Posted on October 26, 2019, by Travis Pulver
It is not uncommon for athletes to act in a boastful manner. They work hard, they play harder, and in the process, they generate some pretty intense emotions. When those emotions are flooding over them, like they were for Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger after the Longhorns beat Georgia in the Sugar Bowl last year, they may say something they shouldn’t.
This is especially true in this day and age when social media doesn’t forget anything and refuses to let people forget things they should never have said; things like, “Texas is back.”
After Saturday’s loss to an unranked TCU team, it seems pretty clear the Longhorns are far from being ‘back.’
The Game
While they opened as underdogs, but by time kickoff rolled around, the Longhorns were favored to win the game. But the spread was only a point, so oddsmakers (at Bookmaker.eu) were expecting a close game.
At first, it appeared like that was just what oddsmakers and fans were going to get. Both quarterbacks threw an interception in the opening quarter but also put a field goal on the board. TCU broke into the endzone first early in the second when Max Duggan hooked up with Pro Wells for a 24-yard touchdown.
Sam Ehlinger wasted little time following suit hooking up with Devin Duvernay on the next drive for a 47-yard touchdown. He added another touchdown late in the quarter to put Texas ahead. But TCU was able to tack on a field goal before the end of the half.
So far, so good—right? Yeah, but it didn’t take long for things to quickly go off the rails for the Longhorns in the second half.
After doing a decent job in the first half, the defense was gashed for big plays often in the second half. A 51-yard reception by Taye Barber helped set up the touchdown that tied the game up at 20-20. But then Ehlinger’s second interception of the day (on the next drive) gave the Horned Frogs a short field—which they covered in one play, a 44-yard reception by Jalen Reagor.
His third pick set TCU up for a field goal early in the fourth quarter, giving them a 30-20 lead.
Texas followed TCU’s field goal with a 12-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to get within three. But then TCU followed that with a nine-play, 75-yard touchdown drive of their own—and left Texas just 1:59 to attempt a comeback, which ended with Ehlinger’s fourth interception of the day.
Final score– 37-27, TCU.
The Analysis
It is the same old story for Texas. They have a good offense led by a good quarterback. For the most part, that is all you need to win the Big 2; defense is optional. Yes, their offense is ranked 16th in the nation in total yards and ninth in scoring. But the defense is ranked 120th in yards allowed per game and tied for 93rd in points allowed.
Texas can be a good team as they are, but to be a great team, they have to find some defense. If they don’t, the lack of one will help Tom Herman out the door just like it helped Charlie Strong.
But when you lose to LSU, Oklahoma, nearly lose to Kansas, and then lose to TCU– you are not back. Better luck next year Texas.