Laken Littman
College Football and Soccer Analyst
AUSTIN, Texas – On the eve of the University of Texas Football Playoff opener against Clemson, Steve Sarkisian spoke to his team as he walked them through the past few months. From summer meetings where he asked each player to write about the struggles in his life to Paul Camp when he lost a playmaker to a season-ending injury, he highlighted starting left tackle Kelvin Banks and quarterback Quinn Ewers. Deal with your own injuries. He also mentioned two losses to Georgia.
Sarkisian asked each player to write down the personal struggles they endured this season and how they responded to them, then asked them to write a note to a teammate they were proud of for handling their own struggles.
The fourth-year Texas coach always speaks to his players the night before a game, but this time he had no idea his words would be so prescient.
The Longhorns played a complete game Saturday afternoon at Darrell K. Royal – Texas Memorial Stadium, dominating the trenches and the run game en route to a 38-24 win over Clemson. For most of the afternoon, Texas looked the part of a national title contender, similar to how Notre Dame, Penn State, and later Ohio State appeared in their respective CFP games.
But the final result was not without difficult moments.
“It’s ironic that some of the things you say come true,” Sarkisian said after the game. “After literally going through some of the X’s and O’s of the game, my conversations with the team were all about adversity.
“We fall down and we get back up and I’m really proud of them tonight.”
Clemson immediately presented problems for the Longhorns when quarterback Cade Klubnik, who was returning to his hometown of Austin with a win, engineered a nearly seven-minute touchdown drive on the opening possession. Klubnik was quick on the ball and made smart decisions to get his team going early.
Texas scored 21 unanswered points and took a 28-10 lead at halftime. Ewers had accurate execution in the first half, finishing 17 of 24 for 202 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
Earlier this week, Sarkisian was asked why he thinks Texas can win a national championship. He cited the depth and versatility of his team, saying “we can rely on different aspects of the team to win any style of game” and “we can withstand injuries when players are taken out of games”. said.
So I wasn’t fazed when the Longhorns lost two starting offensive linemen in the second half. Right tackle Cameron Williams and center Jake Majors went on back-to-back plays and did not return.
Offensive coordinator Kyle Flood cross-trained his linemen to play multiple positions, allowing Texas to continue to dominate the run game. Plus, Flood has had to get creative in switching up the offensive line before. When Banks broke off seven plays in the Longhorns’ 17-7 win over Texas A&M on Nov. 30, it was Trevor Goosby who filled in at left tackle and started the SEC championship against Georgia. Against Clemson, Goosby played right tackle. Starting left guard Hayden Connor moved to the center, and Cole Husson, who usually played right guard, moved to the left.
“We all rely on each other and trust each other,” Connor said of all the chaos. “When Kelvin went to Texas A&M, Goosby came in and we didn’t miss a beat. That’s what we practice.”
Entering Saturday’s matchup, the Longhorns had given up just four passing touchdowns all year. Klubnyk scored three passes on Saturday alone, becoming the first quarterback to pass for more than 300 yards against the Texans’ defense this season. The junior signal caller finished 26 of 43 for 336 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. His final score came on fourth-and-6 from the Texas 7-yard line, when he hit TJ Moore open in the end zone to make it a one-score game.
On the next drive, Jaydon Blue broke free for a 77-yard touchdown run to give Texas more of a cushion. Blue was out of the lineup early in the season due to an ankle injury and ball stability issues, but the junior did his best to win on the biggest stage, rushing for a season-high 146 yards with two touchdowns. Quintrevion Wisner added 110 yards and two scores, his highest rushing total of the season, as the Longhorns piled up 292 yards on the ground.
“It hurts the defense if they’re just running, running, running and you can’t stop them,” Texas safety Michael Taaffe said.
After the Blue’s touchdown run made it 38-24, the Longhorns’ self-described “Minister of Culture” Matthew McConaughey led the 101,150 fans in attendance in a “Texas Fight” chant. The stadium lights went down, everyone turned on their cell phone flashlights, and McConaughey took the microphone.
There was still electricity on the field when Clemson got the ball back. Klubnik made several explosive shots downfield and led the offense to the 1-yard line, but the Texas defense provided a goal-line stand, forcing the Tigers into third and fourth downs.
“That’s who they are,” Sarkisian said. “We weren’t perfect, we got a little loose on the back end and they made some plays, and credit to Clemson and Cade, but at the end of the day, when our backs were against the wall, it was a really nice stand. We had to stop at our 1-yard line. .”
Sarkisian would have loved a drive that went long to end the game with 7 minutes, 24 seconds remaining. But on 4th-and-1 and short-yardage situations, Arch Manning, who appeared several times, fumbled the snap and Texas turned the ball over on downs. In a last-ditch comeback effort, Klubnik marched the offense down the field. Facing fourth-and-6 from the Texas 26, he found Moore under center, who led all receivers with 116 yards. And it was Taaffe, Klubnik’s best friend and former high school teammate, who broke up the pass to end the game.
“I don’t know if this was our best game on the defensive end, but they made those plays when we needed them to,” Sarkisian said. “And to me, that’s a sign of good defense.”
After the band played “The Eyes of Texas,” the music quickly changed to Jermaine Dupri’s “Welcome to Atlanta,” and now the Longhorns will go on to play Arizona State in the Peach Bowl on New Year’s Day. As the music blared, a drone light show hovered over the stadium, forming the letters “ATL” decorated with peaches.
A year ago, Texas was eliminated from the playoffs and has been sour ever since. That loss to Washington in a four-team semifinal is an unresolved adversity that lingers in the background this season.
“We don’t forget.” Sarkisian said. “I think being as close as we were and not getting the opportunity to play in a (national championship) game was a huge boost for us, to be honest.
“We still have a few more games left to get there.”
Laken Litman covers college football, college basketball and soccer for FOX Sports. She previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, USA Today, and The Indianapolis Star. She is the author of “Strong Like a Woman,” published in spring 2022 commemorating the 50th anniversary of Title IX. follow her @LakenLitman.
(Want great stories delivered straight to your inbox? Create or log in to a FOX Sports account and follow leagues, teams and players to receive personalized newsletters every day..)
college football
Texas Longhorns
Clemson Tigers
Get more from college football Follow your favorites for information on games, news, and more.
