A 1-yard run by Hollywood Smothers with 25 seconds left and the extra point by Gianni Spetic gave No. 4 Texas a remarkable 24-23 victory over the No. 1 Buckeyes in Austin, Texas, on Saturday.
It capped a stunning comeback as Texas (2-0) scored 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter against the Buckeyes (1-1).
The Buckeyes built a 20-3 halftime lead with the aid of two Texas turnovers and several dropped passes as the Buckeyes dominated with a Ja’Kobi Jackson 8-yard TD run and a 19-yard Jeremiah Smith 19-yard catch buffeting two field goals by Connor Hawkins.
Hawkins made another field goal early in the third quarter before Texas rallied with three fourth-quarter TDs, a pass by Arch Manning and a 1-yard run by Hollywood Smothers with 7:14 to play to make it 23-17.
Hooked ‘Em
Texas started from the 22 after a 16-yard return and promptly turned it over on the first play when Raleek Brown made a catch 4 yards behind the line of scrimmage. Freshman cornerback Jay Timmons forced a fumble and he recovered it at the 18.
On the Buckeyes’ first snap, Bo Jackson ran for 9 for a first down, then 5 to the 4 before he was tackled for a 9-yard loss to the 13. Mason Williams made a catch of 6 for third-and-goal from the 7.
Sayin lifted a pass to Smith near the right pylon but it was broken up by Graceson Littlejohn and Baylor transfer Connor Hawkins made his first Buckeye field goal, from 26 yards, for a 3-0 lead at the 12:04 mark.
The Buckeyes got the ball back four plays later after a weird interception by Jaylen McClain.
Hollywood Smothers ran for 13 yards to the 38 on three successive plays prior to Arch Manning throwing deep to Cam Coleman, who had badly beaten McClain.
The ball hit Coleman in the hands and as he was falling it bounced into the arms of McClain at the 12 and he returned it to the 19.
This time, OSU didn’t squander the opportunity, going the 81 yards in 10 plays and using 4:36 of the clock to go up 10-0 at 5:39 when Ja’Kobi Jackson in his first carry of the game went up the middle from the 8.
The drive started with a 23-yard catch by Williams to the 42. Two plays later on third-and-10, Smith made his first catch of 19 yards to the Texas 39 and he came back on the next play with a 13-yard reception.
Bo Jackson took over and rushed for 9 and 3 to the 14. Sayin went back to Smith for 6 to the 8 but on the next play, a pass in the end zone to Smith was incomplete, leaving OSU needing 8 yards.
A big push by the offensive line gave Ja’Kobi Jackson room and he powered his way in.
Texas went three-and-out when Riley Pettijohn sacked Manning for 10 yards at the UT 21.
After a 43-yard punt and a 16-yard return by Brandon Inniss to the Texas 48, Bo Jackson ran for 1, Sayin scrambled for 5 and Smith came through again with a 10-yard catch to the 34 to move the chains.
Isaiah West rushed for 2 and 5 and Bo Jackson gained 6 to the 21 for first down to end the quarter.
The Buckeyes had a 119 yards to 5 for the Longhorns in the first quarter and ran 19 plays in Texas territory to eight total plays for UT.
But the drive stalled with no points when on 4th-and-2 from the 13, Ja’Kobi Jackson was stacked at the line and got 1 yard to turn the ball over.
That gave Texas life and the Longhorns made it 10-3 with 5:42 left in the half on a 37-yard field goal by Gianni Spetic to cap a 16-play drive that consumed 5:42.
Manning made completions of 10 to Coleman and 16 to Ryan Wingo to the UT 39. The Longhorns finally crossed the 50 when Smothers on third-and-2 from the 47 ran for 10. Brown followed with a 6-yarder on the ground.
Later, on first down from the 30, Wingo was open in the end zone but dropped the ball. Undeterred, Coleman made a grab of 9. Smothers continued to punish the Buckeyes with a gain of 7 to the 14.
After Brown ran for 1, Kenyatta Jackson Jr. sacked Manning for 6 yards to the 19 before the QB overthrew Coleman to set up the kick by Spetic.
When the Buckeyes got the ball back at the 25, Smith had a 43-yard catch to the Texas 30. A Ja’Kobi Jackson run of 3 and a sack of Sayin for 6 set up 3-and-13 and this time, Sayin went to Inniss for 19 to the 14.
The yards got tougher from there. Bo Jackson was stopped for no gain leading into the 2:00 break. Sayin was sacked a second time for 8, leading to a Texas timeout. Looking at 18 yards for a first and 22 for a score, Sayin threw a short pass to Bo Jackson and he carried it to 10 yards to the 12.
