The Carthage Bulldogs entered the game as the two-time defending state champion having won 40 consecutive games Friday night as they faced the Panthers of Liberty Hill.
The game was a back and forth battle that ended up being decided ultimately by a first half ending Field Goal as the Panthers went on to win 44-41.
The Liberty Hill Panthers will play the Waco La Vega Pirates, 53-0 winners over Decatur), Friday, December 21, and 3pm at AT&T Stadium for the 4AD1 State championship.
Westlake’s football tradition was built on prolific offenses led by legendary quarterbacks like Drew Brees, Nick Foles, and Sam Ehlinger. But for the last two years, the defense has taken over. That was never truer than on Saturday night in Alamodome, where Westlake held San Antonio Brandeis to just three first downs and 52 total yards in a 26-0 win for the Class 6A Div. II Region IV title in San Antonio.
“It’s
what we’ve become accustomed to,” said Westlake coach Todd Dodge. “You
don’t take it for granted, though. Our kids have played well all year.
Our defensive coordinator (Tony Salazar), I wouldn’t trade him for
anybody in the state of Texas. That’s our bell cow. They have been from
day one.”
The
defensive performance was more needed than at any point this season.
Westlake has suffered a rash of injuries on the offensive side of the
ball. Senior center Blake Webster, a 38-game starter, got hurt late in
the regular season. Senior running back Tripp Graham, who had rushed for
1,266 yards and 15 touchdowns, went down earlier in the playoffs. And
senior quarterback Taylor Anderson, who Dodge called “the heart and
soul” of the team, fell to the injury bug last week. All three won’t be
back.
“They now have to take an extra burden,” Dodge said. “We’re just finding ways to win and riding that defense.”
Westlake Todd Dodge coaches his team after winning the Class 6A Div. II Region IV title.
Westlake
used two quarterbacks in place of Anderson. Junior Drew Willoughby
started the game and threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to junior wide
receiver Mason Mangum on the Chaps’ second drive. He finished 4-of-8 for
54 yards with an interception. But junior quarterback Kirkland Michaux
got his chance in the second quarter and played at another level.
Michaux
can thank junior wide receiver Jackson Coker for his first touchdown
pass. Coker came down with a 36-yard bomb in triple coverage to put
Westlake up 14-0 with 8:19 left in the second quarter. But Michaux’s
ability to run the ball got the offense going and reminded everyone of
the fallen Anderson, who had 771 yards and 10 touchdowns rushing.
Michaux rushed for 141 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries while
totaling 99 yards through the air on 7-of-12 passing.
“I told (the quarterbacks) at the beginning of the week that if we’re going to do something special these last three weeks, it’s going to take both of them. The quarterback room is going to quarterback us to something special,” Dodge said. “There’s no ego with those kids. We went with Kirkland a little bit more because of his ability to run the football, obviously, and we got the ‘W.’”
Senior
Rhett Kelly and sophomore Jax Crockett were in charge of taking on
Graham’s workload. Crockett churned out 37 yards on nine carries before
injuring himself. Kelly totaled 62 yards on 16 carries while catching
four passes for 26 yards. Coker led all receivers with 59 yards on three
receptions. Mangum had two grabs for 38 yards. Senior Penny Baker and
sophomore Chapel Stewart hauled in one ball apiece, Baker for 19 yards
and Stewart for 11 yards.
Brandeis
didn’t pick up a first down until its seventh drive, and that
possession ended with junior safety Sage Luther picking off his fourth
pass of the season. Westlake’s defense got a safety late in the third
quarter when senior safety Drew Webster tackled a Brandeis player who
had just recovered his own fumble in the end zone for a 16-yard loss.
The Broncos’ only first down in the second half was immediately followed
by a 10-yard sack from junior defensive lineman Bobby Duncum. Westlake
finished the game with nine tackles behind the line of scrimmage.
“This
is what we expected,” Dodge said “This is a tough blue-collar team.
