Advertisement

Senior moments: Texas' win over Texas Tech, title game berth fueled by outgoing Longhorns

danny davis, austin american-statesman
·4 min read

Since 1996, Texas has played 236 games against Big 12 opponents.

It will play one more before departing for the Southeastern Conference.

Texas secured its spot in the Big 12 championship game Friday with a 57-7 rout of Texas Tech at Royal-Memorial Stadium. The Longhorns last reached the Big 12 finale five years ago and UT is searching for its first conference crown since 2009.

Texas must wait until Saturday's Oklahoma State-BYU game to find out who it will play at AT&T Stadium in Arlington next Saturday. If Oklahoma State beats BYU, then the Cowboys would advance to play Texas. If Oklahoma State loses, then Oklahoma will advance.

If Texas draws Oklahoma State in the Big 12 championship game, that will be the first meeting between those two schools this season. The Longhorns' only loss this year was dealt to them by Oklahoma in October.

Teammates congratulate senior linebacker Jett Bush after he scored on a 43-yard interception return during Texas' 57-7 win over Texas Tech on Friday at Royal-Memorial Stadium. The Longhorns will play either Oklahoma State or Oklahoma in next Saturday's Big 12 championship game.
Teammates congratulate senior linebacker Jett Bush after he scored on a 43-yard interception return during Texas' 57-7 win over Texas Tech on Friday at Royal-Memorial Stadium. The Longhorns will play either Oklahoma State or Oklahoma in next Saturday's Big 12 championship game.

"This is a special team," Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy said. "We came from 5-7 (in 2021) to 8-4 (in 2022) and everybody's really been counting us out. I feel like it's really just been a blessing just to be on this team and to be where we are at now."

Senior moments: Longhorns say goodbye with big plays

Needing a win to get in, the Longhorns got just that. Texas scored on its first possession and never trailed.

Texas was fittingly led in its regular-season finale by some of the seniors it honored in a pregame ceremony. Playing in their final home game, linebacker Jaylan Ford led the defense with eight tackles, while Jordan Whittington tied Worthy for the team lead in receptions, catching four of his five targets.

Texas running back Keilan Robinson scores the first touchdown of the game Friday night in the Longhorns' 57-7 win over Texas Tech. He later added a 95-yard kickoff return score to open the second half.
Texas running back Keilan Robinson scores the first touchdown of the game Friday night in the Longhorns' 57-7 win over Texas Tech. He later added a 95-yard kickoff return score to open the second half.

Then there was running back Keilan Robinson. And linebacker Jett Bush.

Playing in front of a sold-out crowd, Robinson got the party started with a 10-yard touchdown run. And with Texas leading 26-7 at halftime, he returned the second half's opening kickoff for a 95-yard score. It was his first touchdown run since the Kansas game last season and Texas' first kickoff return score since 2020.

Robinson's best game as a Longhorn came at the end of his third season in Austin. He transferred to Texas after spending two years at Alabama, where he was coached by future UT coach Steve Sarkisian and special teams coach Jeff Banks.

"Keilan's really important to our program, and he's been important to our program," Sarkisian said. "When Keilan came on board, he was really the one guy that knew my coaching style and that knew coach Banks' coaching style on special teams and so he was a really good conduit early on in our time here in year one, and then into year two of what the expectation is, the way we practice, the way we compete, why details are so important.

"To have a couple touchdowns tonight in his last game at DKR means a lot to me because I know how much he meant to me, especially in year one."

Texas tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders celebrates Friday night's 57-7 win over Texas Tech at Royal-Memorial Stadium, which sent the Longhorns into next Saturday's Big 12 championship game in Arlington.
Texas tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders celebrates Friday night's 57-7 win over Texas Tech at Royal-Memorial Stadium, which sent the Longhorns into next Saturday's Big 12 championship game in Arlington.

With the game getting out of hand in the third quarter, Bush corralled a pass that bounced off the foot of Texas Tech running back Tahj Brooks. Bush, who wears the No. 43 jersey, then returned the interception 43 yards and UT extended its lead to 43 points. Once a walk-on who earned a scholarship in 2020, Bush also used a spin move in the first quarter to sack Texas Tech quarterback Behren Morton and thwart a first-quarter drive.

"That play's going on (SportsCenter's) Top 10," Worthy said. "It's definitely going on Top 10. I don't know where on Top 10, but it's definitely going on Top 10."

Clicking on all cylinders

Sarkisian described the win as a "total team effort," and thus Robinson and Bush weren't the only standouts. Jaydon Blue rushed for 121 yards, 69 of which were picked up on a second-quarter touchdown run. Bert Auburn tied a school record with five field goals. Michael Taaffe blocked a punt and Worthy hauled in the 26th touchdown pass of his career. Defensively, Texas held Texas Tech to 198 yards of offense and its lowest point total of the season. Terrance Brooks and Malik Muhammad also intercepted passes by Morton, who was limited to 88 passing yards.

"It just shows you we don't have a talent drop-off whenever someone goes down, and we're very fortunate to say that," offensive lineman Jake Majors said. "It's just awesome to see people who don't usually get an opportunity to play play and show what they can do."

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas football and DKR bid farewell to seniors, who go out with a bang