Rapid reaction: Texas beats OSU 41-36 in thriller
By Anthony Slater – Aslater@opubco.com - @anthonyVslater
Turning point
David Ash, who was brilliant all night, drilled D.J. Grant with a fourth-and-six slant deep in his own territory. It went for 34 yards, flipping field position and keying Texas’ game-winning fourth quarter drive.
It was over when…
Four plays after the conversion, UT running back Joe Bergeron ran it in from two yards out, giving Texas the 41-36 win. But the score had its controversy. Replay showed Bergeron losing the ball near the goal line, with a possible OSU fumble recovery. But review proved inconclusive and Texas walked away with the win (video at the bottom).
Star of the game – UT QB David Ash
The much-maligned freshman has turned into a cold-blooded sophomore. Ash was great all night, leading methodical drives and dropping in perfect deep balls. Overall, he went 30/37 for 305 yards and three touchdowns, making clutch play after clutch play. Once considered the Longhorns’ biggest burden, he’s quickly become one of the team’s stars – a confident starter for a top-10 program.
OSU star of the game – Joseph Randle
Simply put, Randle was the best player on the field Saturday night. He gashed the Longhorns hyped defense, taking 25 carries for 199 yards (8.0 per rush) and two scores. Randle opened the game with a dazzling 69-yard touchdown sprint, shaking one defender and bulldozing another. From there, he mixed speed, strength and incredible vision to keep the Cowboys in the game.
Walsh watch
Filling in for the injured Wes Lunt, J.W. Walsh played admirably in his first career start. He threw an ugly interception on the second possession, but limited mistakes after that. Overall, he was 18/27 passing for 301 yards, two touchdowns and 57 rushing yards, showing guts during four second-half scoring drives. When identifying reasons OSU lost this game, the freshman quarterback isn’t anywhere near the top of the list.
Secondary woes
Coming into the season, Justin Gilbert and Brodrick Brown were lauded as one of the top cornerback combos in the nation. Four weeks in, they’ve been near the bottom of that list. Both were consistently burned on Saturday night, with Ash dropping floaters over them and drawing pass interference calls on them. Plus, the two haven’t provided their usual gamebreaking ability. Last season, they combined for 10 interceptions. Through four games in 2012, the duo doesn’t have any.
Stat of the game
12 – Third- or fourth-down conversions for Texas in 20 chances. The Longhorns killed OSU’s defense on crucial downs all night, with Ash delivering in the biggest moments.
Tweet of the game
The always-opinionated Skip Bayless on the controversial fourth-quarter call
Video of the call
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