Ehlinger’s confidence key in rally
AUSTIN — Sam Ehlinger had no idea what the odds of a Texas comeback were when he led the offense back onto the field down 15 to Texas Tech in Lubbock with 3 minutes, 13 seconds left in regulation.
But if anybody had dared to inform Ehlinger of just how long a shot the Longhorns were, the senior quarterback probably would have shot back with a shrug and a Han Solo saying: “Never tell me the odds.” It didn’t really matter that ninth-ranked Texas (2-0, 1-0 Big 12) had a 0.20 percent chance of storming back to beat Texas Tech, according to ESPN Stats & Information, because therewas time, there was Ehlinger and therewas that all-powerful element of chaos.
So when Ehlinger turned to TomHerman and said, “There’s too much time,” the Texas coach took it to heart. That message soothed the whole sideline, from a defense that had been gashed and gutted to an athletic director who expected to have a long, uncomfortable flight back to Austin.
“When Sam said it as matter- of-factly as he did, alright, QB says we’re gonna go win it, we’re gonna go win this thing,” Herman said Monday of UT’s 63-56 overtime win at Jones AT&T Stadium. “I smiled at our athletic director (Chris Del Conte) who was standing on the sideline. I mean, we were a very relaxed group, even when adversity was hitting us from every side.”
Ehlinger was as brilliant as expected early against Texas Tech’s porous defense. In the first half alone he completed 14 of 18 passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns and added another 55 yards and one
score on the ground.
That smooth path to victory veered into some treacherous terrain in the third quarter.
Ehlinger connected on just 3 of 8 passes for 18 yards with one costly interception in that period. Senior tight end Cade Brewer did drop a spot-on pass on what would have been a third-down conversion, and an offensive holding penalty stalled another drive as it neared midfield. But the pick conjured memories of freshman Ehlinger, who too often imploded in tight games.
That mistake occurred 40 seconds after Red Raiders wide receiver T. J. Vasher’s 29-yard touchdown reception cut UT’s lead to 3835. Flushed out of the pocket on third-and-7, Ehlinger ranged right and rifled a pass to graduate transfer Brenden Schooler. Sophomore corner Alex Hogan anticipated the desperation toss and jumped the route, setting up tailback SaRodorick Thompson’s go-ahead 10-yard touchdown run.
“That third quarter was kind of bizarro world with two special teams scores for both sides,” Herman said, referring to blockedpunt touchdowns by Tech’s Xavier Martin and UT’s Jahdae Barron. “And (Ehlinger) knew he was forcing things. He hit a funk there in the third quarter, just didn’t look like himself
for a few drives. It had me worried a little bit, but we talked about it on the sideline. He bounced back.”
Texas’s offense opened the fourth by settling for a field goal from Tech’s 9yard line and allowing Ehlinger to be sacked seven yards from his own end zone by a three-man rush on third-and-22. It wasn’t until Thompson bullied his way through UT’s defense on what felt like a gamesealing 75-yard touchdown run that Ehlinger escaped the haze he’d been trapped in.
Ehlinger squeezed a pass through a minuscule window to Schooler to open the ensuing drive then linked up with Brennan Eagles streaking along the back of the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown. Four plays in 34 seconds, not bad.
The help UT’s offense needed came in the form of a perfect onside kick by Cameron Dicker and gamesaving recovery bywideout and hands team specialist Malcolm Epps at Tech’s 42yard-line.
Ehlinger kept it safewith runs and check-downs, not forcing anything as the clock ticked down.
With 43 seconds left, the offensive line provided a pocket so clean Herman, a former quarterback himself, could have sat back there and found a target. It was easy for Ehlinger to stand, scan and hit wide
open wideout Josh Moore for an 18-yard touchdown, leaving a two-point conversion between Texas and overtime.
To tie it, Texas ran the sametwo-point conversion play West Virginia used in 2018 to clinch a win at Royal-Memorial Stadium. It worked again, this time with Eagles getting free for the game-tying catch.
“They brought everybody, which opened up the slant window,” Ehlinger said. “At first, Iwas going to try to put him on a fade because they had that Will linebacker standing right there. Luckily they came and blitzed and he obviously got incredible separation and made a play.”
On the third play of overtime, the defense bit on Ehlinger’s play-action, and Moore shook his defender on a sharp cut into the end zone to haul in the 12-yard touchdown catch. The defense finished the jobwhen junior safety Caden Sterns picked off Tech quarterback Alan Bowman’s fourth-down pass.
Ehlinger completed eight of his final nine pass attempts, including seven straight to seal the improbable outcome. And because of that, the Longhorns’ dreamof a Big 12 title and College Football Playoff berth remains intact.
“As long as we got that guy,” Herman said, “and there’s a few ticks left, everybody on the sideline believes we have a shot towin the thing.”