Inside Texas football’s fourth-quarter TD drive that iced win over Arkansas Razorbacks

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - The tenor of a game the University of Texas was in control of had radically changed.

A 13-0 lead with 8:36 to go in the third quarter was down to a 13-10 lead with 12:48 left in the game. Arkansas had all the momentum, but the Longhorns were getting the ball back following Razorbacks kicker Matthew Shipley's 44-yard field goal.

The ensuing drive absolutely had to end in points, but preferably with a touchdown.

"Just kind of flush everything and kind of start over," Ewers said of the moments before that drive began on his own 25-yard line. "I went over to everybody like, 'At the end of the day, we had to go down there and score.'

"We all knew that and understood what we needed to do. We had to go out there with confidence, bring the juice."

Ewers to Isaiah Bond for 20 yards on the first play.

Jaydon Blue between the tackles for seven yards, Blue again up the middle for six more and fresh downs at the Arkansas 42-yard line.

On the next play, Blue found plenty of room up the left sideline for a gain of 28, only to have the ball stripped from behind by Razorbacks cornerback Hudson Clark. The loose ball hit the grass, and rolled towards the sideline for what felt like an eternity. The ball somehow went out of bounds without anyone touching it, setting the Longhorns up with a first down at the 14.

"The football gods were on our side on the fumble by Blue," Sarkisian joked.

On second-and-8 from the 12, Ewers hit tight end Juan Davis on a checkdown to the left side for a gain of eight.

After Quintrevion Wisner ran for three yards to set up second-and-goal from the 1, Ewers rolled right, hitting Matthew Golden in the short-left corner of the end zone for his second touchdown catch of the day.

Arkansas threatened, but Texas had an answer.

"It definitely did feel like we had to go down there and score, just to close it up," Golden said.

Added Sarkisian: "What I love about that drive is the ball touched a lot of different people's hands on that drive, and that's when we're at our best. It's not about one guy or two guys having to play really well. Everybody's going to get their opportunities, and I thought that showed up on that drive in particular."

On a day where Texas struggled offensively, that drive was by far its most productive. The eight-play, 75-yard drive ate up 3:36 to give the Longhorns a 20-10 lead with 9:05 left.

"You lean on those veteran players," Sarkisian said. "Quinn being a veteran, that offensive line, [Houston transfer] Matt Golden wasn't here his first couple of years, but he's played a lot of football. It was a heck of a catch by him on the touchdown. That drive started with a pass to Isaiah Bond, so there's a lot of guys who have been around football for a while, and I don't think the moment ever got too big for them. I thought they showed great poise and composure, which we knew was going to be needed in this game."