The Texas Longhorns narrowly defeated Arizona State 39-31 in double overtime, keeping their championship hopes alive. As Fox San Antonio reported, a crucial fourth-and-long touchdown pass from Quinn Ewers to Matthew Golden kept Texas in the game, and an interception by Andrew Mukuba ended Arizona State's comeback.
The close call against the No. 10 ranked Arizona State undeniably tested the No. 4 Longhorns, who were at one point enjoying a 16-point cushion in the fourth quarter. However, Cam Skattebo, the unstoppable force of a running back for Arizona State, had other plans, propelling his team to a brief lead with a 3-yard touchdown run to kick off overtime. Despite the heart-stopping moments that followed, it was Ewers' composure and an unshakable defense that eventually sealed the deal for Texas, a sentiment echoed by Texas coach Steve Sarkisian in his praise for the team's resilience. "The one thing that I know about our group is when our backs are against the wall and when our best is needed, our best shows up time and time again," Sarkisian told AP News.
Post-game analyses credit both teams' performances despite the early dominance by Texas where at one point they only had taken two snaps and already had a 14-3 lead. However, they could not relax as Arizona State, which ended the regular season with a remarkable jump from a 3-9 record the previous year to an 11-3 record this time, refused to bow out quietly. They ultimately rang up 510 yards to Texas' 375, with Skattebo contributing 143 rushing yards, 99 receiving yards, and even slinging a 42-yard touchdown pass into the mix.
In the aftermath, the victory positions Texas for a semi-final matchup in the Cotton Bowl against Ohio State, a team fresh off a Rose Bowl thrashing against Oregon. As for the Sun Devils, they're already looking ahead to the 2025 season-opener, hosting Northern Arizona on August 30. Texas' Coach Sarkisian may have summarized the night best by noting, It wasn't pretty, but Sarkisian was correct to give the Longhorns points for resiliency. This also provides the coaching staff with plenty of teaching tools, because it's hard to see Texas winning two more games — and a national championship — without significant improvement," as Fox San Antonio captured in their coverage.
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