It’s all about next man up… No one is going to feel sorry for us… This
is a real special game. The tradition at Westlake High School long
before we ever got here was if you make it to the final four, your
picture gets on the wall (in the football offices). That’s a big deal.
This was wall week for us. These kids go on the wall.”
Converse Judson is
about to have a second straight offseason full of nightmares about Lake
Travis senior wide receiver Garrett Wilson. Just like last year’s loss
to Lake Travis in the area round, Wilson had a monster game to knock the
Rockets out of the playoffs. The Army All-American had eight receptions
for 139 yards and three touchdowns to help guide the Cavaliers past the
Rockets 38-21 in the Class 6A Div. I Region IV Final Saturday at the
Alamodome in San Antonio, TX.
“Garrett’s incredible,”
said Lake Travis coach Hank Carter. “He fought today and he’s not 100
percent. What a warrior he is. He doesn’t get enough credit for the type
of competitor and warrior that he is.”
Wilson helped aide junior
quarterback Hudson Card in a game where he was getting pressured from
all directions. Converse Judson’s defensive line, which features talent
like five-star Texas A&M commit Demarvin Leal, had Card on the run.
But Wilson went Spiderman on his defender for a 16-yard touchdown grab
in the second quarter and got behind the defense for 60 and 29-yard
scores in the second half. Junior Kyle Eaves hauled in seven balls for
121 yards with a 64-yard score, and Card ended the game with four
touchdowns and 311 yards on 19-of-35 passing.
“That was as tough as
front as I would imagine we’ll see,” Carter said. “Those guys were
incredible and they got after us some. They really kept him bottled up.
Hudson’s a great athlete… and he didn’t have many times he got loose at
all. I’m proud, especially in the second half, how Hudson settled down
and made some throws. Our offensive line battled all night. It’s hard to
have a ton of success against them because of their physicality… That’s
how it’s going to be. Everybody we’re playing is going to have Division
I guys all over the place, but we have some too.”
Lake Travis got a nice
break before the half. Converse Judson drove the ball to the Cavaliers’
one-yard line with two seconds left. But instead of taking the chip shot
field goal, Judson head coach Sean McCauliffe decided to go for the
touchdown. The ensuing handoff was botched, however, which kept the
score even at 14 entering the break and elicited a deep sigh of relief
from the Lake Travis sideline.
The Cavs took that
positive energy into the locker room, and then came out and outscored
Judson 24-7 the rest of the way. Following the 60-yard touchdown pass
from Card to Wilson, junior defensive back Copeland Gothard intercepted a
tipped pass on the sideline, which set up a 37-yard field goal from
sophomore kicker Hays McCannon. The teams traded a pair of touchdowns to
start the fourth quarter, and then junior Mauricio Trevino forced a
fumble on a Judson kick return. Lake Travis recovered and Wilson caught
his final touchdown pass with 6:49 to go to put the icing on the cake.
“(The final play of the
half) was big. You never know how that’s going to pan out. They gave us a
little bit different look. I’m proud of my kids. I called a timeout and
the kids adjusted to it,” Carter said. “We just made some adjustments
(after halftime). I think our kids settled down on both sides of the
ball and just played a little bit cleaner and a little bit sharper. We
made a lot of mistakes in the first half and we cleaned up some of it.
We made some plays. There was some close plays. One of them (Eaves’
64-yard touchdown reception) could’ve been a knockdown (for a)
incomplete pass, turned into a touchdown.”
Special teams played a big
role in Lake Travis’s first touchdown. Card placed a beautiful punt
near the goal line that was downed at the three. The defense forced a
three and out and Eaves provided a solid return to the 30. A facemask
penalty tacked on 15 yards to put the Cavs in the red zone, and
sophomore running back Weston Stephens dashed for a 15-yard score to
knot things up at seven.
“You got to play all three sides of the ball,” Carter said. “You got to play offense, defense, and special teams if you want to play championship level football and that’s a championship level team we just played… I’m proud of our bunch. Judson is a great program. We knew it’d be a battle. I’m excited about the way our kids are playing. It’s awesome. I’m very, very fortunate to be sharing it with such an awesome group of kids. Our coaches, our fans were awesome today.”
