
Tag: Texas Longhorns


Report: Texas RT Cameron Williams (knee) unlikely to play
Texas right tackle Cameron Williams is unlikely to play against Arizona State in Wednesday’s Peach Bowl due to a right knee sprain, ESPN reported.
If he can’t go, redshirt freshman Trevor Goosby is the next man up for the No. 5 seed Longhorns (12-2) against the No. 4 Sun Devils (11-2) in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal.
Multiple outlets reported this week that Williams had been limited in bowl practices and would be a game-time decision.
The 6-foot-5, 335-pound junior had to be helped off the field in the first half of the Longhorns’ 38-24 victory over Clemson in the CFP first round on Dec. 21.
Williams has played in 32 games (11 starts) since signing with Texas as a four-star recruit out of Duncanville, Texas, in the Class of 2022.
–Field Level Media

No. 2 Texas gets second crack at No. 5 Georgia for SEC crown
On the heels of gritty rivalry week victories, No. 2 Texas and No. 5 Georgia will square off again in hopes of earning a Southeastern Conference title and a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff.
Texas (11-1, 7-1 SEC) clinched a spot in Saturday’s conference championship in Atlanta after grinding out a 17-7 win at then-No. 20 Texas A&M. The Longhorns’ defense was able to quiet a raucous Aggies crowd, allowing just 248 total yards.
Texas’ defense has been its calling card, surrendering just 11.7 points per game, second only to Ohio State (10.9) nationally. The Longhorns’ lone loss this season was also the only game in which they allowed 30 points, falling to Georgia 30-15 at home on Oct. 19.
For head coach Steve Sarkisian and Co., all they could ask for was another chance at the Bulldogs.
“We knew when we had the matchup with Georgia earlier in the year, we didn’t play great football,” Sarkisian said. “They beat us pretty handily that night, and our margin for error was very small. We’d have to win every game and hope that it would be enough to control our destiny to get ourselves in this position. Our guys were able to do that. Credit to our coaches, and credit to our players for getting that done.”
Since that loss, Quinn Ewers has thrown for 13 touchdowns and just three interceptions, while Quintrevion Wisner has averaged 96.4 rushing yards per game, including outputs of 186 against Texas A&M and 158 in the prior week’s win over Kentucky.
“I think the key for us was to really get recentered, refocused on one game,” Sarkisian added. “That’s what we’ve been doing here probably over the last month or so, is not getting caught up in what’s down the road, but what do we need to do this week to play our best football, whether that’s physical, mental, emotional.”
The Bulldogs (10-2, 6-2) enter on a three-game winning streak, most recently rallying for an improbable 44-42, eight-overtime home win over Georgia Tech last Friday. Trailing 27-13 with less than four minutes remaining, Georgia mounted a comeback that resulted in the longest game in SEC history. Carson Beck threw for 297 yards and five touchdowns, helping the Bulldogs effectively clinch a spot in the CFP.
With attention now focused on Atlanta, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart understands the challenge ahead.
“Their defense is one of the best in the country,” Smart said of Texas. “They’ve got explosive skill players. Did a tremendous job in the portal. Their quarterback is playing at a high level, and the backs they’ve got are doing a great job. So, all in all, it should be an exciting, challenging SEC championship. … They’re the same challenges as they were the first time you played them. You know, I’m a big guy of statistics and philosophies and things like that. The previous matchup does not determine this matchup. You can’t overstate that to your players.”
Following a four-week stretch that saw Beck throw nine interceptions, the fifth-year senior has passed for nine touchdowns and zero picks over the last two games against UMass and Georgia Tech.
Facing a tougher task Saturday, Beck says he doesn’t mind seeing the Longhorns again.
“It’s the first time I’ve ever had to play a team twice in a season. So it’s a little bit different obviously,” Beck said. “We kind of know what their identity is as a team. They know what our identity is as a team. We faced each other before. It will be interesting as we prepare through the week, what we like, what we don’t like. Seeing the film, how they changed since the last time we played them. It’s an exciting challenge. We’re looking forward to it.”
Beck, who has thrown for 3,429 yards, 28 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, struggled against Texas the first time around, passing for just 175 yards and three picks.
–Field Level Media

