What if the defense made a stop on the 3rd and 17 against LSU?
Even though the Longhorns ended up losing at home against LSU, it was still one of the best games they were involved in all season. The second half was a back and forth between eventual Heisman trophy winner Joe Burrow and quarterback Sam Ehlinger. There was only one punt in the second half, coming in the Tigers’ first possession in the third quarter.
The critical moment of the game came on LSU’s final offensive possession, up by six with 2:38 left on the clock. After a Brandon Jones sack on second down, Texas put the Tigers in an uncomfortable 3rd and 17. That did not matter to Burrow and wide receiver Justin Jefferson as not only did they pick up the first down, but Jefferson went 61 yards for the score.
On 3rd-and-17 in the 4th quarter, Joe Burrow and Justin Jefferson did THIS. pic.twitter.com/uf95gKNdAp
— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) September 8, 2019
On that play, the Longhorns decided to blitz six and keep a spy on Burrow, only leaving four people in coverage. What if Texas had played it conservative and held the Tigers to fourth down?
While there is no guarantee it would have converted to points, the Longhorns had been rolling the entire second half, scoring a touchdown on three of their four second-half drives. They even put up a quick score after the Jefferson touchdown. It is easy to think that Texas could have done that after an LSU punt, possibly giving them a one-point victory.
The LSU victory would have set the tone for the season, giving the Longhorns momentum early. All it takes is one win for a team to get rolling and if they make a stop on 3rd and 17, Texas could have had that win.