bowl. His only make in Atlanta was a 22-yard chip shot in the first half.
When the game was on the line, Auburn was totally unreliable. The first miss in the fourth quarter as 48-yards, which is stretching it for a college kicker, even in a dome. But the miss on the 38-yard attempt that would have won Texas the game without having to go to overtime is simply unacceptable. Auburn had been perfect inside 40-yards this season, but as the numbers reveal, he’s been shaky overall. Auburn hooked it into the upright.
Auburn will return for his 5th season in Austin in 2025.
Big Finish
Despite all the errors, miscues, mistakes and nervous moments, Texas pulled through in the end. Down seven in the first overtime and down to a 4th and 13 must convert to stave off a loss, the game looked pretty hopeless. But Ewers, who had an average day at best, found Golden over the middle for a 28-yard touchdown pass.
The play sent the game into another overtime, where Ewers found Gunner Helm on the first play in double-OT for the go-ahead touchdown. Ewers then tossed a pass to Golden in the back corner of the end zone for the two-point conversion.
The Texas defense, worn down all game, ended the game on third down when ASU QB Sam Leavitt threw and interception to Andrew Mukuba.
Whew!
This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: 5 thoughts from Texas’ mistake-filled Peach Bowl win over Arizona State
