Texas football rises up on Senior Day, wallops Texas Tech, 49-24

By Steve Habel
Senior Contributing Writer

AUSTIN, Texas — Now that’s more like it.

In a season in which Texas was first up and one of the nation’s media darlings, and then down and continually pronounced as one of the year’s most overrated teams, the Longhorns finally put together their most balanced and effort-filled game in a month … and it was readily welcomed.

Quarterback Sam Ehlinger passed for 348 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 83 yards and another score as Texas came back from an early deficit to swamp Texas Tech, 49-24, Friday afternoon in Austin, Texas.

The Longhorns[s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level2)] (7-5 overall, 5-4 in Big 12 play) snapped a two-game losing streak and await their bowl invitation, likely to the Camping World Bowl in Orlando, the Liberty Bowl in Memphis or the Texas Bowl in Houston.

“(We are) really excited about getting the win, about securing ourselves a winning season,” Texas coach Tom Herman said. “We all know that you (media) know this is not where we hoped we would be at the beginning of the season, but to send these seniors out with a win, that was the mission.

“So (I’m) proud of the effort, proud of the way our guys responded to some early adversity and excited to go into the bowl season with a good taste in our mouth.”

The victory gives the Longhorns their second consecutive victory on Senior Day for the first time since 2008-09.

Texas Tech ends its first season under head coach Matt Wells at 4-8 overall and 2-7 in Big 12 play, its worst record since 2014. The Red Raiders have had just one winning campaign since 2013.

“Texas made plays,” Wells said. “Being up, 14-0, is the worst lead you can have because sometimes complacency sets in. But Texas made plays to get back in the game.”

Devin Duvernay hauled in six passes for 199 yards and a touchdown, becoming just the third UT receiver to catch 100 or more passes in a single season. Running back Roschon Johnson added 105 yards and three touchdowns rushing for Texas.

“We ran the football — and we didn’t abandon the run,” Herman said. “We knew that, you know, two-, three- and four-yard runs were going to happen, and then you know we were going to stay committed to it. The offensive staff had a good plan and the way that we did kind of opens things up

“I thought our receivers and Sam played really, really well. He was decisive and accurate and our receivers made some really big-time plays.”

Quarterback Jett Duffey passed for 399 yards and two touchdowns for Texas Tech, which finished the year with three straight defeats. KeSean Carter caught 11 passes for 150 yards and a score.

Texas Tech struck first, driving 80 yards in 11 plays to a 13-yard touchdown pass from Duffey to Carter with 9:10 to play in the first quarter.

The Red Raiders added to their lead on their ensuing possession, which began after they stopped Texas in fourth-down-and-1 at the Tech 24. It took the Red Raiders just six plays to cover 76 yards, with the final 10 coming on a touchdown run around right end by SaRodorick Thompson.

Texas responded with a 10-yard scoring run off left tackle by Ehlinger at the end of a six-play, 75-yard drive. But Cameron Dicker’s extra point was blocked, keeping the score at 14-6 with 54 seconds to play in the opening quarter.

The Longhorns rolled down the field on their next possession, which was capped off when third-string running back Daniel Young bashed three yards into the end zone. Ehlinger then hit Duvernay on a two-point conversion pass to tie the game at 14-14 with 13:09 left in the second quarter.

Texas turned away Tech on four snaps from the Longhorns’ 2-yard line on the following possession. But after a quick three-and-out by Texas and a penalty on a poor punt, the Red Raiders took a 21-14 on a 24-yard touchdown pass from Duffey to wide receiver Erik Ezukanma.

After that, the game belonged to the Longhorns.

“The defensive line was really disruptive,” Herman said. “Tech didn’t attempt very many run plays, but you know, we held them to 71 yards rushing, which is indicative of the disruption that the D-line was having, and then to leave a game with four sacks when that had not happened around here in a while, was huge.”

Ehlinger hit Duvernay on a 75-yard catch and run on the ensuing snap to tie the game. The Longhorns then went front for the first time on a 1-yard run by Roschon Johnson with 1:22 to play in the half.

“We came together for those seniors and after the first few minutes in the first quarter we played mistake-free,” Ehlinger said. “We stayed out of our own way, with very minimal missed assignments and played good football.

“I think we’re just very focused and understood that the past is uncontrollable, and all we can focus on is the present, and we did a good job during the week of practice and played really hard.”

Texas expanded its lead to 35-21 on its first possession of the third quarter, with Ehlinger passing to Jake Smith for a 26-yard touchdown.

The Red Raiders’ Trey Wolff booted a 23-yard field goal to bring Tech back to with 35-24. Texas then took the game by the throat with a nine-play, 74-yard drive that was capped off by a 1-yard touchdown run by Johnson and a 42-24 lead with 2:35 to play in the third quarter.

“We really had nothing to lose,” Texas defensive end Malcom Roach said. “We wanted to play fast, and you know we didn’t think a lot because the game plan was pretty simple. We just went out there just executed. You know played very, very physical.”
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