SEC championship game capsule: Texas vs. Georgia
Southeastern Conference championship game
Texas (11-1) vs. Georgia (10-2)
Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, at 4 p.m. ET
Atlanta, Mercedes-Benz Stadium
TV: ABC
Early line: Texas -1.5 (FanDuel)
What’s at stake:
Texas is in the playoffs no matter what happens in the pro-Georgia environment. But the Longhorns are craving the chance to sweep the SEC (regular season, conference title game) in their first season in the league. Getting that bye is a big deal and Texas also would like to avenge that 30-15 home loss to the Bulldogs on Oct. 19.
A third loss is unlikely to leave Georgia on the outside of the 12-team mix but the Bulldogs certainly would be better served to win and gain the bye. A second impressive showing against Texas is something that would rate as a big help after the Bulldogs gave a less-than-impressive performance in the regular-season finale.
How they got here:
Texas routed Michigan and Oklahoma in the first half of the season before it was fully understood that neither team was all that great this season. The loss to Georgia was shocking as the Longhorns easily were handled and looked like an overrated squad. Texas recovered to win five straight games with three of them being decided by 10 or fewer points.
The Bulldogs opened the season with an impressive rout of Clemson but a late September loss to Alabama displayed some defensive warts. Right when it looked like Georgia was back on track, Ole Miss put on a big licking in the second week of November but the Bulldogs survived that and landed a spot in the SEC title game two weeks later. Another eyesore was Friday’s win against Georgia Tech as the Bulldogs trailed by 17 points before rallying for a 44-42, eight-overtime victory.
Names to know:
–Georgia
QB Carson Beck
Has passed for 3,429 passing yards and 28 TDs but has been picked off 12 times after throwing just six last season.
CB Malaki Starks
He’s a finalist for the Thorpe Award (top defensive back) and regularly shuts down his side of the field.
LB Jalon Walker
Solid blitzer has 5.5 sacks and two fumble recoveries while being one of the leaders of the defense.
Texas
QB Quinn Ewers
He manages the game well and has been solid with 2,307 yards and 24 touchdowns against just seven interceptions.
MLB Anthony Hill Jr.
Leads the Longhorns with 84 tackles, 15 stops for losses, 7.5 sacks and four forced fumbles during a standout campaign.
EDGE Colin Simmons
Freshman has 11.5 tackles for losses, including seven sacks, while helping the unit allow just 11.7 points per game.
Xs and Os:
Ewers was dealing with a sprained ankle in Saturday’s 17-7 victory over Texas A&M and it wasn’t hard to think about how the Longhorns have a backup who is better than most schools’ top quarterback. But if Ewers were to sustain a setback, Arch Manning (nine TDs in 90 passing attempts) is just as capable of leading Texas to victory this week as well as in the playoffs.
The Bulldogs don’t have an electric ground game so the offense revives around Beck, who also misses not having a Brock Bowers-type target to rely on. Defensively, it’s strange seeing Georgia allowing 31 or more points on three occasions and 20.5 per game overall.
Prediction:
Texas 26, Georgia 24
–Field Level Media

