The Top 20 Texas Longhorns Moments of 2023: Not 8 Oklahoma: Jonathan Brooks’ 29-yard touchdown pass
DALLAS, TX – OCTOBER 07: On October 7, 2023, at Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas, Texas, Texas Longhorns running back Jonathan Brooks (24), of the Oklahoma Sooners, sprints into the end zone for a touchdown during the second half of play. (Image sourced from Getty Images by William Purnell/Icon Sportswire)Icon from Getty Images via Sportswire
On January 1, the Texas Longhorns and the Washington Huskies will square off in the College Football Playoff semifinals. As the days go by, take a look back at the top 20 moments.
Not 8 Without a player who won’t be playing in the College Football Playoffs, Texas would not be in the postseason. Jonathan Brooks’ 29-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter ties Oklahoma late.
Running back Jonathan Brooks was having a season that would have made him a strong contender for the Doak Walker Award as the best back in the country. During a 10-game stretch that included his injury-plagued TCU game, Brooks amassed 1,139 yards on 187 carries and 11 touchdowns overall.
Midway through the fourth quarter of the Red River Rivalry game against Oklahoma, one of those scores occurred. Texas, ranked third in the nation, was playing 5-0 for the first time since 2009. With just over six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Brooks’ crucial 29-yard touchdown run helped the Longhorns rally from a 10-point deficit to tie the game, 27–27. The Sooners had taken an early lead in the third quarter.
After two completions to Jordan Whittington, Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers passed the ball to Brooks, who completed the pass.
After a field goal by Bert Auburn gave Texas a 30-27 lead, Oklahoma rallied for a 34-30 victory with a touchdown with 15 seconds remaining.
Before tearing his right ACL and ending his season, Brooks ran for 104 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries against TCU one month later. Kind of.
After that, Texas led 30-27 after a field goal by Bert Auburn, but Oklahoma rallied for a touchdown with 15 seconds remaining to win 34-30. A month later, against TCU, Brooks “I think the one thing that probably stings most for us as a team is the teammate that Jonathan Brooks is. He’s a better person than he is a football player and he is a heck of a football player.” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian expressed his gratitude to Brooks by inserting him into the game on the final play of the Big 12 Championship victory so that the record would reflect that Brooks was there.