The selection committee chose against putting two SEC teams in the playoff for a second consecutive year and instead went with Big 12 champion Oklahoma for the final seed. Oklahoma brings a historically great offense that ranks first in yards per play (8.6, a full yard ahead of second place) and points per drive (4.2). It’s led by junior quarterback Kyler Murray, a terrific athlete whose produced 4,981 total yards and 52 total TDs. The defense, however, leaves a lot to be desired. The Sooners rank 91st in yards per play allowed (5.9) and 107th in points per drive (2.75). Alabama brings a more balanced squad to the table. The Crimson Tide sit one spot behind OU in yards per play (7.6) and points per drive (4.04), but unlike their opponent have a defense to match it. Stocked with next-level talents like linemen Quinnen Williams and Raekwon Davis, safety Deionte Thompson and linebacker Mack Wilson, Alabama’s defense is second in points per drive (1.01) and sixth in yards per play (4.3). Alabama is on one of the most dominant runs in college football history with four national championships in the last nine years. Yet its somehow done that without a truly great quarterback (sorry, A.J. McCarron). Sophomore quarterback Tua Tagobailoa has brought an explosiveness to Alabama’s offense that’s never been seen, which makes some people think this version of the Crimson Tide is the best yet.
Cotton Bowl: #2 Clemson v.s. #3 Notre Dame
This is the only bowl that features two undefeated teams. Clemson is in the College Football Playoff for the fourth straight year. Those last three trips include a runner-up finish in 2015 and a national championship in 2016. Clemson is led by a nasty defensive line that starts three All-ACC first teamers (Clelin Ferrell, Christian Wilkins, Dexter Lawrence) and a third-teamer (Austin Bryant) who will all have their names called early in April’s NFL Draft. The offense has a game breaker at running back in Travis Etienne (1,308 yards, 19 TDs) and a young but talented in quarterback in true freshman Trevor Lawrence, whose completed 65 percent of his passes for 2,606 yards with 24 TDs and only 4 INTs. This is Notre Dame’s first invitation to the playoff party and it comes into this matchup as a double-digit underdog. This is because the Fighting Irish’s undefeated run was less dominant, with half of their 12 wins coming by eight points or less. Clemson had only two such close calls out of 13. Notre Dame’s defense, which ranks fifth in points per drive (1.28) and eighth in yards per play (4.4), is ahead of the offense. But if junior quarterback Ian Book and senior running back Dexter Williams get hot, watch out. Book didn’t start until the season’s fourth game and Williams was suspended until the fifth, which negatively skews the offensive numbers a little bit.
Rose Bowl: #6 Ohio State v.s. #9 Washington
For the second straight year, an embarrassingly lopsided loss to a mediocre team cost Ohio State a chance at the playoff. Last year it was a 55-24 defeat to 7-5 Iowa and this year a 49-20 shellacking at the hands of 6-6 Purdue. The Buckeyes sported their worst defense in some time as they allowed 5.6 yards per play (66th in the country) and 1.89 points per drive (40th). Big play prevention was a major problem. Going into the Big 10 Championship game, Ohio State had given up 36 plays of 30-plus yards, seventh-worst in the nation. Washington doesn’t exactly have the explosive type of offense to take advantage of that, though. The Huskies’ senior backfield duo of quarterback Jake Browning and running back Miles Gaskin has been a bit disappointing. Browning threw just 16 touchdowns, 27 less than he had when he guided the Huskies to the college football playoff in 2016. Gaskin’s 1,147 rushing yards on the season are the lowest of his career and his 4.9 yards per carry don’t even rank in the top 100 of NCAA backs. The matchup of Ohio State’s offense v.s. Washington’s defense should be strength on strength. Sophomore quarterback Dwayne Haskins set a Big 10 record with 4,508 passing yards. Washington’s D finished 16th in yards per play and 12th in points per drive.