No. 3 Texas baffles No. 20 Texas A&M, lands spot in SEC title game
Quinn Ewers passed for 218 yards and a touchdown and No. 3 Texas rode a dominant defensive performance to a berth in the Southeastern Conference championship game, beating No. 20 Texas A&M 17-7 on Saturday night in College Station, Texas.
Quintrevion Wisner rushed for a career-high 186 yards on 33 carries and the Longhorns (11-1, 7-1 SEC) held the Aggies (8-4, 5-3) to 244 total yards of offense to earn a meeting with No. 7 Georgia in the conference title game next Saturday in Atlanta. Texas has won five straight games since a 30-15 home loss to the Bulldogs on Oct. 19.
Marcel Reed passed for just 146 yards but added a team-high 56 rushing yards for Texas A&M, which got its only points from its defense in the first meeting since 2011 between the long-time rivals.
Texas was poised to increase its 17-0 halftime lead, but Ewers’ pass was tipped and Will Lee III intercepted it and ripped off a 93-yard return for a touchdown that pulled the Aggies within 10 with 5:42 remaining in the third quarter.
Ewers drove the Longhorns into scoring position on the ensuing possession, but Cashius Howell knocked the ball loose from him, with the Aggies’ Taurean York recovering the fumble at the Texas A&M 11, keeping the score 17-7 after three quarters.
In the fourth, Jahdae Walker blocked a Texas punt, giving the Aggies the ball at the Longhorns 19. But later, on fourth-and-goal from the Texas 1, Amari Daniels was stopped for a 3-yard loss with 4:36 remaining.
On Texas’ second possession, Ewers drove the Longhorns to the Aggies 15, and on fourth-and-2, Arch Manning replaced him and ran for a touchdown that gave Texas a 7-0 lead.
The Longhorns increased their lead to 14-0 when Ewers threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Jaydon Blue with 8:25 to go in the first half.
Bert Auburn kicked a 28-yard field goal before missing a 48-yarder as time expired in the second quarter, leaving Texas with a 17-0 lead at the break.
–Field Level Media

No. 3 Texas keeps focus on defeating Kentucky
No. 3 Texas will celebrate its senior class while it looks to keep its collective focus on a chance at a berth in the Southeastern Conference championship during a matchup against Kentucky on Saturday afternoon in Austin, Texas.
It’s the first time the teams have met as members of the SEC, the first time the Longhorns and Wildcats have squared off on the gridiron since 1951 and only the second matchup in the programs’ histories. Texas beat Kentucky 7-6 in Austin in the only other meeting.
The Longhorns (9-1, 5-1 SEC) held onto the third spot in the latest CFP rankings that were revealed on Tuesday night. They head home after a 20-10 win at rival Arkansas last week that kept them tied atop the SEC standings and in the running for a bye in the CFP playoffs.
Texas’ defense was the story against the dangerous Razorbacks, surrendering just 231 yards (74 of those in the first half). That stinginess allowed quarterback Quinn Ewers to take what the Arkansas defense allowed as he passed for 176 yards and touchdowns early and late to Matthew Golden.
Texas also got 83 yards on 13 carries from Jaydon Blue and flexed its muscle down the stretch. Up 10 points with 9:05 to play, the Longhorns forced a fumble and then held on to the ball over the final 6:55 to secure the victory, their third straight after their lone loss, at home to Georgia on Oct. 19.
It will take more of the same defensive intensity to beat Kentucky.
“To watch (the defense) play the way they’re playing right now has been great,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said. “They’re stopping the run, they’re minimizing the explosive plays. They’re getting after the quarterback. They’re just doing a lot of really cool things.
“I’m very proud of them, very proud of our coaching staff of what they’re doing, and they’re doing it at a high level.”
Expect more points this time than 73 years ago, although the Wildcats (4-6, 1-6) would love for this to be a defensive battle. Kentucky needs to beat the Longhorns and then in-state rival Louisville at home on Nov. 30 to become bowl-eligible for the ninth straight season.
That would be a tall task, especially the first leg of that sequence is against the stocked and hungry Longhorns.
“There’s no weaknesses on (Texas),” Wildcats coach Mark Stoops said Monday. “(As far as) the eye test, (the Longhorns are) as strong as anybody in the country. Tell me one group (where there is a weakness). Really deep, really big. You put that together — pretty solid team.”
The Wildcats head to Austin after a 48-6 home win over Murray State that snapped a four-game losing streak, all in SEC play. Jamarion Wilcox rushed for 123 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries while Brock Vandagriff passed for 183 yards and two touchdowns for the Wildcats, who racked up 582 yards of offense, 269 of those on the ground.
In the four losses prior to the win over Murray State, Kentucky was outscored 120-61. The Wildcats rank last in the SEC and 109th in the country in scoring (21.9 points per game) and 14th in the SEC and 107th in the FBS in total offense (340.5 yards per game).
“I would certainly love to have some continuity like we’ve had great defensive continuity, offensively,” Stoops said. “We have been competitive against some of the best teams in the country — we just have to be more consistent.”
–Field Level Media

