Wyoming Game Recap
Texas running back Jonathon Brooks capped off a huge night with a late 61-yard run. Photo: Tim Warner, Getty Images
We can all breathe easy.
After a tense game for 3 quarters, Texas finally pulled away late to put away a scrappy Wyoming team on Saturday night. Ultimately prevailing for a 31-10 victory, the Longhorns didn’t always make it easy on themselves, and the final score doesn’t tell the whole story of the game. In what was a 10-10 game going into the 4th quarter, the Texas offense struggled to get going while the defense adjusted well to a couple tricks thrown in by Wyoming head coach Craig Bohl. The Horns erupted for 21 points in the 4th quarter, finally hitting on some explosive plays in both the passing and running game. The defense shut down the Wyoming offense as well in the final quarter, even turning in a defensive touchdown to ice the game away for good. Texas fans are sure to have mixed feelings about this game - the Longhorns failed to cover the 30-point spread and even left the win in doubt until the final frame. Still, Texas managed 3 touchdowns in the 4th quarter for the second consecutive week, an encouraging sign that this team knows how to finish games - something that has been a thorn in the side of previous Texas teams under Sarkisian.
Wyoming opened the game with an explosive 62-yard touchdown run from Harrison Waylee to quiet the Texas crowd
The game began with the first trick thrown in by Craig Bohl - a surprise change at quarterback to sophomore Evan Svoboda. He definitely provided a different element to the Wyoming passing game than they had previously with Andrew Peasley in their first two games, showcasing his arm strength at various moments in the game. I swear at times it looked like they had run out Josh Allen - after all Svoboda wears the same jersey number as the Buffalo Bills star wore during his time in Laramie. After a couple early completions, Svoboda handed off to junior running back Harrison Waylee, who broke free of the Texas defense and suddenly the Horns were down 7-0.
What followed was an anemic effort by the Texas offense - oddly choosing to air out the ball on many occasions rather than focus on establishing the run game - and fans groaned as we saw drops, overthrows, missed timings, and even an ugly sack on quarterback Quinn Ewers. Craig Bohl’s defense showcased looks that had not been put out on previous game film, and the Horns couldn’t crack it. When Texas did choose to run the ball - such as during a 17 play, 90 yard touchdown drive eating up over 8 minutes between the first and second quarters, they looked like the kind of physically dominant team we had come in expecting to see. With C.J. Baxter held out of the game, Jonathon Brooks was a major contributor - following his blockers and finding gaps, finishing runs and punishing defenders on his way to a 164-yard rushing performance. Yet Texas went away from the run for large stretches, and managed just a 10-7 lead at half.
Texas’ defense was stout all night after an early busted contain for a long Wyoming score. Photo: Scott Wachter, USA Today
The 3rd quarter was more of the same for the Texas offense, with Ewers unable to get going. Wyoming responded with a big drive of their own - to the tune of 17 plays for 77 yards eating up over TEN minutes of game time. Crucially though, Texas DE Barryn Sorrell came up with a huge sack of Svoboda to force a Cowboys field goal, tying the score at 10 heading to the 4th quarter.
That’s when this game turned on its head.
Texas immediately responded with a 4 play, 75 yard drive capped off by Xavier Worthy being shot out of a cannon and outracing everyone for a 17-10 Texas lead. Blink and you’ll miss this guy going right past you for another touchdown, a la The Quickster.
Texas’ defense did what it does, forcing a 3 and out and leading to the moment of the game for me.
Jonathon Brooks showcased both his speed and physicality on a 61-yard run that set up first and goal for Texas. Ewers ran in for the score to make it 24-10 good guys. And after an easy pick-six by Jerrin Thompson on the ensuing Wyoming drive, the Longhorns had salted this one away.
Texas starts the season 3-0, going undefeated in non-conference play for the first time in 11 years. Photo: Scott Wachter, USA Today
Texas fans can breathe easy - we won the game by 21, after all. We can celebrate being 3-0 for the first time since the 2012 season. Sure, it wasn’t always pretty, but it looks like we will have to take the good with the bad with this team as it continues to grow and learn about itself over the course of the season. And there is a whole lot of good.
Final score: 31-10 Texas
Hook ‘em
