HOUSTON – What looked like an easy stroll through the pasture turned into a Cougars den as the Longhorns were forced to fight and claw their way out of Third Ward in a 31-24 win over Houston (3-4). Texas (6-1) jumped out to a 21-0 lead at the end of the first quarter thanks to a pair of touchdown tosses by Quinn Ewers and a one-yard touchdown run by Savion Red. 

The sold out TDECU Stadium was dead, the Cougars were reeling, and even a 32-yard touchdown from Donavon Smith to Matthew Golden looked more consolation prize than threat. But then Texas kept it weird, even outside of Austin. The Longhorns lined up for a field goal on 4th and six from the Houston 26, but head coach Steve Sarkisian called a fake that fooled no one. Nine plays later, the Cougars scored on a touchdown pass to cut the lead to 21-14. Instead of 24-7. 

The Cougars received the ball to start the second half and marched down the field - through the air – to tie the game at 21 when Smith found Golden in the end zone for the second time on the night. The home crowd went crazy. The traveling Texas contingent – which made up nearly half of the crowd – when nervously silent. Those nerves only worsened when Ewers was knocked out of the game due to injury. 

Texas wouldn’t need to find out if reserve quarterback Maalik Murphy was up to the task because the Longhorns leaned on the rushing duo of Jonathon Brooks and CJ Baxter to seal the win. With the game tied at 24 with less than eight minutes left on the clock, Texas drove the ball 53 yards on six plays, five of which were runs. Baxter scored from 16 yards out to give Texas the lead, and the win.  

THREE THOUGHTS 

Same ole Longhorns? Texas has a well-earned reputation of playing with its food against inferior competition. That same song-and-dance played out in Houston despite the Longhorns coming off an idle week and a loss to Oklahoma. The motivation looked there early as they cruised to an easy 21-point lead, only to let off the gas and apply the brakes on both sides of the football in the second and third quarter, specifically. 

The Longhorns scored 21 points and gained 202 yards in its first four drives. They netted only 158 yards and 10 points over the final eight drives of the game. Conversely, the defense fell apart after its first four drives resulted in Houston punts. The Cougars’ first four drives gained a combined 28 yards. They finished the first half with drives of 71 and 75 yards before starting the second half with another 71-yard drive – all three were touchdowns. Two forced turnovers by the defense in the second half were crucial, however. 

Texas is 6-1 and all its goals are in front of Sark’s crew. But those wins aren’t without drama. Texas has been tied or trailing in the fourth quarter in three of its six wins, including a 24-all tie late against Houston. The Longhorns were trailing Alabama on the road, 16-13, before dismissing the Crimson Tide. They were tied at 10 with Wyoming in the fourth quarter. And, of course, they were down 10 against Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry entering the fourth quarter before storming back in an eventual loss. 

Nothing is coming easy for Texas, but it should. The Longhorns were more talented than Houston and proved that by coasting to a 21-point lead before they even broke a sweat. Maybe that is the problem. 

Brooks, Baxter show: Even before the Ewers injury, Texas’s passing game began to falter after a hot start. Ewers started the game 19 of 20 but was only four of his next nine before exiting the game with an injury. Murphy was 1 of 2 in relief duty as the Longhorns put the game on the legs of Brooks and Baxter. Brooks finished the game with 99 yards rushing on 20 carries while adding a team-high eight catches. Baxter ran for 42 yards on six carries, including the game-winning touchdown run. 

As a team, Texas ran the ball 37 times for 141 yards and two touchdowns. Take away sacks and the Longhorns averaged 4.6 yards a carry. They ran the ball 37 times compared to 32 passes in the game, and that number was more lopsided as the game wore on and Ewers went to the sideline. Texas called a run on seven of its nine fourth-quarter plays prior to the two kneel downs. 

An injury status on Ewers was not provided after the game, but the sophomore from Southlake Carroll was seen in a sling on the sidelines. With his right arm not 100 percent, the Longhorns will need to rely on the ground game to run the table and reach the Big 12 championship game. Even if Ewers is 100 percent, Brooks and Baxter need to be focal points of the offense. Sark knows that. Brooks touched the ball in four of Texas’ first eight plays, as well. If Ewers is out for any period of time, the Longhorns will need to go old-school and win with running the ball and defense. 

Plucky Cougars: If the last two weeks have proven anything it is that this Houston team is willing to fight. And that they aren’t too far away from Big 12 relevance. The Hail Mary win over West Virginia in Week 7 remains the only win for a Big 12 newcomer of a mainstay in the 2023 season. UCF, BYU, and Cincinnati don’t have a win over a previous member of the Big 12 as of the start of Week 8. 

Houston could’ve easily folded the tent and accepted a beatdown from a superior Texas team. Instead, Dana Holgorsen’s squad fought back, made it a game, and were a few yards away from sending this one into overtime. Moral victories aren’t fun, but they’re appropriate as a G5 team transitions into the Power Five ranks. 

The game against Houston showed the upside for the Cougars program. The stadium was filled – albeit with a lot burnt orange. The team hung in there and made one of the most talented teams in the country fight for 60 minutes. The offense was a lot of fun. The defense made some stops. Third Ward was a party after the first quarter, and that’s what games at TDECU should feel like on a regular basis.