No. 3 Texas dominates first half to get past Arkansas 20-10
Quinn Ewers passed for 176 yards and touchdowns early and late to Matthew Golden as No. 3 Texas did just enough on the road to beat Arkansas 20-10 on Saturday afternoon in a key Southeastern Conference clash in Fayetteville, Ark.
The game was the first for the two programs as league foes since 1990 when they were a part of the now-defunct Southwest Conference. The intensity still was high as the Longhorns (9-1, 5-1 SEC) stayed on track for a spot in the SEC Championship game in their inaugural season in the conference.
Up 10 points with 9:05 to play, the Longhorns forced a fumble and then held on to the ball over the final 6:55 to secure the victory, their third straight after a lone loss at home to Georgia on Oct. 19.
Jaydon Blue rushed for 83 yards on 13 carries as Texas outgained the Razorbacks 315-238 in total yards during the victory.
Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green had 149 yards passing but absorbed six sacks for 48 yards in losses and threw an interception for the Razorbacks (5-5, 3-4).
The Longhorns struck first, moving 61 yards in six snaps to a 20-yard Ewers-to-Golden TD pass midway through the first quarter. Texas added to its lead with a 39-yard field goal by Bert Auburn at the 11:15 mark of the second quarter .
Texas’ defense dominated the first half, holding the Razorbacks to just 74 total yards while recording four quarterback sacks and six tackles for a loss. Arkansas crossed midfield just once, and then to just the Texas 46.
The Longhorns extended their advantage to 13-0 on Auburn’s 33-yards field goal on their opening possession of the third quarter.
Arkansas finally responded, moving 75 yards in 12 plays to a Ja’Quiden Jackson 1-yard TD plunge to make it 13-7 with 3:39 to play in the third. The Razorbacks more than doubled their prior offensive output on the scoring march.
Matthew Shipley’s 44-yard field goal with 12:48 remaining at the end of a 10-play, 39-yard drive culled the Arkansas deficit to just three points.
Ewers then found Golden on a nifty 1-yard touchdown pass to stem the Arkansas tide and re-establish the Longhorns’ 10-point lead.
–Field Level Media

No. 5 Texas dominates first half, rolls past Florida 49-17
Quinn Ewers passed for 333 yards and career-high five touchdowns over the game’s first 33 minutes as No. 5 Texas romped past visiting Florida 49-17 on Saturday afternoon at Austin, Texas.
The Longhorns (8-1, 4-1 SEC) flexed their talent and speed throughout the win as the teams played as SEC opponents for the first time. Ewers finished 19 of 27 without an interception, and Jerrick Gibson rushed for 100 yards and a TD for Texas.
Aidan Warner, the Gators’ walk-on, third string quarterback, passed for 132 yards and was intercepted twice. Ja’Kobi Jackson rushed for 116 yards and a score while Jaden Baugh added 88 yards rushing and a TD for Florida (4-5, 2-4).
Texas struck on its second possession, jumping to a 7-0 lead with a 29-yard TD pass from Ewers to Matthew Golden with 3:43 to play in the first quarter. The score came two snaps after a nifty 44-yard wide receiver reverse from Isaiah Bond put the Longhorns deep into Florida territory.
The Longhorns added to their lead just 32 seconds later on a 22-yard Ewers-to Gunnar Helm touchdown pass after a Florida fumble. Ewers struck again when Quintrevion Wisner turned a screen pass into a 50-yard TD catch and run for a 21-0 lead 5:54 to play before halftime.
Texas expanded its advantage with a 32-yard scoring pass from Ewers to Golden with 1:19 to play in the half. That was more than enough time for the Longhorns to score again as they took advantage of an interception of Warner and marched 45 yards in four plays to a 5-yard TD run by Jaydon Blue that made it 35-0 at the break.
The Longhorns outgained Florida 353-138 in the half while racking up eight plays of 20 yards or more over a dominating first two quarters.
Texas continued its momentum into the third quarter, forcing a second interception of Warner and turning the miscue into a 34-yard Ewers-to-Bond touchdown pass just 2:08 after the break.
The Gators finally scored on a 23-yard field goal from Trey Smack with 7:04 to play in the third quarter at the end of a 15-play, 70-yard drive. Jaden Baugh added a 2-yard TD run with 1:30 left in the third and Jackson added a 7-yard TD run for the Gators with 8:27 remaining.
–Field Level Media

