Week 3 vs Rice
In reality, the Longhorns cruised through a neutral site game against Rice, winning 48-13. Virtually, the season took a turn for the worse against the Owls. Texas’ offense once again struggled, only managing to put up 14 points. While the Longhorns outgained Rice, the passing game was once again the problem.
Sam Ehlinger was a catastrophic 13-32 with 191 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. His completion percentage on the season dropped to a shocking 51%, which would easily be the worst of his career.
When he was finding receivers, it was mainly to Devin Duvernay. The senior led the way with seven catches and 150 yards, including a 54-yard touchdown. His dynamic partner Colin Johnson went missing, not recording a single catch.
Rice’s quarterback Evan Marshman threw two touchdowns for the Owls and had more yards than Ehlinger with 208. The Owl run game was not the best, with Aston Walter having 53 yards on 19 carries.
The problem for Texas once again came in the red zone, scoring zero points off three red zone attempts. With a final score of 18-14 in favor of Rice, two field goals would have been enough to get the Longhorns the win.
Instead, they fall to 1-2 on the season and lose to Rice for the first time since 1994 and just the second time since 1965. Tom Herman may have been fired right away if this were to have happened, as it would have been an embarrassing loss for the program.
Here are the full team stats:
The disappointing loss ends any chances Texas had of making the College Football Playoff. They will now turn their attention to the Big 12 season, where improvement must be shown.
Overall record: 1-2
Sam Ehlinger’s season stats: 47-92 621 yards 4 TDs 2 INT
Season’s leading rusher: Keaontay Ingram with 195 yards on 52 carries
Season’s leading receiver: Devin Duvernay with 292 yards on 15 catches
Sack leader: Ta’Quon Graham with 2.0 sacks
Interception leader: Jalen Green and B.J. Foster with one each
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