By Steve Habel, Senior Contributing Writer
AUSTIN, Texas — There was a certain satisfaction gained by No. 15 Texas when kicker Cameron Dicker converted the 39-yard field goal on the game’s final snap that granted the Longhorns a 50-48 victory Saturday over upset-minded Kansas in a wild in Big 12 Conference game at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, and it was not just because the Longhorns stared down the prospect of losing at home to Kansas for the first time ever and found a way to win. It was because UT’s last-gasp, 60-yard drive over the final 1:11 of the game was the result of extreme preparation and the desire to grasp the moment that the final minute of this wild affair allowed.
The Longhorns practice their two-minute drill each Tuesday, putting the No. 1 offense in a situation where it’s down by two points and needing to drive the field to set up Dicker for a winning kick. So when the scenario arose Saturday, they were ready and had the confidence to make the plays they needed.
Dicker’s kick came after[s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level2)] the Jayhawks had taken a 48-47 lead on a two-point conversion pass following Kansas quarterback Carter Stanley’s 22-yard touchdown pass to Stefon Robinson Jr.
“What a game. I love kickers,” Texas coach Tom Herman said afterward. “That last drive is a testament to the way we prepare every Tuesday. Our guys have a ton of experience in that scenario, and I was really proud of the way they executed.”
Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger passed for 399 yards and four touchdowns (5-2 overall, 3-1 in games against Big 12 opponents) in the win, while running back Keaontay Ingram ran for 101 yards and a 4-yard touchdown run with 2:47 to play that gave the Longhorns a short-lived lead that they could not hold.
Stanley threw for 310 yards and four scores for the Jayhawks (2-5 overall, 0-4 in Big 12 play). KU running back Pooka Williams ran for 190 yards, the most allowed by the Texas defense in the two-plus seasons of the current regime, and two touchdowns in the loss.
“If we would have played a little more defense on the back end we would have won this game,” Kansas coach Les Miles said. “I’m not saying we are perfect. I’m saying that I’m proud of a competitive team that will fight like hell to the last minute.”
Ehlinger echoed the sentiment that in the case of the Tuesday two-minute offense drills, all of the practice paid off.
“We’ve had a 100 percent success rate on that two-minute drill in practice, and it just translated on to the field,” Ehlinger explained. “It just goes to show that every detail matters, that everything we do during the week matters, and to always be focused on the present.
“The message that was communicated was that we didn’t have to do anything different. Every individual do their job, and we’ll move the ball down the field, just like we do in practice and win the game.”
Texas has plenty of self-examination coming in the days ahead after turning the ball over four times, including twice deep in its own territory in the fourth quarter and surrendering 569 yards to a Kansas offense that is on its third offensive coordinator since December.
“We’ve got a ton of work to do, obviously, but we figure that out,” Herman said. “We’re happy we found a way to win. These guys know who we are. They’re not oblivious to our deficiencies.”
Texas scored the game’s first 14 points via a 14-yard touchdown run by Roschon Johnson and a 10-yard scoring pass from Ehlinger to wide receiver Jake Smith.
Kansas answered with a 23-yard Liam Jones field goal after the speedy Pooka Williams exploited the middle of the Texas defense for a 65-yard run. He then scored from seven yards out, after which Stanley high Takulve Williams with a scoring pass that gave Kansas its first lead in a game in Austin since 1997.
Texas went back in front on a 5-yard touchdown pass from Ehlinger to Brennan Eagles with 2:19 to play in the second quarter.
Kansas leapfrogged to the lead on the opening possession of the third quarter, with Stanley hitting Stephon Robinson Jr. with a 9-yard touchdown pass to end a 14-play, 75-yard march. Dicker’s 39-yard field goal with 6:59 to go in the third quarter tied the game at 24 and set the stage for the wild fourth quarter.
“You guys are going to ask me tons of questions about the defense and rightfully so, but we need to play better complementary football on offense,” Herman said to the press afterward. “We’ve got to do a better job of executing.”
The Longhorns travel to Fort Worth next week to face TCU, which lost, 24-17, Saturday at Kansas State.
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