This century’s most concise summary of winning football endured Saturday at sweaty, stuffy, oppressive Darrell K. Royal Stadium: If you’ve got a quarterback, you’ve got a chance. On a day when No. 1 Alabama played its worst game in forever, Bryce Young provided a compelling reminder of that mantra. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner owned the fourth quarter against Texas.
Eventually, that was enough on that day when the Crimson Tide played for long stretches like they knew they were three-touchdown favorites and didn’t feel like putting in the work. Don’t worry: Nick Saban had plenty to say about that after the game.
In the moment, all that mattered was Young being sterling while Texas’ best quarterback was standing on the sidelines with his left arm the sling. Redshirt freshman Quinn Ewers appeared to be on the way to his own magical afternoon when he was knocked out following a late first-quarter hit by Bama linebacker Dallas Turner.
It’s easy to imagine a comfortable Texas win had Ewers played through his second career start. The Ohio State transfer completed 9 of 12 passes for 134 yards with a big 46-yard toss to wide receiver Xavier Worthy, who was in the process of his own breakout performance.
The Longhorns rose up enough in the first meeting between the powerhouse programs in 12 years to get what many Orangebloods deemed success going into the game: progress.
“If that’s the best team in the country,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said, “we took then down to the wire. That should instill a lot of confidence.”
Texas has been down for so long that moral victories, while not usually accepted, are perhaps defensible on this significant Saturday. Backup QB Hudson Card was game, limping for most of the game after being hit. Card had enough left to lead the ‘Horns to a go-ahead 49-yard field goal from Bert Auburn with 1:29 left.
DKR was ready to explode. Headlines were prewritten: Auburn beats Alabama. After all, Auburn had scored 12 of Texas’ 19 points in the game.
But it was Young who put the Tide on his back and got the desired, though dramatic, result. Alabama’ Will Reichard nailed the eventual game-winning 33-yard field goal with 10 seconds remaining in the 20-19 win.
That allowed Saban to avoid his first nonconference regular-season loss since his first year with the program (2007 vs. Louisiana-Monroe). That side-stepped an astounding 15 penalties, a record…
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