Examining Texas’ 2022 Alamo Bowl Loss Against Washington: What’s Changed?
The Texas Longhorns lost to the Washington Huskies 27–20 at the end of the 2022 season. Now, on December 1, the Longhorns have the opportunity to end Washington’s season with a defeat. The fact that last year’s game didn’t have nearly as many effects on the state of the sport is the main distinction between the two postseason matchups. This year’s winner advances to the College Football Playoff championship game; the Longhorns are ranked third and Washington is ranked second in the rankings.
Not only are the stakes in the game significantly higher, but there are also some significant changes in terms of confidence and growth this time around. One similarity to the previous meeting is that Texas is without its star running back, as Jonathan Brooks is sidelined for the entire season due to an ACL tear, and Bijan Robinson chose not to play in the bowl game the previous year.
In 2022, Jerrin Thompson made a huge interception to force quarterback Michael Penix Jr. into an uncommon error, giving the Longhorns’ defense a strong early advantage. The offense was unable to gain momentum and was forced to punt, which resulted in a field goal by Husky. After Texas responded with a field goal of their own, they would go scoreless for the remainder of the half as Washington took a 13-3 lead.
In the third quarter, Ewers and Brooks connected for a touchdown to cut the lead to three, but Penix responded to increase the lead back to ten. Then, the Huskies scored another touchdown to extend their lead to 17. Texas made it 27-20 after settling for a field goal despite scoring a touchdown and forcing a huge defensive stop in the fourth quarter. The clock ran out on the Longhorns’ season and comeback as they were unable to move the ball down the field fast enough.
According to ESPN’s matchup predictor, the Longhorns are favored by four points going into this year’s Allstate Sugar Bowl and have a 68.4% chance of winning. The Longhorns heated up toward the end of the season, winning their final three games by an average of 29 points, in contrast to the Huskies who struggled through the latter part of their schedule. A chance to win a title clearly stands out as the biggest motivation for Texas, even though they may also be thinking about getting revenge.
