No. 4 Texas Longhorns rallies from 20-point deficit to stun No. 1 Ohio State 24-23
(Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
AUSTIN, Texas - Texas erased a 20-point halftime deficit and scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter to defeat No. 1 Ohio State 24-23 on Saturday night at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin.
Longhorns mount dramatic comeback
(Photo by John Rivera/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
What we know:
The Longhorns trailed 20-3 at halftime and 23-3 entering the fourth quarter before their offense came alive.
Quarterback Arch Manning completed 23 of 37 passes for 196 yards and a touchdown. He also led Texas on several key drives during the comeback, including a late possession that put the Longhorns in position to take the lead.
Texas running back Hollywood Smothers scored twice in the fourth quarter, including the go-ahead 1-yard touchdown with 25 seconds remaining. Smothers finished with 74 rushing yards on 21 carries and added 29 receiving yards.
Ryan Wingo caught four passes for 22 yards and scored Texas’ first touchdown of the fourth quarter on a 3-yard reception from Manning. The Longhorns then pulled within six points after Smothers’ first touchdown with 7:14 remaining.
Defense sparks unanswered 21-point run
Dig deeper:
Texas’ defense held Ohio State scoreless in the fourth quarter. Ohio State kicker Connor Hawkins missed a 45-yard field-goal attempt with 4:16 remaining, giving the Longhorns another opportunity to complete the comeback.
Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin completed 17 of 32 passes for 278 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith had eight catches for 164 yards and a touchdown. The Buckeyes led 10-0 after the first quarter and 20-3 at halftime, before adding a field goal in the third quarter, but Texas responded with 21 unanswered points in the final quarter.
What's next:
Texas finished with 336 total yards, including 140 rushing yards. Ohio State had 372 total yards but committed one turnover, while Texas turned the ball over twice.
The win moves Texas to 2-0 on the season and ends Ohio State’s 2-0 start. It also gave the Longhorns their first win over the Buckeyes since 2005 and cuts Ohio State’s lead in the all-time series to 3-3.
The Source: Information in this article was provided by live coverage of the Texas Longhorns football game.