Texas is off to an excellent start in its College Football Playoff quarterfinal against Arizona State.
The Longhorns gave up a field goal on Arizona State’s first drive of the game, but they weren’t trailing for long.
Texas needed just 2 plays on its opening drive to take the lead from the Sun Devils. Quarterback Quinn Ewers completed passes of 54 and 23 yards on back-to-back plays, with the latter going to DeAndre Moore for a touchdown.
Here’s a clip of Ewers’ TD pass to Moore:
After Texas’s defense got a stop on ASU’s ensuing possession, the Longhorns got on the board again with a special teams touchdown. Returner Silas Bolden returned an ASU punt 75 yards for a touchdown to give the Longhorns a 14-3 lead midway through the first quarter.
Here’s a replay of Bolden’s return:
Texas also nearly blocked a punt on Arizona State’s first possession — which resulted into a running-into-the-kicker penalty — so the Longhorns have been playing well on special teams early on in this game. This was Texas’s first return touchdown of the 2024 season.
Texas will be looking to make it to the semifinals of the CFP for the second consecutive season. If the Longhorns do win this game, they would face the winner of Ohio State vs. Oregon in the next round.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
