Longhorns Rally in Final Quarter to Defeat Ohio State 24-23

A Dramatic Fourth-Quarter Surge

The Texas Longhorns (2-0) secured a thrilling 24-23 victory over the Ohio State Buckeyes (1-1) on Saturday, September 12, at Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin. The result was decided in the final minutes of the fourth quarter, when Texas erased a significant deficit to take the lead with a dramatic sequence of scoring plays.

With 105,044 fans in attendance, the home team overcame a 20-point hole to claim the win, improving their record to 2-0 while dropping Ohio State to 1-1.

Early Buckeyes Dominance

Ohio State established a commanding lead early in the contest. In the first quarter, Connor Hawkins kicked a 26-yard field goal to give the visitors a 3-0 advantage. The Buckeyes extended their lead with an 8-yard rushing touchdown by Ja'Kobi Jackson, followed by a successful extra point, pushing the score to 10-0.

Texas responded in the second quarter with a 37-yard field goal by Gianni Spetic, cutting the deficit to 10-3. However, Ohio State reasserted control with a 30-yard field goal by Hawkins and a 19-yard passing touchdown from Julian Sayin to Jeremiah Smith, taking a 20-3 lead into the third quarter.

Hawkins added a 48-yard field goal late in the third period, extending the Buckeyes' advantage to 23-3 heading into the final frame.

The Texas Comeback

The fourth quarter saw a complete shift in momentum. Arch Manning connected with Ryan Wingo on a 3-yard passing play, and the extra point by Spetic brought Texas within 23-10. The Longhorns continued their offensive drive as Hollywood Smothers rushed for a 1-yard touchdown, followed by another successful kick to narrow the gap to 23-17.

With the game on the line, Smothers capped the comeback with a decisive 1-yard rushing touchdown. The extra point was converted by Spetic, giving Texas the 24-23 lead.

Statistical Performance

Arch Manning led Texas with 195 passing yards on 23-of-37 completion, throwing one touchdown and one interception. Hollywood Smothers was pivotal on the ground, rushing for 74 yards on 21 carries and scoring two touchdowns. Emmett Mosley V contributed 65 receiving yards on five catches.

For Ohio State, Julian Sayin passed for 278 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Bo Jackson rushed for 74 yards on 19 carries, while Jeremiah Smith had a standout receiving performance with 164 yards and a touchdown on eight catches.

Sources

ESPN