Peach Bowl: #10 Florida v.s. #7 Michigan
UCF finished its second straight undefeated season and again wasn’t seriously considered for inclusion into the playoff. This means the Golden Knights will be miffed and pumped up to prove their doubters wrong against an LSU team that might not be as excited for this matchup in the desert. UCF lost its best player when quarterback Mckenzie Milton went down with a serious knee injury in the regular season finale, but backup Darriel Mack Jr. was good enough to lead the Golden Knights to a come-from-behind victory in the AAC Championship Game with six total TDs (four rushing, two passing). LSU is a big step up from Memphis, however, and that could be incredibly problematic for UCF’s defense. The Golden Knights fall well short of the gold standard in stopping the run, where they rank 96th in yards per carry allowed. LSU prides itself on being a tough, physical football team and will certainly test that front seven early and often. Group of five teams are 3-1 in New Year’s Six Bowl Games since the advent of the College Football Playoff. UCF beat Auburn 34-27 in last year’s Peach Bowl under similar circumstances and claimed a “national championship” to much uproar. If the Golden Knights do it again, expect another “national championship” parade in Disney World.
Peach Bowl: #10 Florida v.s. #7 Michigan
With the inclusion of LSU and Florida, the SEC became the first conference to get multiple three-loss teams into New Year’s Six Bowls, which seems a bit unfair considering the season 10-2 Washington State had. But alas, here we are. The Wolverines’ defense was considered tops in the country for most of the year but had a disastrous outing in its final game, a 62-39 loss to rival Ohio State. They still put five players (linemen Chase Winovich and Rashan Gary, linebacker Devin Bush, DBs Lavert Hill and David Long) on the All-Big 10 first team and will be frothing at the mouth to rebound from the Ohio State performance. Offensively, Michigan improved from 102nd to 27th in yards per play and 95th to 20th in points per drive behind the leadership of junior quarterback Shea Patterson, who transferred in from Ole Miss. Senior running back Karan Higdon made All-Big 10 first team with 1,178 yards and 10 TDs. Florida was solid but unspectacular in its first season under head coach Dan Mullen, the revered offensive coordinator from the Gators’ Tim Tebow years. The future is bright in Gainesville but Mullen is still in the early stages of building his program. Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh, who is 38-13 in four seasons, is much farther along and enters this game as about a touchdown favorite.
The good news from Saturday is that Tom Herman had his team competing at the peak of its ability when a conference championship was on the line.
The bad news is that when Lil’Jordan Humphrey got assaulted on a potential first-down reception, the refs weren’t on the scene to make the proper call.
Texas (9-4) gave Oklahoma (12-1) all it could handle in a rivalry matchup for the Big 12 title on Saturday, but the Sooners’ late surge was enough to guide Lincoln Riley’s team to a 39-27 victory at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
“It’s difficult,” Texas head coach Tom Herman said. “Losing is supposed to hurt. With a 1-0 mentality that we have, we don’t worry about the big picture. We went 0-1 today. Tomorrow it’s our job to wake up and try to go 1-0 in the bowl game.”
Humphrey appeared to be roughed up on a third-down play in the final quarter, but the referees chose not to whistle the foul, which led to a Longhorn punt. Oklahoma took possession at its own 20 and appeared destined for a score until Gary Johnson jarred the ball loose on a long pass play and Brandon Jones pounced on the loose pigskin.
Moments later, a bit of rivalry deja vu ensued as the Sooners’ Tre Brown played the role of Roy Williams while sacking Sam Ehlinger for a safety after flying in unblocked on a blitz from the edge.
Oklahoma added a final TD to seize a 39-27 lead, and Ehlinger was picked off by Tre Norwood to end the game.
It was a memorable effort by Ehlinger, who staked the Longhorns to a 14-6 lead after capping a pair of early drives with scoring runs of 16 and 3 yards in the first half.
However, Kyler Murray found some rhythm prior to intermission and directed the Sooners to a pair of scoring drives before opening the second half with another TD march. CeeDee Lamb, Grant Calcaterra and Trey Sermon were the culprits in helping Oklahoma build a 27-21 edge.
