AUSTIN, Texas — Coach Steve Sarkisian mentioned he had a easy message for his offensive line and working backs after Texas‘ SEC title recreation loss to Georgia, the Longhorns’ second loss to the Bulldogs this season.
“Run to win.”
Texas ran for simply 60 yards within the two video games in opposition to Georgia — 29 in a 30-15 defeat in Austin in October and 31 in a 22-19 extra time loss two weeks in the past.
On Saturday, within the first spherical of the expanded College Football Playoff, the Longhorns ran for a season-high 292 yards in a 38-24 win over Clemson. Now, they may run all the best way again to Atlanta, the positioning of that second Georgia loss, with a quarterfinal journey to the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl to face Arizona State on Jan. 1.
“We wanted to run the soccer to win this recreation,” Sarkisian mentioned. “We’re going to want to run the soccer to advance in these playoffs. That’s what playoff soccer’s about.”
Running again Jaydon Blue, who struggled with an ankle damage early within the season and missed the UTSA recreation, reeled off 38- and 77-yard scoring runs, each on audibles known as by quarterback Quinn Ewers, who completed 17-of-24 passing for 202 yards and a landing with one interception.
Blue, who had misplaced 4 fumbles beforehand within the marketing campaign and was carrying a soccer round a month in the past to spotlight ball safety after fumbling in opposition to Kentucky, had 2 yards on two carries within the two Georgia video games. On Saturday, he rushed for a career-high 146 yards, calling it a “sigh of reduction.”
“Going again to the SEC championship, we did not run the ball effectively in any respect,” Blue mentioned. “[Sarkisian] simply stayed on us in observe. The O-line, working backs, the entire offense took that in, and we have been extra bodily in observe. He actually made a giant emphasis on us working the ball.”
And the Longhorns managed it in opposition to Clemson regardless of some key linemen struggling accidents within the recreation.
Shortly earlier than halftime, middle Jake Majors and proper sort out Cameron Williams have been damage. Hayden Conner moved from left guard to middle, with backup middle Cole Hutson taking part in left guard and Trevor Goosby at proper sort out.
Meanwhile, Clemson’s offense was in a position to press Texas. The Longhorns, which hadn’t allowed greater than 350 yards to any group this season, gave up 412 yards, together with 336 yards and three touchdowns via the air from Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik. Texas had allowed simply 4 earlier landing passes all season.
The contest represented a rematch of the 2020 Texas state championship recreation between Ewers, who was born in San Antonio, and Klubnik, an Austin native taking part in in opposition to a number of former highschool teammates on the Longhorns squad.
Texas security Michael Taaffe, one among Klubnik’s finest associates, mentioned after Saturday’s recreation that the signal-caller posed challenges that the Longhorns hadn’t beforehand seen this season.
“When you look throughout the sideline, irrespective of how shut you’re with the opposite opponent, they’re your opponent,” Taaffe mentioned of Klubnik. “We have been undoubtedly sharing phrases forwards and backwards. So, that was enjoyable. But then, on the finish of the sport, it is all love. He had an awesome recreation. … He helped us prepare for subsequent Saturday, for certain. So hats off to Cade; he is a baller.”
Sarkisian mentioned this group has proved to him it’s versatile and resilient.
“I do not know if this was our greatest recreation defensively, however after we needed to have it, they made these performs. To me, that is an indication of an awesome protection,” Sarkisian mentioned.
And after Clemson rallied from a 31-10 deficit to make it 31-24 after Klubnik’s third TD throw, Blue was off on that 77-yarder early within the fourth quarter. Sarkisian noticed it as an indication of resolve, each for Blue and the Longhorns.
“He was in a position to proceed to work and enhance his recreation after which have a recreation like this within the playoff,” Sarkisian mentioned of Blue. “Just actually happy with him, however I feel that’s type of symbolic of everyone on our group. Everybody’s been coping with stuff.
“I do know one factor about our group, it is that when instances get powerful, we reply. And Jaydon was an awesome instance of that.”
