The Texas Longhorns arrived in San Antonio missing some of their top talent but still went up against one of the best teams in the nation. In the end, however, it was too little too late and Texas went down 27-20 in the Alamo Bowl.
Here are a few initial thoughts on the campaign.
I wouldn’t stock too much. The win would have been a solid building block for the off-season, but losing narrowly in the closing seconds to one of the nation’s best teams while missing your best player and arguably three of your top five isn’t all that important. When only a few games play out, like Xavier Worthy’s wide open drop touchdown, they end up differently and the outcome could be different as well. In a season that has seen a few losses where Texas came so close, losing to the Alamo Bowl is just another example. Just use the off-season to turn narrow losses into clutch wins.
That was the kind of performance Quinn Ewers needed to bring into the offseason. 31-47 for 369 yards and a touchdown while playing on a one-dimensional offense. He was largely determined, accurate, confident and overall played his best game since the OU game. He’s been underperforming since that performance, to say the least, but getting back to his preseason form with a relatively impressive performance can only boost his confidence.
Upgrading the wide receiver room will be a top priority this offseason. This is especially true when you consider that passing without Bijan Robinson or Roshon Johnson needs more emphasis. The return of Isaiah Neyor should certainly help to that end and to include the incoming class there is no shortage of young potential but potential is no production until proven otherwise. As far as production goes, Jordan Whittington could be made in Austin, while Texas’ “best” receiver, Worthy, had a slump in his sophomore year to say the least, dropping several more than a few passes for a second straight season. Of course, Ewers needs to get better for his receivers too, but that group certainly hasn’t done him too much favor this season. How well Texas addresses this glaring flaw on their offense will have a big impact on any progress they hope to make next year.
You only want to be on the field when you’re on offense. The Texas defense, on the other hand, had all sorts of trouble coming loose when they had their chances. The Huskies converted 11-20 third down attempts and two fourth down attempts, and often Washington was in complete control and made it look easy. That’s just not good enough when you’re playing one of the best offenses in the nation.
Jonathan Brooks is next. RB4 Because of the talent and experience that lay ahead of him, Brooks has blitzed nearly every opportunity he’s had and his performance at the Alamo Bowl was no different. He converted his eight touches to 55 yards and two touchdowns to keep Texas alive in the second half, and it makes too much sense for him to be next in line to 2023’s young but loaded running back room to direct.