Ehlinger then led a seven-play, 75-yard scoring march that was capped by a 27-yard toss to Collin Johnson, but the PAT carromed off the upright to keep the score tied at 27-all.
The Sooners’ Austin Seibert responded with a 31-yard field goal, and after the no-call on Humphrey’s key third-down route, Oklahoma survived a fumble to sack Ehlinger and change the complexion of the game for good.
“I felt like we weren’t running the ball like we thought we would be able to,” Herman said afterward. “That was certainly an issue. When you’re playing one-handed a little bit throwing the football, there’s things that can happen. When their drives stalled, they were able to get field goals. When our drives stalled, we had to punt. It’s a matter of 10 or 15 yards.”
The Longhorns still may sew up a bid in the Sugar Bowl, or at the least, a berth in the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio. No matter what, a 10-win season would signal a major accomplishment for Herman in his 2nd year at the helm.
Vandegrift (12-1) completed its first perfect season with a team that wasn’t super athletic, but as smart, tough and well-coached as they come. In the playoffs, however, being exceptionally smart, tough and well-coached only gets you so far. Against a Longview (13-0) team that blended next-level talent with a tailor-made system, Vandegrift came up short in a 56-28 defeat Friday in the Class 6A Div. II Regional Semifinals at McLane Stadium in Waco.
“They just big-played us,” said Vandegrfit coach Drew Sanders. “We planned all week to try and not allow that to happen and so I guess they were just a little bit faster than I expected, probably. But they executed well. Hats off to them.”
Vandegrift hung tough for two and a half quarters. It scored touchdowns on each of its first three possessions to take a 21-14 lead. Senior running back Isaiah Smallwood took a direct snap for a seven-yard touchdown to cap a 10-play, 74-yards drive on the Vipers’ opening possession. After Longview muffed the ensuing kickoff, which was recovered by a hustling Jonathan Scott, senior quarterback Dru Dawson scrambled and wildly tossed a pass that fell into the hands of senior Ryan Merrifield for a 25-yard score.
Longview tied the game with a quick drive that lasted only six plays and less than two minutes. But Vandegrift struck back with a 10-play, 90-yard drive where a 36-yard bomb from Dawson to senior Reese Watson set up a six-yard touchdown run by Smallwood. From that point forward, however, Longview outscored the Vipers 42-7.
“Offensively, we kept pace with them for a little bit but just couldn’t keep that pace,” Sanders said. “That’s not how we’re built.”
The Lobos gained 517 yards on 58 plays for 8.9 yards per play and made Vandegrift’s defense, which allowed less than 14 points per game going into the contest, look one step too slow. It didn’t help that senior linebacker Spencer Jones, the Vipers’ leading tackler, didn’t play after suffering an injury last week and that senior cornerback Timmy Hanna was lost for the game in the second quarter.
But Vandegrift would’ve had trouble containing Longview regardless. Junior quarterback Haynes King completed 13-of-16 passes for 242 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions while adding 78 yards on the ground. Senior running back Keilyn Williams carried 17 times for 118 yards and score and tallied two receptions for 28 yards and score. Senior running back Jessie Anderson bulldozed his way for 54 yards and two touchdowns on 10 totes, and senior wide receiver Kamden Perry caused all sorts of problems on the outside with nine receptions for 153 yards on a touchdown.
“We only stopped them three times the whole game. They had to earn every yard, but they were able to really keep us off balance with the run and the pass. Every time I thought it was a run, it was a pass, and vice versa, so hats off to them,” Sanders said. “They’re definitely a little bit faster than us, but we’ve beaten teams that are faster than us. The difference with these guys is they’re fast and they have an excellent offensive system that kind of played on what we’re weak at. They were able to max protect, work the edges on the corner and throw it really deep and we had a hard time handling that, and then they have really two nice running backs that we had a hard time stopping.”
Smallwood ended his prolific career with 141 yards and three touchdowns on 29 carries. Also in their last games wearing the Vandegrift jersey, Dawson completed 13-of-20 passes for 131 yards with one touchdown and two picks, and Merrifield hauled in five receptions for 75 yards and a score.
