Texas upsets No. 3 Alabama, 34-24, as Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian earns victory over mentor Nick Saban
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The Texas Longhorns defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide, 34-24, in a perennial disappointment as Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian earned his first victory over his mentor Nick Saban on a big night for a program trying to climb back to the national championship rack.
Texas (2-0) earned its biggest win under Steve Sarkisian in a game that slipped away last season after a red-hot Quinn Ewers retired with a shoulder injury in the first quarter. He was back and with another big weapon in Adonai Mitchell. This amounted to a welcome-to-the-Southeastern Conference moment for a program that will play Alabama & Co. next season. will connect.
It didn’t come without a fight from the Crimson Tide (1-1), who have now dropped three games in the last two seasons. What’s more is that Alabama had its 21-game winning streak snapped along with a 57-game regular-season binge against non-conference teams from Nick Saban’s 2007 debut season.
Mitchell had another big performance against ‘Bama. The Georgia transfer involved touchdown passes of 7 and 39 yards in the fourth quarter. As a freshman, Mitchell’s 40-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter of the National Championship game against the Tide gave Georgia the lead and its first of consecutive titles.
He caught the winner also against Ohio State in the semifinals. Then Mitchell went to Texas and another showdown with Alabama.
Sarkisian, a former Alabama offensive coordinator, came into the Texas game 14-12 and with just two wins in nine tries against ranked teams. He left with a great victory over his former boss.
Jonathon Brooks #24 of the Texas Longhorns celebrates with teammates after the 34-24 win
Ewers was 24 of 38 passing and tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders had five catches for 114 yards.
Alabama’s Jalen Milroe made big plays in passing and running, but was also picked off twice due to poor decisions. He was 14 of 27 for 255 yards with a pair of touchdowns.
Both quarterbacks delivered big drives to switch the lead in the final 16 minutes.
Alabama didn’t take its first lead until Milroe found Jermaine Burton – also a transfer from two-time defending national champion Georgia – in the left corner of the end zone for a 49-yard touchdown with 14 seconds left in the third quarter. That came on a fourth down stop when Ewers couldn’t control the snap under center.
That lead became a double-digit deficit again in a whirlwind period of 84 seconds.
Ewers answered right back with a 50-yard pass and ran to Sanders. Then he promptly hit Mitchell for his 7-yarder.
Jerrin Thompson stepped in front of Milroe’s pass and raced 32 yards to set up Jonathon Brooks’ 5-yard run. Suddenly it was Texas 27, Alabama 16.
More to follow…