ATLANTA — With Arizona State one play away from pulling off a comeback for the ages within the College Football Playoff, Quinn Ewers delivered a throw to Matthew Golden that saved the season for Texas.
Then it was left to Andrew Mukuba to complete off Cam Skattebo and the gritty Sun Devils.
If the Longhorns go on to win the nationwide championship, they’ll lengthy bear in mind how they stored their hopes alive on this Peach Bowl quarterfinal traditional.
Ewers handed 28 yards to Golden for a landing on fourth-and-13 to drive a second extra time, and Mukuba’s interception clinched a 39-31 victory after Texas squandered a 16-point lead within the fourth quarter and missed two area objective makes an attempt that might’ve gained it in regulation.
“The one factor that I learn about our group is when our backs are towards the wall and when our greatest is required, our greatest exhibits up time and time once more,” coach Steve Sarkisian mentioned. “The resiliency that these guys confirmed at the moment was one thing that as a coach makes you actually proud.”
Skattebo put No. 10 Arizona State forward for the primary time all day with a 3-yard landing run to begin extra time towards No. 4 Texas, the capper on a superb efficiency that wasn’t fairly sufficient to knock off the Longhorns.
The Sun Devils — a two-touchdown underdog, in response to BetMGM Sportsbook — had the sport of their grasp earlier than Ewers noticed Golden breaking free behind two defenders to haul within the tying rating.
“That’s only a testomony to how mature this workforce is and simply profiting from each single alternative that we now have,” Ewers mentioned.
After transferring to the other finish of Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Ewers threw a 25-yard landing move to Gunnar Helm on the very subsequent play, adopted by a 2-point conversion move to Golden.
The Longhorns lastly put Arizona State away when Mukuba picked off Sam Leavitt’s move on the 3 to finish the sport.
“We gave every little thing we had,” Skattebo mentioned. “We by no means stopped.”
After a bunch of lopsided outcomes by means of the primary 5 video games of the expanded 12-team playoff, the format lastly produced the type of thrilling sport that supporters envisioned.
It sends Texas again residence for a Cotton Bowl semifinal towards No. 1 Oregon or No. 6 Ohio State, who had been going through off Wednesday within the Rose Bowl.
Despite being dominated on the stat sheet many of the sport, the Longhorns had a seemingly comfy 24-8 lead after scoring two early touchdowns and getting a 5-yard scoring run from Ewers with simply over 10 minutes remaining.
But Skattebo and the Sun Devils had been simply getting warmed up.
The operating again who calls himself the very best within the nation, Skattebo backed up his bravado by displaying each side of his all-around sport.
First, he took a pitch on fourth-and-2 and heaved a 42-yard landing move to Malik McClain that gave the Sun Devils an opportunity once they made the 2-point conversion.
Then, Skattebo broke free down the sideline and hauled in a 62-yard throw from Leavitt — getting his helmet ripped off on the finish of the play, which appeared like the one approach to convey him down.
That arrange a 2-yard landing run by the bowling ball of a again, and it was solely acceptable that Skattebo additionally powered in for the 2-point conversion that tied the sport at 24 with 5 minutes remaining.
Texas had a pair of probabilities to win in regulation, however Bert Auburn was vast proper on a 48-yard area objective try and clanked one off the left upright from 38 yards away as time expired.
“We weren’t at our greatest and it felt like an NCAA March Madness basketball sport with the swings of feelings and issues,” Sarkisian mentioned. “I’m simply pleased with these guys as a result of not each sport goes to be fairly and never each sport is simply going to go precisely the way you need it to go.”
In the ultimate minute of the third quarter, Texas led 17-8 despite the fact that Arizona State had a commanding 303-128 lead in whole yards and had held the ball almost thrice longer than the Longhorns, 32:49 to 11:30.
Arizona State completed with 510 yards to 375 for the Longhorns.
Despite vomiting on the sideline earlier than the beginning of the fourth quarter, Skattebo rushed for 143 yards, made eight catches for an additional 99 yards and, after all, had that one massive completion.
It wasn’t fairly sufficient.
Ewers threw for 322 yards, with Golden making seven receptions for 149 yards.
After Arizona State drove for a area objective on the opening possession, Texas wanted solely two performs to say the lead.
Ewers connected with Golden on a 54-yard play, then went to DeAndre Moore Jr. for a 23-yard scoring move.
Both instances, the Longhorns went after Montana Warren, beginning instead of Shamari Simmons with the Sun Devils star compelled to take a seat out the primary half after being penalized for concentrating on within the Big 12 championship sport.
Arizona State then went three-and-out and Silas Bolden returned the punt 75 yards for an additional Texas landing. Having taken simply two snaps, the Longhorns had a 14-3 lead.
But any ideas of one other CFP blowout light as Texas struggled to complete off the Sun Devils, one of many nation’s most shocking groups after going 3-9 a 12 months in the past and remaining largely unnoticed till late this season.
Texas: It wasn’t fairly, however Sarkisian was right to offer the Longhorns factors for resiliency. This additionally offers the teaching workers with loads of instructing instruments, as a result of it’s arduous to see Texas profitable two extra video games — and a nationwide championship — with out important enchancment.
Arizona State: The Sun Devils will remorse all the probabilities they squandered earlier than the fourth quarter. Three instances, they had been stopped on fourth down in Texas territory. The Longhorns additionally blocked a 36-yard area objective try simply earlier than the tip of the primary half. But this was a efficiency that’s positive to spice up ASU’s profile nationwide and provides coach Kenny Dillingham’s program a way that it does belong among the many nation’s elite.
Texas: The Longhorns get an opportunity to play a de facto residence sport with the Cotton Bowl semifinal in Arlington, Texas on Jan. 10.
Arizona State: Will look to construct on its exceptional turnaround, starting with the 2025 season opener internet hosting Northern Arizona on Aug. 30.
This story has been corrected. A earlier model misspelled the final identify of Texas’ Gunnar Helm.
Get ballot alerts and updates on the Top 25 all through the season. Sign up right here. faculty soccer: /hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and /hub/college-football
This article was generated from an automatic information company feed with out modifications to textual content.