“Winning percentage, it’s the best season we’ve ever had. But I’m really proud of our guys. To go undefeated in our district. We go 10-0 in the regular season and then get to the third round. We wanted to prove that we belong in 6A and we’re slowly and surely doing that. We met up with a good team tonight, but I’m really, really proud of my guys,” Sanders said. “Hopefully we’ll continue to build on this. Tonight I’ll thank the seniors for all the stuff that they’ve done. I’m really proud of the senior class, and we’ll take a deep breath and start to go to work on Monday.”
In a round of the playoffs that typically separates the men from the boys, Liberty Hill showed what it was made of. The Panthers overcame a disastrous play at the end of the first half and rattled off 21 unanswered points to beat Sealy 35-21 in the Class 4A Division I Region Semifinals Friday at Bastrop Memorial Stadium in Bastrop.
Sealy took a 21-14 lead into halftime after a 41-yard Hail Mary touchdown pass from senior quarterback Garrett Zaskoda to sophomore wide receiver Hunter Clarke as the clock hit zero. A play like that can sometimes linger in the locker room and cause the team that gave it up to come out flat in the second half. But Liberty Hill showed maturity in brushing it off and punching back harder.
“I told them ‘A lot of teams come back from 35 down at half. Teams that are up 35 fall apart.’” said Liberty Hill coach Jeff Walker. “The halftime score, we just forgot it. I told them to get out there, just forget what the score is. Yea, they got a big play. So what? They can’t get them all night. Just keep playing and our kids did that… We got a lot of seniors that didn’t want to play their last football game. When you got that, you got a good chance.”
After trading two punts a piece to open the second half, Liberty Hill senior running back Kyle Harrison (21 carries, 253 yards, two touchdowns) found running room and dashed 56 yards down to the 10. That set up senior running back Shane Gonzalez (18 carries, 126 yards, one touchdown) to score on the next play and tie it at 21.
The defense forced a third straight punt on the ensuing drive. When the offense got the ball back, they went right back to what they do best: run that ball. The Panthers put it in the hands of Harrison, Gonzalez and senior Kristian Taggart (11 carries, 56 yards) for a 10-play, 53-yard touchdown drive that ended with Harrison finding paydirt from eight yards out.
“(The plan was to) keep the ball away from them and get in the end zone,” Walker said. “Unfortunately, we fumbled the football and had penalties that cost us. Other than that I thought we moved the ball well. We just didn’t do it consistent enough because we turned the ball over or we got called for holding. Penalties and turnovers got us, but other than that I thought we played well.”
Sealy thought it tied the game in the fourth quarter but a four-yard touchdown run was called back by holding. Two plays later Liberty Hill’s pass rush got to Zaskoda and forced an intentional grounding penalty. On fourth down, the pass rush got home again with senior Mason Ogle bringing down the quarterback for his third sack. The Panthers had five sacks as a team.
“I’m real proud of our defense. They stepped up in the second half and played outstanding. We knew they were able to do it,” Walker said. “We have a 6-foot-4, 225-pound (defensive end in Kory Schmidt) and a 6-foot-5, 260-pound (defensive end in Williams Baty) on the edge and (Schmidt) is real fast, and (Baty) is not slow so they give people some problems with match-ups. Defense played lights out.”
Liberty Hill junior quarterback Jacob Cearley didn’t throw a pass but ran seven times for 39 yards with two touchdowns – the second of which came from 26 yards out with 1:37 on the clock as he fooled the defense with a beautiful fake and bootlegged out for the walk-in score. Any hope of a mad comeback was dashed when Sealy fumbled the ensuing kick and Liberty Hill recovered.
Perhaps Sam Ehlinger and Kyler Murray were born to be rivals.
After Murray completed an immaculate run at Allen High School, where he went 42-0 as a starter and guided the Eagles to three straight state championships, he headed off to College Station — not exactly a friendly haven for those who bleed burnt orange.
