The Longhorns' 2023 season ends 12 yards away from a potential game-winning score

Even after Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. delivered one of the best passing performances in the history of the College Football Playoff, the No. 3 Texas Longhorns still had a chance to win the Sugar Bowl. A last-ditch drive put the Texas offense at the Washington 12-yard line with 15 seconds remaining and no timeouts, and Quinn Ewers looked to lead Texas to the National Championship game with a game-tying touchdown that would provide an opportunity for Bert Auburn to kick the game-winning extra point.

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To even be in that situation was a minor miracle. Penix passed for 430 and two touchdowns and had nine passing plays of 15 or more yards. The Huskies took a 37-28 lead with 2:40 to go thanks to a Grady Gross field goal. Texas had to score, get a stop, then move down the field to even have a chance. Thanks to one defensive stand with just under a minute left, a clock stoppage brought about by an injury to Husky running back Dillon Johnson, a kick catch interference penalty committed against Jordan Whittington, and a lightning fast drive down the field, Texas earned an opportunity for three or four final shots at the end zone.

RECAP: Last-gasp comeback falls short as Texas falls to Washington in the Sugar Bowl

But like on a number of other occasions during the course of the Longhorns’ 2023 campaign, they struggled mightily to net six points when presented with an opportunity inside what Steve Sarkisian likes to call the red area.

The situation greatly reduced the number of options available to Sarkisian the play-caller. Every pass had to be to a intended receiver within the bounds of the end zone since Texas would be wasting seconds and opportunities should they complete a pass to someone, say, at the four.

The 1st-and-10 play resulted in a one-yard loss on via a swing pass to Jaydon Blue. Sarkisian explained postgame that Blue wasn’t the first option.

“He was more of a check-down on the play,” Sarkisian said. “We were looking for an opportunity for (Ja’Tavion Sanders) or (Whittington) trying to create a one-on-one matchup for those guys to go high-point it. Naturally, they did a good job defending it. And Quinn did a good job of just getting the ball out to Blue with a chance in space, but had to get out of bounds.”

Second down resulted in Ewers looking for Adonai Mitchell, who caught a touchdown pass earlier in the game to make it five receiving scores in five career College Football Playoff games split between Georgia and Texas. His pass fell incomplete.

Third down saw Ewers pressured and forced to leave the pocket. While in the grasp of Husky defender Mishael Powell, Ewers was able to get rid of the ball to avoid a sack, leaving one second on the game clock. It was a harkening back to when Colt McCoy’s throwaway in the 2009 Big 12 Championship game hit the turf with one second remaining, giving Hunter Lawrence time to break the hearts of Ndamukong Suh and the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

But unlike that 2009 contest, Texas would not be able to emerge with a victory as the clock hit 0:00.

Ewers took the 4th-and-11 snap and looked for Mitchell in the same corner of the end zone where he recorded his earlier, jump ball touchdown reception that made it a 34-28 contest in favor of the Huskies. Rather than throw it to the front pylon, Ewers put another jump ball up for Mitchell. Husky defender Elijah Jackson deftly swatted away the pass from Mitchell, and the jubilant Huskies swarmed the Cesaers Superdome field after making a game-winning stand.

Entering the contest, Texas was No. 91 in red zone conversions and an even worse No. 121 out of 133 in touchdown percentage on red zone chances at 49.1 percent.

Texas outperformed their typical red zone numbers, going 5-for-6 inside the 20 on Monday night. But the sixth occasion would be the critical one where Texas failed to execute to the level needed and saw their season end as a result.

“Just was looking to give my guys an opportunity to go make a play,” Ewers said. “At the end of the day, that’s all you can really do.”

Sarkisian said his play designs for the specific situation featured rout combinations intent on giving his receivers, Blue, and Sanders one-on-one matchups to make a play.

“We just weren’t quite able to do it,” Sarkisian said. “So that’s the way it goes sometimes.”

Sarkisian was proud of his team for making it a game that came down to the very final play and required a skilled PBU on a receiver with a penchant for making plays in CFP games to make one of his own.

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“In the end, came up short,” Sarkisian said. “But there’s nothing to hang our heads about. These guys fought. And I’m very, very proud of the effort that they put into it.”