NOTEBOOK: Keys to a Historic Longhorns Win Over Alabama
No guts, no glory, right? That was Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian's mindset before he defeated Alabama coach Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide, 34-24 on Saturday in Tuscaloosa.
Down-the-field plays, fourth-down efforts and a no-huddle offense seemed to be the name of the game for the Longhorns, but it ended up throwing Alabama off guard to where Texas seemed almost uncontrollable.
Here are some key takeaways from Texas' historic road win over the Crimson Tide.
Alabama's defense could not contain Quinn Ewers and the explosive Texas offense.
First off, Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers threw for 24-for-38 for a total of 349 yards. According to ESPN, his yardage marked the most of any non-conference passer since 2007 in Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Included in Ewer's total yards were two deep pass bombs that made it to the end zone. Ewers connected with wide receiver Xavier Worthy for a 44-yard touchdown and passed a 39-yard strike to Adonai Mitchell for an additional six points.
The Longhorns' big-play offense was too accurate and consistent for the Crimson Tide.
© Aaron E. Martinez, Austin American-Statesman
Alabama penalties abound.
Approaching the final two minutes of the matchup, the Crimson Tide has totaled 10 flags.
Two touchdowns were taken off of Alabama's side of the scoreboard due to penalties called on their offensive linemen - those two touchdowns may have been game-changers.
In the 2022 season at DKR, Alabama recorded 15 penalties.
Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe's interceptions were costly.
Milroe's first recorded interception came off of his first drive on offense, which gave Texas momentum from the start. A ball aimed for Jermaine Burton ended up in the hands of Longhorn Jahade Baron.
In the third quarter, Milroe nearly gave up an interception to Jerrin Thompson. However, with the ball placement inside Alabama's ten-yard line, Texas easily made it into the end zone with a ball carry.