Right about the time that Murray and the Aggies were preparing for their 2015 Music City Bowl match-up with Louisville, Ehlinger — then a junior at Westlake High School — sprung a 23-17 upset win over Allen in the UIL Class 6A Division I semifinals. The victory ended the Eagles’ winning streak at 57 games and cost Allen a shot at surpassing Celina’s state-record mark of 68 consecutive wins.
Everyone knows the next series of events. Murray transferred to Oklahoma, and Ehlinger, a lifelong Longhorn fan, chose Texas. A collision course was set, and the two finally met face to face at the Cotton Bowl in October, with Ehlinger earning a 1-0 edge by way of his team’s thrilling 48-45 triumph.
The two signal callers reportedly traded a few choice words after the game, which adds even more intrigue to Saturday’s rematch in the Big 12 Championship Game at Jerry World in Arlington. This week, Murray was asked how much he respect’s Ehlinger’s game, and the Heisman trophy hopeful responded with a brief chuckle and a “no comment.”
The Longhorns’ win in the 2018 Red River Showdown represents the Sooners’ lone blemish of the season, and with Ohio State’s recent bludgeoning of rival Michigan, Oklahoma understands that its shot at a national title rides on Saturday’s outcome. Style points may even be necessary depending on what the Buckeyes do against Northwestern in the Big 10 title game.
For Texas, a shot at playing in the program’s first Sugar Bowl since 1995 is likely at stake.
One of the Longhorns’ keys to success in the first meeting with the Sooners was a near-flawless start on offense, as Texas scored on each of its first four possessions and added three more touchdowns during a dominant third quarter. The Longhorns managed to survive a frenzied finish led by Murray when Cameron Dicker nailed a now-legendary 40-yard field goal with 14 seconds left.
To post a second straight win over Oklahoma, Ehlinger, who was picked off twice by Kansas, must return to taking care of the pigskin and converting key third downs to keep Murray and his weapons sitting on the sideline. Texas’ defense will also probably need to manufacture a few turnovers like it did back in October.
The Sooners, on the other hand, will be out to prove that they actually have a functioning defense. Breckyn Hager remains skeptical.
The battle lines have already been drawn for the 114th meeting all-time between the two programs — and the first outside of Dallas in 95 years. If the Horns can improve upon their current series lead of 62-46-5, then it’s finally safe to say that Texas is officially back.
As for Ehlinger, sore shoulder and all, a second straight win over OU will bring him another step closer to earning a spot beside VY, Colt and Major in modern Longhorn quarterback lore.
Not since 1903 — and the third time ever will the Longhorns and Sooners play for a second time in a single season, but this time for the Big 12 Championship.
In a series that began in 1900 these two Rivals will go head to head once more with the conference on the line. A Texas defeat of Kansas in Lawrence last Friday clinched the first appearance in the Big 12 Championship game since 2009 for the Longhorns. Then Friday night, Oklahoma edged out WV in an all out thriller in Morgantown 59-56 Sooners.
The Cotton Bowl rematch in Arlington is set for December 1st this Saturday at AT&T Stadium.The Longhorns narrowly escaped the Sooners back in October at the Red River Showdown this season, in a 48-45 thriller over OU.
The Sooners have been red hot since the loss to Texas and have won every game since.
Texas has seen some offensive woes in recent weeks and QB Sam Ehlinger has gone down in two games due to a shoulder injury. Which Texas team will show up for coach Tom Herman at this Big 12 title match? The team who struggled against Kansas and Baylor, or the team that put up 41 against West Virginia and 48 against the Sooners?
The stakes are high with implications of a potential playoff. Then there is the New Years Six bowl placement, and don’t forget bragging rights in this rivalry. And while I am rooting for my Longhorns to win this game, I also know it will be tough against a high flying Kyler Murry lead offense, however Texas also has the receiver core in Lil Jordan Humphrey and Collin Johnson. With the arm and legs of Sam Ehlinger and a Texas secondary that is lead by Kris Boyd and Caden Sterns the Horns need only stay within a score to catch the Sooners. In fact I’ll bet that the last team with the ball will win.”