Hawkins made a 30-yarder for a 13-3 lead at 1:41.
Texas began at the 25 and Manning ran for 5, passed to Wingo for 6 and Smothers made a 14-yard catch to the 50. After two incompletions and a false start, the Buckeyes gave the 5-yards back with an offside penalty. Brown made a catch at the 49 but inexplicably ran out of bounds at the 41.
Texas went for it and used a misdirection play but Jermaine Mathews Jr. snuffed it and tackled Wingo for a 10-yard loss to the Texas 49 with 49 seconds left.
OSU needed four plays and 39 seconds to extend the lead to 20-3 on a 19-yard TD catch by Smith.
Bo Jackson rushed for 6 and caught an 11-yarder to the 32. On the next play, he caught the ball at the 31 and took it to the 19 where Sayin found Smith down the middle for the momentum builder heading into the half.
OSU outgained the Longhorns 240-97 in the first half with Sayin throwing for 192 yards by completing 12 of 16. Bo Jackson in 11 carries had 36 of the 48 rushing yards and Smith made six catches for 110 yards. Manning was 7 of 14 for 60 yards.
Meltdown
Bo Jackson started the second half after the touchback with runs of 8 and 11 yards and Smith’s catch went for 11 as well to the Texas 45. Bo Jackson ran for 3 and Sayin threw incomplete before he went to Bo Jackson for 3 yards to the 39 but Joe McGuire was called upon for the first time and punted 26 yards for a fair catch at the 13.
Smothers began the Texas series with a 14-yard reception but five plays later, Inniss fielded a 43-yard punt 3 yards to the 30.
The Buckeyes were facing their first-three-and out but Sayin had a desperation toss down the left sideline that Smith muscled his way for a 43-yard catch to the Texas 37.
After Bo Jackson was stopped for no gain and Sayin threw deep incompletions to Devin McCuin – he was open for a TD – and Smith, Hawkins nailed a 48-yarder to make it 23-3 at 8:09.
Texas on its possession gained a yard and punted 38 yards to the OSU 38. The Buckeyes faced another three-and out and had to punt after Sayin’s incompletion to Phillip Bell.
McGuire’s 50-yard punt was muffed by Ryan Niblett at the 11 and recovered by teammate Tex Phillips at the 9.
Manning ran for 10 and 8 and Smothers rushed for 3. Another pass in the backfield was stopped for a 5-yard loss but Texas picked up a first down on the next play when Devin Sanchez was flagged for pass interference, setting the ball at the UT 41.
On third-and-8, Manning was hurried and threw the ball away. The Longhorns went for it on fourth down and Manning Winston scrambled out of the pocket and found Emaree Winston for 9 yards.
Later, Emmett Mosley V made a 15-yard catch to the 16 but Payton Pierce caused a fumble but Coleman recovered it at the 12.
The Longhorns kept the drive alive and Manning passed to Wingo for a 3-yard score with 14:19 left in the game at the end of a 15-play, 91-yard, 6:28 drive.
The Buckeyes went three-and-out and Texas kept coming, converting a fourth-and-6 from its own 32 and Manning went to Mosley for 12 yards in a key play of the game that
Smothers rushed for 11 and 1, Manning ran for 8 and Brown ran for 5 to the 31 before Coleman made a catch for 16 to the 15.
After an incompletion, Brown bulled his way 12 yards to the 3 then 1 and Smothers walked in from there to make it 23-17 with 7:14 to play. The drive on the weary defense was 13 plays, 72 yards and 5:35 used.
The Buckeyes seemed in trouble looking at second-and-10 when Sayin elude the rush and found Nate Roberts for 24 yards to the OSU 49.
A pass interference gave the Buckeyes another first at the Texas 44. Bo Jackson ran for 11 and Ja’Kobi Jackson gained 7 and Bo Jackson lost 1. A deep incompletion to Smith sent Hawkins out he missed a 45-yard field goal to the left.
Manning started from the 27. On second down, Mosley made a 17-yard catch to the Texas 46. Mosley stayed hot and made a 4-yard catch.
Brown then rushed for 11 to the 39, Manning threw incomplete and a pass to Winston went for 8 to the 31 with 2:00 left.
On third-and-2, Smothers got the first down with an 8-yard run then picked up 2 more to the 23. He followed with a 3-yarder.
Mosley’s catch of 19 put the ball on the 1. Smothers rushed up the middle for no gain and OSU burned its final timeout with 51 seconds left.
Smothers was stopped again at the 1 but it went to a review with 51 seconds left. Smothers fumbled it in the pile but Brown recovered and Smothers took it in from there.
When OSU got the ball there was a holding penalty, a 5-yard pass to McCuin and an interception on the final play.
