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Alabama Survives Texas With Late Scoring Drive by Bryce Young

The Crimson Tide survive a major scare from Texas.

Dan Lyons

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For a moment, it looked as if “Texas is back” might be more than a college football Internet joke. Unfortunately for the Longhorns, Bryce Young remains one of the most dynamic talents in all of college football, and put together a heroic final drive to push No. 1 Alabama past Texas.

After a huge 4th-and-1 stop of Alabama running back Roydell Williams, Texas went 44 yards in eight plays to set up a 49-yard field goal for kicker Bert Auburn. The kicker, aptly named for a game against Alabama, missed a chip shot at the end of the half, but hit the huge kick with 1:29 remaining, knocking it through the uprights to give Texas a 19–17 lead.

Young and the Tide immediately got back to work. He completed five passes on the drive, including a 20-yard completion to Jahmyr Gibbs, and picked up 20 yards on a huge scramble to get the team into field goal range.

With 10 seconds left, Crimson Tide kicker Will Reichard made a 33-yard go-ahead field goal, putting his team up 20–19. Texas failed to pull off a miracle score with 10 seconds left in the game, securing the win for Nick Saban’s club.

Young finished 27-for-39 for 213 yards and one passing touchdown, adding seven carries for 38 yards on the ground. Gibbs did it all for the Crimson Tide, catching nine passes for 74 yards and a score, and rushing for 22 yards, while Jase McClellan paced the team on the ground with 97 yards and a touchdown.

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Texas lost quarterback Quinn Ewers early in the game to injury, after an impressive start to the game: 9-for-12 for 134 yards. Hudson Card replaced him, going 14-for-22 for 158 yards. 

Alabama moves to 2–0 with the win, while Texas drops to 1–1 with what has to be as close to a moral victory as you’ll see in college football.

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Dan Lyons
DAN LYONS

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