The Arlington kick off at is at 11 a.m. Central on ABC.
After losing the first three games of the year, only the most optimistic Houston Texan fan could have imagined this team making the playoffs. But the Texans never lost faith in themselves, according to defensive end Christian Covington.
“There wasn’t an exact moment or event that turned things around,” Covington said. “We approach every week the same way. We have the same mindset. No one wants to be 0-3, and we knew we needed to do something about it.”
And they did. After the disappointing loss at home to the Giants, the Texans won their first game the following week in a shootout with Andrew Luck and the Colts in Indianapolis. Then, it was back to Houston for a showdown with the Cowboys.
“We knew what was at stake in the civil war,” Covington laughed. “There are only two NFL teams in Texas. We’re over here in Houston. When you’re away from your building, you’re exposed to the fan base where everyone loves this team. And everyone hates the Cowboys.”
The Texans prevailed in a hard-fought 19-16 win over their state rivals and then reeled off six more wins, making it eight straight with the win over the Titans on Monday Night Football to closed out November on a high note. In spite the success, Covington said no one was giddy.
“Winning helps out,” Covington said. “It definitely changes the mood, but it doesn’t change our approach to preparing for next game, scouting our opponents and watching film.” Covington described the team as taking a businesslike approach. But there are times when the mood is light.
“You can’t be serious all of the time. This team knows when it’s time to work, it’s time to work. And when it’s time to chill, it’s time to have fun. We have ping pong tournaments all of the time. You have to cut loose and have fun. If it wasn’t fun, we wouldn’t be doing it.”
Fun and work have always mixed naturally into Covington’s life. He worked hard at football since his early days, growing up in the home of a Canadian Football League legend, Grover Covington. The elder Covington, also a defensive end, was a seven-time CFL All-Star.
“I was always trying to be like him,” Covington said of his father, who paved the way for him to get a scholarship to play football at Rice University. Grover Covington played football with Darrell Patterson, assistant head coach of the Owls.
When Patterson came to Houston in 2007, he expanded Rice’s recruiting efforts in Canada, where he had a playing career in the CFL for seven seasons. Patterson contacted Grover Covington, who was updated on Chris’ rapid development at Vancouver College.
The Owls have signed a total of eight Canadians in the past nine years, including Covington and Luke Willson, a tight end for the Detroit Lions. Rice had winning records during the three years Covington played for the Owls (2012-2014).
Injuries ended Covington’s 2014 season prematurely after seven games. In spite of that, Covington passed up an opportunity to return to Rice for his senior year and entered the NFL draft in 2015. He was drafted by the Texans in the sixth round, 216th overall,
“I knew I was ready,” Covington said, although he admitted there was no guarantee he would be drafted. “Being selected by the Texans was a dream come true. Only 250 players in the entire world are drafted into the NFL each year. I was blessed.”
In his first two seasons in the NFL, Covington and the Texans won the AFC South. They advanced to the second round of the playoffs in 2016, but then came the tough 2017 season when they finished 4-12. In Week 8, Covington suffered a torn bicep which ended his season.
In spite of the setback, Covington came back in top shape and earn his job back. He had a brief starring role in the Texans’ November 18 victory over the Redskins. Covington delivered the key block that enabled rookie safety Justin Reid to sprint 101 yards for a touchdown.
“Just doing my job, man,” Covington said modestly. “We’re told since my rookie year on any turnover to look around and find a guy to block.” Covington had also pressured Washington quarterback Alex Smith leading up to the game-changing turnover.
“Winning is great,” Covington said. It definitely changes things. We’re enjoying the wins, but we’ve got to keep it going. You have to stay on an even keel. When you start reading your own press clippings, that’s when you get into trouble.”
As the NFL regular season heads into the final month, the Texans are in the playoff picture. The first order of business is to win the AFC South again, but they must fend off the Colts and Titans. As November ended, the Texans had a two-game lead on the Colts.
The regular season ends Dec. 30 with all teams in action in 16 division games. The Texans close out the regular season at home, hosting the Jaguars.
