Did Texas win over the critics with the CFP takedown of Clemson? It only gets tougher from here

AUSTIN — The rematch of Dodge Bowl quarterbacks went better for Quinn Ewers on Saturday than it did four years ago at the state title game, where the stakes were only as high if you never attended high school. Cade Klubnik always wants JerryWorld. But the first ever College Football Playoff game at Royal-Memorial Stadium belongs to Ewers.

On a brilliant afternoon that wasn’t as tough as the look Ewers has increasingly played this season, Texas’ junior quarterback passed, even ran and generally avoided the tackle of his backup.

Unless, of course, Arch Manning’s usual one-and-done run does it for you.

Fifth-seeded Texas did a lot of things right in a 38-24 victory over 12th-seeded Clemson in front of 101,150.

Got the running game going again after it sputtered badly against Georgia.

Got a critical goal line drive as Clemson threatened late.

Otherwise, what does a win over the team that beat SMU — which was lit by Penn State — mean to the Longhorns’ resume?

Meaning they get to play Arizona State in the Peach Bowl on New Year’s Day.

“It’s not, ‘How did it look?'” Steve Sarkisian said. “It’s, ‘Did you have one more point than the other team at the end?’

“We weren’t perfect.”

Winning is enough this time of year, because the beauty pageant is over. It is out of the committee’s hands now. The Sun Devils, the Big 12 champs, will undoubtedly be a bigger problem than Clemson, but the Longhorns likely won’t win over any critics until the semifinals of the Cotton Bowl, assuming they make it that far.

From here it only gets tougher on a few fronts. In addition to the upgrade in the competition, there is the question of how much of their offensive line will be intact in ten days. On a disastrous drive near the end of the first half, Texas lost three players and the ball. Quintrevion Wisner, who ran for 110 yards and half of the Longhorns’ four rushing touchdowns, eventually returned. But Jake Majors, the senior center, and right tackle Cam Williams, projected to be selected in the first round in April, were largely done for the day.

Williams, who took a long time to get off the field even with help, needed an MRI on his right knee after the game. The Majors could have bounced back, Sark said, but they moved Hayden Conner from left guard to center. Trevor Goosby, who replaced Kelvin Banks Jr. when left tackle was unavailable for the SEC title game against Georgia, took Williams’ spot at right tackle.

The fact that two-fifths of the offensive line was restructured midway through the game made the Longhorns’ next drive even more impressive. Today’s best, actually. Ewers, looking as ambulatory as he has been all season, found Jaydon Blue for 21 yards, ran for 11 yards, then hit Gunnar Helm, who broke the school single-season record for receptions by a tight end, in the back of the end zone.

“Me and Gunnar have a great connection,” Ewers said.

“It just always seems like he’s open.”

Ewers has come a long way since Southlake Carroll’s 52-34 loss in the 2020 Class 6A state title game to an Austin Westlake team led by Klubnik. The Clemson quarterback had the better numbers Saturday, hitting 24 of 38 for 305 yards and three touchdowns. He was also the Tigers’ primary rusher with 13 carries, though most of his contribution was wiped out statistically by Texas’ seven sacks.

The Longhorns’ defense, best in the nation, struggled on the back end, allowing Klubnik to nibble on the edges with a couple of great throws and catches. Coming back from a 28-10 deficit, he cut Texas’ lead to a touchdown late in the third quarter.

“He’s a really outstanding player,” Texas defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski said. “He can hurt you with his arm; he can hurt you with his legs.

“There’s no stopping the guy.”

Same with Ewers, who recognized a defensive formation he’d seen in practice and heard a running play after Clemson crept close. Blue, who finished with 146 yards rushing, did the rest of the work with an electrifying 77-yard touchdown.

Ewer’s numbers were workmanlike compared to Klubnik’s. Finished 17 of 24 for 202 yards and a touchdown. The interception wasn’t his fault, the ball ricocheted off DeAndre Moore Jr. and ended up in the hands of Southlake Carroll’s RJ Mickens, Ray’s boy. He also would have turned it into a pick-six if not for a questionable blindside block call against Clemson.

The timing of the throw seemed eerie, given Texas’ success against the run. With the score 21-7, David Pollack, Georgia’s ex and TV analyst, tweeted, “Texas might not have to pass the ball again.” But like all offensive coordinators, especially those with a reputation as geniuses, Sark doesn’t mind showing off.

He acknowledged afterward what was evident in the losses to Georgia and what needs to happen from here.

“Our offense is better,” he said, “when we can run it.”

The offense needs to pick it up a bit, because Texas’ defense is good enough to win it all. Make a late stop at the Longhorns’ 1-yard line on successive plays. It might have been the finest moment all season by a defense better than any other, though Kwiatkowski won’t take much credit.

“Without these guys executing at a high level,” he said, “I look like shit.”

For the record, any coach who gets “schmuck” in an analysis is ace with me.

Twitter/X: @KSherringtonDMN

So far, so good: See photos from Texas’ first-round College Football Playoff win over Clemson in Austin

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