The Lone Star Showdown has been decided. The Texas Longhorns have emerged victorious after a concerning second half. Their defense was unstoppable and their two-quarterback system paid off. They dominated the first half of the game. Despite some solid pushes by Texas A&M, the historical rivals were no match for the Texas Longhorns. Several players stood out on the team. Records were broken. The Texas Longhorns punched their ticket to the SEC Championship next week.
Lone Star Showdown Of 2024
The last time the Texas Longhorns defeated the Texas A&M Aggies was in 2011. The last time Texas defeated a rival so soundly was in October against Oklahoma. Saturday’s game against Texas A&M would prove to be more of the same. The Texas Longhorns took control early and maintained it despite some key setbacks.
1st Quarter
The first quarter ended with a decisive blow by the Texas Longhorns. After Quarterback Quinn Ewers pushed the team down the field, Coach Sark made the call to bring in Arch Manning. Arch Manning, rapidly becoming known for his horsepower, immediately scored his 4th rushing touchdown of the season. Upon further review, it was clear Manning had not stepped out of bounds. Additionally, the ball was extended across the goal line when he hit the pylon.
Despite the strong finish, the Texas Longhorns went for a slow burn start. A few minutes in Quinn Ewers had a couple of misfires to Isaiah Bond and Gunnar Helm. This pattern would not hold, as he would complete passes to Helm, Wisner, and Moore. Texas Safety Michael Taaffe recorded an interception, giving Texas a takeaway in 20 straight games. Ewers managed to drive his team downfield and set things up favorably for Manning.
One unfortunate development was Texas Longhorns Left Tackle Kelvin Banks Jr, the No. 10 overall prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft. This quarter saw him walking off the field with staff to be checked for an injury. He would unfortunately return to the game sidelines outfitted in sweats and a walking boot. According to a postgame report from Burnt Orange Nation, Banks Jr. has an unspecified ankle injury. Texas A&M worked their way downfield but were unable to score.
2nd Quarter
The second quarter did not start smoothly for Texas A&M. Two minutes in, QB Marcel Reed was sacked. After some more failed drives, the Aggies were eventually forced to punt. With the Texas Longhorns turn, Ewers was back in. His passing game was exceptional, finding Bond, Helm, and Matthew Golden for multiple completions. Texas A&M picked up a penalty for roughing the passer and Jaydon Blue later gained three yards.
The Texas Longhorns arguably have the best backup quarterback in college football. Once Manning came in, he connected with Blue again who caught the pass but was ruled out of bounds. After a lengthy review, officials determined the touchdown was in bounds thanks to his right foot. That stellar catch pulled the Longhorns up to 14-0.
It was at this point that the Texas Longhorns sacked Reed again. Immediately after, there was a somewhat controversial call in which Defensive Back Andrew Mukuba was cleared of targeting. With Texas A&M Coach Mike Elko still arguing, the Aggies cleared a 69-yard punt. Other notable happenings this quarter included an amazing 35-yard catch by freshman Ryan Wingo and some trademark big air from Tight End Gunnar Helm.
On the Aggies side, Howell recorded a sack of Ewers, and another Aggie yanked Silas Bolden down under the goalpost. The half ended with Texas Kicker Bert Auburn unable to repeat his earlier field goal. The Texas Longhorns were up 17-0 going into halftime.
3rd Quarter
The Texas Longhorns received the second half kickoff. Despite a strong completion by Helm, Texas got nowhere fast. Texas A&M Quarterback Marcel Reed squeezed through a hole on the left and gained several yards. Pass interference was called on A&M interfering with Texas Longhorn Isaiah Bond.
Ewers fired several rockets at Golden, Wisner, and rushed some yards himself. After Golden landed inside the 15 and a brief Aggie injury check, Arch Manning came in. Banks Jr. came out in his walking boot and things only continued to deteriorate from there. Manning was sacked by Texas A&M Linebacker York, and Ewers came back in. Almost immediately, his throw was intercepted by Texas A&M. The Aggies proceeded to charge the entire length of the field for their only touchdown. The catastrophic pick-6 was recorded as 93 yards.
After that horrendous turn of events, Ewers was sacked again. The Texas Longhorns caught a minor break when Texas A&M left 12 men on the field. This allowed for a huge completion by Gunnar Helm, who stiff-armed a defender. He was eventually pulled out of bounds but never fell to the ground. Multiple Texas A&M players were evaluated for injury during this quarter. Their team had also finally caught on to Tre Wisner, which caused a pause in progress. A fumble was forced, but the Aggies were unable to capitalize before the clock ran out.
4th Quarter
Texas A&M put forth a somewhat valiant effort in the fourth quarter. A pick-six, a blocked punt, and all their effort would not be enough to overcome the Texas Longhorns’ lead. This quarter was also sprinkled with injury after injury for Texas A&M, including Defensive Lineman Shemar Turner. There was a strong push in the final few minutes of the quarter. The Aggies fought hard at the goal line for two downs but were unable to secure that final yard for the touchdown. Texas Longhorn Ethan Burke came after them and the Aggies were stopped cold.
Texas Longhorns Running Back Tre Wisner notched a few more rushing yards. After a sack of Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed, the Longhorns recovered the fumble. Two personal fouls – one by each team – canceled each other out and then it was all over. With 460 yards vs the Aggies’ 248 yards, the Texas Longhorns displayed clear dominance. Texas will go on to face Georgia in the 2024 SEC Championship on December 7.
Final Thoughts
Texas Longhorns fans were looking to capture that magical feeling of the Justin Tucker game-winning kick. This was their first defeat of the Aggies after the first time facing them in 13 years. Texas Longhorn Tre Wisner certainly made his mark at Kyle Field. He recorded a career-best 33 carries for 186 yards, according to Sports Illustrated. He’ll need to bring those skills into the upcoming race where anything can happen, like Michigan vs Ohio State.
Despite the heated feelings between these teams, Coach Sark encouraged his players away from the Texas A&M logo. This would be a relatively reserved celebration, with no antics or flag planting like the Michigan upset. In a postgame interview alongside Tre Wisner, Coach Sark made clear that being champions is the standard at Texas. They’ll put that to the test soon in round 2 vs Georgia. Only this time for their new conference championship.