Reports: Texas WR Johntay Cook entering transfer portal
Former five-star wide receiver Johntay Cook is no longer with No. 5 Texas, multiple outlets reported Thursday.
The 6-foot sophomore from DeSoto, Texas, plans to enter the transfer portal after 20 games with the Longhorns.
Cook was the No. 3 wideout and No. 29 player nationally by the 247Sports composite in the Class of 2023.
Cook last played in the Oct. 12 win against rival Oklahoma. He caught eight passes for 137 yards and two scores in six games this season for the Longhorns (7-1, 3-1 Southeastern Conference).
Cook appeared in 14 games as a freshman in 2023, catching just eight passes for 136 yards.
He compiled 2,965 receiving yards and 50 touchdowns in his final three seasons at DeSoto High School, winning a state championship as a senior.
–Field Level Media

No. 5 Texas will focus on Florida’s ‘scheme’ in first meeting since 1940
No. 5 Texas looks to stay in the hunt for a spot in the league championship game and beyond when it returns from an open week to host short-handed Florida on Saturday afternoon in Austin, Texas, in a Southeastern Conference clash.
It’s the first time the programs have met on the gridiron since 1940. Texas has never lost to the Gators, forging a 2-0-1 record in three all-time meetings.
Texas was ranked fifth in the initial College Football Playoff ranking that was revealed Tuesday night. It’s Texas’ highest-ever spot in the initial CFP rankings.
Texas’ best ranking in the College Football Playoff was when it was No. 3 last season heading into the CFP semifinal against Washington. The Longhorns had been selected at No. 7 in the first five CFP rankings prior to climbing to third.
The Longhorns (7-1, 3-1 SEC) head back to the fight after a 27-24 win at then-No. 25 Vanderbilt on Oct. 26. Quinn Ewers passed for 288 yards and three scores in the win and the Texas defense held Vanderbilt to 269 total yards and forced three turnovers. Despite those efforts, Texas had to recover an onside kick late in the game to secure the victory.
Ewers leads the Longhorns in passing, amassing 1,389 yards and 14 TDs through the air despite missing almost three games with an abdominal strain. His six interceptions and occasional indecisiveness in the pocket have been problematic but Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said he liked his signal-caller’s work over the past two weeks.
“Quinn had a good week,” Sarkisian said. “He looks fresh, he looks healthy. He’s really delivering the ball well. I like his base that he’s operating with. I thought he was really intentional with his feet with his base against Vanderbilt.”
The Gators (4-4, 2-3) travel to Austin after a 34-20 loss to No. 3 Georgia in Jacksonville, Fla., on Nov. 2 in what might have been Florida’s best defensive game of the year. Freshman quarterback DJ Lagway left the game in the second quarter with a pulled hamstring; his replacement, Aidan Warner, completed just 7 of 22 passes for 66 yards and an interception.
Ja’Kobi Jackson led the Gators with 12 carries for 74 yards and a score. The offense struggled after Lagway went out and finished with just 228 total yards.
Florida, which has dropped two of its past three games, played against Georgia without its best players at four positions — quarterback Graham Mertz (torn ACL), cornerback Jason Marshall (shoulder), wideout Eugene Wilson III (knee) and running back Montrell Johnson (knee). The Gators lost cornerback Devin Moore, who intercepted a pass in the second quarter, to a knee injury.
“It’s next man up,” Florida coach Billy Napier said. “I mean we proved that Saturday (against Georgia), and I think this presents an opportunity for some of these guys that haven’t maybe got to play as much as they would like. Ultimately, you’ve got to view it that way.”
Napier has not ruled out Lagway for the Texas game, but Warner — a transfer from Yale — is expected to start behind center. Texas is not sure who will be at quarterback for the Gators, prompting Sarkisian to say his team will prepare for Florida’s scheme rather than individual players.
“They’ve got a very intricate scheme, a lot of shifts, a lot of motions, a lot of formation adjustments that they tax you with,” Sarkisian explained.
–Field Level Media