Last-gasp comeback falls short as Texas falls to Washington in stirring Sugar Bowl

NEW ORLEANS – In a game that was everything it was advertised to be and more and went down to the final snap it was second-ranked Washington’s defense in the final moments that proved the difference in a 37-31 win over No. 3 Texas on Monday in the Allstate Sugar Bowl, one of two semifinals in the College Football Playoff.

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Texas had a final possession that began at its own 31 with 45 seconds to play and no timeouts and drove to the UW 12 with 15 seconds left. But it could not find the end zone on four final snaps, as a final pass to the back pylon from Quinn Ewers to Adonai Mitchell fell incomplete and Washington prevailed.

Penix, a Heisman Trophy finalist, passed for 430 yards and two touchdown and Dillion Johnson scored twice on short runs for Washington, which won its 21^st straight game. Rome Odunze had 125 yards and Ja’Lynn Polk added 123 receiving yards and TD.

The game was tied at 21 at halftime before Washington dominated the third quarter, possessing the ball for 12 and a half minutes while outgaining Texas 157-35. The Longhorns ran just five offensive plays in the quarter. Texas’ absence in that stretch likely cost it a chance to win.

Ewers passed for 318 yards and a touchdown and Texas (12-2) ran for 180 yards but the Longhorns never led. 

Texas ended its best season since 2009 with its collective head held high, showing a never-say-die spirit that was born and bred from the culture developed by coach Steve Sarkisian.

The Huskies turned to their patented quick-strike offense to find the end zone on their opening possession. After a Texas punt to the UW 11, Washington needed just four plays to march 89 yards to a 2-yard TD run by Dillon Johnson four minutes into the game. The bulk of the damage was done via a 77-yard catch and run from Penix to Ja’Lynn Polk.

Texas responded on its ensuing possession, marching 75 yards in seven snaps to a 5-yard scoring run by Jaydon Blue that tied the game at 7 at the 7:06 mark of the first quarter. Key plays on the drive were a 31-yard pass to Baxter, a scramble for 12 yards by Ewers and a 13-yard run by Baxter that put the Longhorns into the red zone.

Washington retook the lead on a 1-yard plunge by Johnson with 13:08 to play in the second quarter at the end of an 80-yard, nine-play march. Penix passed for 56 yards on the drive, including completions of 29 and 24 yards.

The Longhorns answered three minutes later with a 1-yard run by defensive tackle Byron Murphy II out of a jumbo set. The touchdown was set up by a muffed punt by Washington’s Germie Bernard that was snagged on the bounce by Texas’ Morice Blackwell at the UW 22.

Penix hit Polk on a post route for a 29-yard touchdown pass that was ever-so-slightly tipped by Texas’ defensive back Malik Muhammed near the goal line with 1:27 to play in the half. That gave the Longhorns enough time to drive the field, with Ewers rambling 21 yards and absorbing a late hit to set the table for a 4-yard TD run by Baxter 17 seconds before halftime.

Washington opened the third quarter with a 70-yard, eight-play drive that produced a 19-yard Penix-to-Jalen McMillan scoring pass that gave the Huskies an 28-21 advantage. 

On Texas’ first possession, Baxter fumbled at the UT 33; five snaps later Grady Gross booted a 26-yard field goal to expand the Washington lead to 10 points. Gross added a 40-yarder on the second snap of the fourth quarter to make it 34-21 at the end of a 58-yard, 12-play march that methodically used up 5:48 of game time.

Texas pulled to within six points on a 1-yard TD pass from Ewers to Adonai Mitchell with 7:23 to play at the end of 12-play, 72-yard possession. But the Longhorns’ defense – which many thought would be the difference – could not stop Penix and the Huskies, with a 64-yard drive netting Gross’ third field goal with 2:47 to play and a near-insurmountable deficit.

The Longhorns cut it to 37-31 on Bert Auburn’s 25-yard field goal with 1:09 remaining and, amazingly, put themselves in a position to win when Ewers hit Jordan Whittington with a 41-yard pass. 

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But Texas couldn’t produce the magic it needed to get over the top and must look forward to next season – with Spring drills just three months away.