No. 11 Texas said an early hello to the Southeastern Conference by scoring three touchdowns in the fourth quarter to stun No. 3 Alabama 34-24 on Saturday night in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
One year after losing to Alabama by one point at home, and one year before becoming a member of the SEC, Texas snapped Alabama’s 21-game home winning streak. Quinn Ewers led Texas with 24-for-38 passing for 349 yards and three touchdowns, two to Adonai Mitchell.
The Longhorns (2-0) scored two touchdowns 15 seconds apart to move ahead by 11 early in the fourth quarter.
Alabama answered with Jalen Milroe’s second touchdown pass and a 2-point conversion, but Mitchell got behind the Crimson Tide defense and hauled in a 39-yard pass in the end zone with 8:23 left for the final margin.
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian joined Jimbo Fisher and Kirby Smart as the only former Nick Saban assistants to beat the Alabama coach.
Alabama (1-1) lost a regular-season nonconference game for the first time since 2007. Milroe completed 14 of 27 passes for 255 yards with two interceptions.
Alabama committed 10 penalties for 90 yards, two of them nullifying would-be touchdown receptions by Jermaine Burton.
Jahdae Barron intercepted Milroe on Alabama’s first possession and returned it to Alabama’s 30-yard line. The Longhorns settled for Bert Auburn’s 32-yard field goal after a third-down pass glanced off Worthy’s fingertips.
Alabama tied it 3-3 on the first play of the second quarter. Will Reichard connected from 42 yards.
Texas replied with a four-play, 75-yard scoring drive. On a trick play, Xavier Worthy caught a backward pass and threw it down the sideline to Mitchell, who drew pass interference. Then Ewers lofted a ball that hit Worthy in stride for a 44-yard touchdown.
Auburn made another field goal from 29 yards, and Alabama could only add a 30-yard field goal from Reichard before halftime to cut it to 13-6. Reichard drilled his third field goal from 51 yards with 11:09 left in the third quarter.
After Texas converted on one fourth-down play and fell short on another, Alabama capitalized. Milroe loosed a 49-yard rocket to a streaking Burton for a touchdown, giving the Tide their first lead at 16-13 with 14 seconds left in the third.
Texas then went 75 yards in three plays, aided by another Alabama pass interference and a 50-yard catch and run by tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders (five catches, 114 yards). Ewers hit Mitchell from 7 yards to gain a four-point lead with 14:05 left.
On Alabama’s next play from scrimmage, Milroe floated a pass and Jerrin Thompson stepped in front of it, returning the pick to the 5-yard line. Jonathon Brooks ran it in from there to make it 27-16.
Milroe dropped a low snap but picked it up, rolled right and hit Amari Niblack, who evaded tacklers for a 39-yard touchdown with 11:17 on the clock. Isaiah Bond caught a jump ball for the 2-point conversion.
Texas linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. had 1.5 sacks, including one on third down that forced Alabama to punt with 7:14 left. The Longhorns milked the remaining clock.
–Field Level Media
