Matthew Golden shares insight on 4th and 13 play vs. Arizona State, how Texas narrowly avoided disaster

One of the more recent famous plays in Texas football history is Matthew Golden‘s overtime 4th and 13 touchdown catch against Arizona State. Quinn Ewers connected with Golden in a play that could have ended Texas’ season. Instead, the Longhorns won in double overtime to advance to the College Football Playoff semifinals.

The pass from Ewers almost fell incomplete, at least according to Golden. He recently revealed the Mercedes-Benz Stadium lights were in his eyes until the absolute last moment. Golden almost overran the pass and did not flash his hands until late.

Thankfully for Texas, Golden found the ball and is now able to tell what is a hilarious story.

“I got a visor,” Golden said. “So when I looked, the light was right in my eyes. I’ve seen it last minute. Nobody knows that, I’ve seen it last minute.”

Golden was running a double move, somehow being left alone by the Arizona State secondary. Kenny Dillingham later admitted they were in Cover 0, something Ewers saw presnap, and checked into max protection.

Arizona State could not get out of the call soon enough.

“We’re in a Cover-0 look. Late in the play clock Ewers did a phenomenal job checking out, recognizing the Cover-0 look, checking into a max pro,” Dillingham said after the loss. “And I didn’t have the ability to get out of it. That’s on me. We left our guys iso’d in Cover-0 into a max pro there. I’ve gotta go into a game with the ability to get out of that call.”

A few moments later, Golden caught the pass and the rest of history. Golden was confident Texas would get their eventual win once converting 4th and 13.

“I know once I had it, I turned around and I didn’t know what to think,” Golden said. “I was just like ‘Man, we got it. We got it.'”

Golden was the Peach Bowl’s leading receiver, catching seven balls for 149 yards and the touchdown. Twenty-eight of those yards were more important than the other 117 — lights at the top of the stadium or not.

Now off to the NFL, it’s the moment Golden will likely remembered for while wearing a Texas uniform. But disaster could have easily struck if not for a last-second location.