ARLINGTON, Texas – On the Ohio State goal line with 3:20 to play in Friday’s Cotton Bowl Classic, Texas needed a touchdown to keep its national championship aspirations alive.
The Longhorns faced a second down and goal with the game on the line in front of a roaring crowd Friday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Quarterback Quinn Ewers connected with sophomore running back Quintrevion Wisner on a lateral toss.
Before Wisner could kick it into gear to try and find the edge, the play was blown up by the nation’s No. 1 defense. Two plays later, the Buckeyes sealed the game with a strip-sack fumble returned for a touchdown by Ohio State’s Jack Sawyer.
“It was just a busted play,” Wisner said of the second down and goal play. “We were unable to execute. You know, I realize that things happen.”
For the second straight season, Texas was knocked out of the College Football Playoff in the semifinal round. Last year, the Longhorns fell to the Washington Huskies in the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day 2024. This year: a 28-14 defeat to Ohio State.
This time around the Longhorns are saying goodbye to starting quarterback Quinn Ewers as the Austin native told ESPN before the game that he is set on entering the 2025 NFL Draft.
“It sucks being on this side of things,” Ewers said after the game. “Back-to-back years pretty much. The game decided on one play and — it’s hard. It’s hard. All the work we put in, being in the final four back-to-back years and coming up short. It’s tough."
While some see Ewers’ college career as a decisive one due to ups and downs with injuries and performance, those close to Ewers on the football field will miss his presence most.
“He has so much respect for us,” Wisner said of Ewers. “It takes a lot when you make a mistake and bounce back and have confidence. We love and respect him … I know he’s going to be great.”
In Friday’s game, Ewers extended his touchdown pass streak to 27 games — just short of Colt McCoy’s program-high of 29 in a row. Ewers also became the third quarterback in program history to toss 30+ touchdowns in a season.
“I just want to say I’ll miss that guy,” Texas junior running back Jaydon Blue said. “He’s been here three years with me, and I was just blessed to have an excellent quarterback.
“The things I like about him most is he’s been through a lot of adversity this year — with injuries and people doubting him — but he always stood up and never changed.”doing
Blue also said any professional team would be lucky to have Ewers because of his dedication to doing everything “the right way.”
Moving forward, redshirt freshman Arch Manning is expected to be the quarterback of the future on the Forty Acres.
Wisner expressed his confidence in the program bolstering its roster back up and competing for another championship again next season.
“Yeah, it gives me confidence knowing next year we’re going to load the chamber back up,” Wisner said. “We want to build this team back up.”
