"That could have changed the complexion of the game," Sarkisian said. It saved Alabama from a potentially massive momentum swing. A Texas sack late in the third quarter initially looked like a safety, but after a controversial and wildly confusing review, officials ruled targeting, then roughing the passer, then ultimately, an incomplete pass. The unit played tough, pressuring reigning Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young (27-for-39 for 213 yards and one TD) and making him uncomfortable for three quarters. Texas’ defense was the surprise story with an impressive game plan from coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski. Now it’s your turn to step up and be the guy.’ And he was like, ‘Bro, I’m ready to go.’" I told him, ‘You’ve been practicing for this moment. "We went to the sideline and prayed together to get his confidence up, and he was fine. And this was behind an inexperienced starting offensive line that includes two freshmen, two sophomores and one senior. Rather than succumb to mighty Alabama with Ewers out, backup quarterback Hudson Card pulled off a more than respectable performance, going 14-for-22 for 158 yards with no interceptions. We’re moving in the right direction of the roster, style of play and mentality to go out and play against quality opponents week in and week out." We don’t have the battle scars that can affect your performance moving forward. "We’re a young team right now and sometimes, that’s good. "We’re not a finished product by any means," Sarkisian said. While this may have felt like deja vu for Texas fans, it wasn’t for a team barely old enough to remember the title game 12 years ago. Sarkisian confirmed after the game that Ewers has a sprained clavicle and will get an MRI to find out the severity. He returned to the sideline in the second half wearing street clothes. The quarterback was slow to get up and went straight to the locker room, favoring his left shoulder. Then, with less than a minute remaining in the first quarter, linebacker Dallas Turner drove Ewers into the ground. He found Jordan Whittington for 17 yards with two Alabama linemen in his face, then Xavier Worthy for 46 yards on the next play. Ewers looked comfortable and confident early, effortlessly leading the Horns downfield. The Longhorns started strong and stayed in it, even if they only scored one touchdown all game - Bijan Robinson on an easy 1-yard rush to start the second quarter, capping a six-play, 75-yard drive. "I think the way our team looks at this is, man, if that was the best team in the country and we took them down to the wire, that should instill a lot of confidence in us … we can play with anybody." And we played like a team that thought they were going to win this game … "But we believed in our locker room that we could go win this game, and we played like a team that believed they could win this game. "Nobody gave us a chance, OK?" Sarkisian said. "Now the key to the drill is to get back on the horse tomorrow and get right back to work."Īlabama was a 20-point favorite on the road and few expected Texas to stay in the game. And as I told the team, I don't look at this as we lost. "In a weird way, we feel pretty good about ourselves," Sarkisian said.
The way this team handled adversity, the atmosphere and the pressure in big moments means there might finally be something to be optimistic about in Austin. The Longhorns were looking for a measuring stick and validation for head coach Steve Sarkisian’s master plan. The Longhorns lost starting quarterback Quinn Ewers to injury in the first quarter and lost the game, 20-19.īut this time, things feel different. 1 Alabama, something strangely similar occurred. In Saturday’s meeting between unranked Texas and No.
The last time Texas and Alabama faced each other - in the 2010 national championship - the Longhorns lost starting quarterback Colt McCoy in the first quarter, lost the game, and the program lost its way for the next 12 years. The Longhorns just didn’t know how eerily familiar it would be.
AUSTIN, Texas - The thing about Saturday’s game was that Texas knew adversity was going to hit at some point.
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