Matthew Golden injury update: Latest on Texas WR after halftime of Cotton Bowl

After halftime of Friday’s Cotton Bowl against Ohio State, Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden was still on the sideline without his helmet on, ESPN’s Laura Rutledge reported. He tested out his injury during the break, but signaled he wouldn’t be able to go back on the field yet.

Golden went down in the second quarter and appeared to grab his left ankle. He went to the medical tent for further evaluation, but after testing it out, went back toward the Texas locker room.

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Golden then worked the injury out during halftime, but indicated he wasn’t up to going back in the game. However, he was on the sidelines in pad, although he didn’t have his helmet on early in the third quarter.

“Matthew Golden – the key deep threat for this Texas offense – still on the sideline,” Rutledge said on the broadcast early in the third quarter. “He came out at halftime, tried to run full speed. He was jumping up and down. Kept shaking his head no when athletic trainers where asking him if he felt like could go. We’ll continue to keep an eye on him.”

Golden is an important piece of the Texas offense, leading the Longhorns in receiving this season entering Friday’s College Football Playoff semifinal. He entered the game with 56 receptions for 939 yards and nine receiving touchdowns, which led the SEC. He also serves as the primary kickoff returner, taking 14 attempts back for 285 yards.

Points were hard to come by for both Texas and Ohio State in the first half of Friday’s game. The Buckeyes scored on their first drive, and the 7-0 score held until the 29-second mark of the second half. That’s when Jaydon Blue hauled in a pass from Quinn Ewers to tie things up and give Texas some momentum.

However, it would be short-lived. Ohio State struck quickly when Will Howard connected with TreVeyon Henderson on a screen pass, which went 75 yards for a touchdown to put the Buckeyes back on top, 14-7. It was yet another shift in the game, and Steve Sarkisian pointed out the opportunities Texas had. That said, with two quarters left to go, he knew anything could happen.

“Well, the field position helped,” Sarkisian said. “We were backed up there a few times. Had an opportunity the first drive. Didn’t convert the fourth down. Got some field position. Found some momentum. It was unfortunate on the screen. We’d been playing really good defense until the screen hit us. But there’s a lot of football left to be played.”