Survive and advance. The newly expanded 12-team college football playoff is really starting to feel like March Madness. The Texas Longhorns survive a furious Arizona State comeback and two overtimes to wrestle a 39-31 Peach Bowl win and advance to the Cotton Bowl for the CFP Semifinals.
It was a game of turnovers and missed opportunities and devoid of the Texas No. 2 quarterback, Arch Manning. The game was close, and Longhorn fans were on their feet, especially in the final quarter. Arizona State’s star running back, Cam Skattebo, valiantly tried to lead his team past the Longhorns, but his efforts fell short in regulation. Texas Head Coach Sarkisian aptly described the game as “A swing of emotions” in his postgame ESPN interview.
Arizona State opened the scoring with a 39-yard field goal by Carter Kieffer at 8:59, concluding a 12-play, 63-yard drive that lasted 6:01. Texas quickly answered as Quinn Ewers connected with DeAndre Moore Jr. for a 23-yard touchdown pass. Bert Auburn added the extra point, completing a two-play, 77-yard drive in just 45 seconds to take a 7-3 lead. Less than a minute later, Texas struck again when Savion Bolden returned a 48-yard punt 75 yards for a touchdown. Auburn’s kick was good, extending the Longhorns’ lead to 14-3.
The Longhorns added to their lead with a 22-yard field goal from Auburn at 8:54, finishing a 13-play, 72-yard drive that ate up 6:02. Texas entered halftime up 17-3.
Arizona State responded in the second half, forcing a safety at 7:38 after a fumble by Quinn Wisner was recovered by Ewers in the end zone. The Sun Devils continued to chip away with a 36-yard field goal by Kieffer at 0:41, closing an 11-play, 50-yard drive. Texas maintained a 17-8 lead heading into the final quarter.
Texas extended their lead to 24-8 at 10:17 when Ewers ran for a 5-yard touchdown, capping a 13-play, 76-yard drive. Arizona State mounted a fierce comeback, beginning with a 42-yard touchdown pass from Cameron Skattebo to Melquan McClain at 6:31, followed by a two-point conversion from Skattebo to Xavier Guillory. With 5:00 remaining, Skattebo ran for a 2-yard touchdown and added another two-point conversion to tie the game at 24-24 after a lightning-fast, three-play, 79-yard drive.
Texas’s attempt to regain the lead was thwarted by Arizona State’s stout defense, which managed to limit them to a field goal. Senior kicker Bert Auburn’s attempt from 35 yards out was wide-right. Another handoff to Arizona State resulted in no gain, and a promising targeting call that could have altered the game’s trajectory was unfortunately not called. Despite this setback, Texas managed to reclaim possession of the ball. Quarterback Quinn Ewers and running back Gunnar Helm successfully connected to run the ball down to the Arizona State 24-yard line. With only six seconds remaining, Auburn’s 37-yard field goal attempt was denied, leaving Texas with a narrow loss. The Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl headed into overtime.
In overtime, Arizona State delivered the first blow. Cameron Skattebo ran for a 3-yard touchdown, completing an eight-play, 25-yard drive. Kieffer’s extra point made it 31-24. On their possession, Texas answered back as Ewers connected with Mitchell Golden for a 28-yard touchdown pass. Auburn’s kick tied the game at 31-31, forcing double overtime. In second overtime, Gunnar Helm ran for Texas into the end-zone, with Matthew Golden sealing the 2 point conversion, required beyond second overtime. Arizona State fell short of their second possession in overtime, with an interception on 3rd down by Andrew Mukuba from Sam Leavitt.
ANDREW. MUKUBA. EVERYONE.#HookEm | #CFBPlayoff pic.twitter.com/XdPdLsm5dB
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) January 1, 2025
The Longhorns are just two wins away from the 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship in Atlanta. They’ll look to Jerry World in Arlington as their key path back to Atlanta in the Cotton Bowl on January 8th. As for Arizona State, their season will conclude with a loss. Rose Bowl winner Ohio State will be the Longhorns Cotton Bowl opponent.