Huddle up! Here’s a look back at this weekend on the gridiron, with three key takeaways from the state’s football scene -- and a glimpse at what’s to come next week.
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Ewers returns, Longhorns roll
The questions of “What if?” or “What might have been?” are probably being asked loud and clear by Texas fans following a 49-0 rout of Oklahoma in the Red River Showdown on Saturday.
Starting quarterback Quinn Ewers returned from a clavicle injury suffered in the first half of a 20-19 loss to Alabama in Week 2, and showcased all the talent that made him the No. 1 quarterback recruit in his class.
Ewers threw for a career-high 289 yards and four touchdowns, and one can only wonder where the Longhorns would be if he stayed healthy against Alabama.
Ewers was playing well against the Crimson Tide, so odds are not only good that Texas would have beaten Alabama, but gone on to beat Texas Tech as well.
Instead of having two losses and being all but out of the chase for the College Football Playoff, the Longhorns would likely be unbeaten and a top-5 team right now had Ewers stayed healthy.
Injuries obviously happen, and Texas is happy to have Ewers back in the fold for a run at a Big 12 title now.
Still, it’s hard not to wonder what might have been.
Texans still have Jaguars number
If only the Houston Texans played the Jacksonville Jaguars every week.
Despite many pundits around the country boasting about how resurgent the Jaguars are and how they might be the favorite for the AFC South, it still didn’t prevent the Texans from doing what they do best, and that’s beat the Jaguars.
The 13-6 Houston win in Jacksonville was the ninth straight time the Texans have beaten the Jaguars, and It also marked Houston’s first win of the year.
The second meeting of the season between the teams will be on Jan. 1, and given Houston’s dominance of Jacksonville, there might be no better way for the Texans to ring in 2023.
Puzzling play call ends Aggies’ upset bid of Alabama
Texas A&M returned to the form many thought it would display when it went wire-to-wire at top-ranked Alabama on Saturday, and the Aggies had a chance to win on the final play when it had a first-and-goal from the Alabama 2-yard line with three seconds left, trailing 24-20.
But then came an odd play call and another frustrating loss for the Aggies.
Even former A&M quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel went to Twitter to call the last play “one of the worst calls I’ve ever seen in my life.”
Texas A&M quarterback Haynes King tried to hit wideout Evan Stewart right at the pylon of the end zone on the short side of the field, but the play was well defended by Alabama and had little shot.
Even if Stewart somehow caught the pass with a defender right there, he would’ve likely been tackled at the 1-yard line or out of bounds short of the pylon.
Why not try and use the larger side of field with your playmakers instead of such a narrow window? Would powerful running back Devon Achane been denied getting two yards had he been given the ball?
Ultimately, it was more frustration in season full of it for the Aggies.